Extended Tarot: Le Bateleur

Mystique in tarot has no limits, and if there is a limit this would be the human mind itself. The huge quantity of information everywhere is shown insinuated, an invitation to play and going deeper.

Donau's Journey explanations. The traveler

I'd like to explain some details about the project Donau's Journey. It's not an easy task since it hides many messages in several levels and also contains personal information. I will elaborate separated posts with explanations.

Let's start by the beginning.

The traveller starts his journey in box #1. Apparently he has a physical body but he doesn't know his origin or any meaning related to his existence. He is just and AUTOMATON (I love this word).

This corner is dedicated to biological beings. We all are created and ruled by DNA. Incredible vegetal life, fascinating animals and more creatures will follow the evolution according to the code.

He uses the same body position than Le Mat in Tarot cards, with same red shoes and a stick pointing to Le monde (card XXI, The World). 

        

Nowadays the world is bigger and bigger so his stick points to the known universe shown in #21.

He walks forward knowing nothing but with great intuition. Red shoes will guide him along the river in this magical an unique journey, which is the journey of life, the journey of all of us.

Donau's Journey print for sale

ABOUT
Donau's Journey (El viaje de Donau) is not only a journey along the wise river but also a journey through all of our lives, from biological birth all the way to the sea, with many surprises along the way. Donau's Journey takes the form of the classic game "El juego de la oca" and it's more than a just board game. I used the goose game structure as a geometrical base for numerology, links between squares and relationships everywhere. And it can be used for play as well!

Myriad details wait to be discovered, some more hidden than others. Maybe you can feel for yourself the meaning of each square. This has been quite a personal project and at the same time an explanation of my vision of the Cosmos.

"The highest artistic aspiration is the creation of a one's own universe with one's own aesthetic, symbology and ideas."


THE PROCESS
I saw and admired a version by Rafael Alberti in Reina Sofía museum many years ago. I've always wanted to do something similar and finally started to put ideas together in April 2016. This new creation was growing quite fast and a huge quantity of inspiration came to me both day and night. I was fully focused on this project in April and May 2017 in order to complete it. I was too immersed in this fascinating and crazy river. Now, June 2017, the project is completed!


I mostly used Rotring Isograph with Rotring ink and watercolors for the drawings, pencils for some details and fountain pen for the text. Of course all hand done. No tech applied.

Update January 2018: 

I'm happy to introduce Donau's Journey version in English.

The difference with the original print is not only the language but also the enriched frame.
It's printed in high quality vergé paper 160g/m2. Here some photos of the final print:

Every print is signed by hand.

Paper: Vergé 160g/m2

High quality print.

Print size: 63 x 63 cm

SHIPPING:
Worldwide shipping
Delivered in tubes 67 cm long

PRICE:

Spanish version: Not available
English version: 85 EUR.  

AVAILABLE

HOW TO ORDER:

Please email me to naranjacorreo@gmail.com to place an order. Worldwide shipping from Spain.

Additionally USA customers can also buy directly in Amarillo Stationery shop. Link here:

https://amarillostationery.com/collections/jose-naranja

Amarillo Stationery is an online shop based in USA. You can pay directly in USD. Domestic shipping from Chicago.

Email me for any question: naranjacorreo@gmail.com

XV Le Diable

The more I go into Tarot the more I find Le Diable fascinating. Somehow it rules everything and looks like the center of the mandala.

Actually the Devil could be the same character than the angel rising from the dark. If it continues going up it will explode in the Tower.

Some clear details and links and many other under interpretations make this card really rich in information. I have to conclude saying "Everything is so weird!"

Le Voyage du Mat

The journey of the fool (better say Mat) is the travel of everyone. It starts much earlier than our own existence and goes from an egg to other egg.

Tarot is an inexhaustible fountain for trained eyes.