"To be honest, if it made sense to me, I might wonder if I am dreaming..."
Q. What is heck is this site all about?
A. The Paradoxian Tarot is a way for me to show off my digital art, my graphic design skills and impart some utterly useless wisdom. All of which is often based on horrible puns, lyrics from songs and snippets of messed up dreams.
(Astute viewers will also note that my art follows the course of my life, much like a visual diary or journal.)
Q. What are the symbols on the back of the Paradoxian Tarot Deck?
A. A snake eating its own tail, better know as an "Ouroboros", symbol of Infinity.
The Sun in the form of a Golden Mask, the most basic element which gives us all life.
The Five-fingered Hand of Eris, Greek Goddess of Discord.
My own symbol for the concept of "Memes", which are contagious ideas, all competing for a share of our mind. Richard Dawkins originally introduced this idea in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene". Basically a contagion symbol embedded with question marks.
Q. How would you describe your art?
A. In the 20th century, born out of Nihilistic philosophy, came an often-overlooked art movement known as Dadaism. Cynical, irrational, negating of the accepted laws of beauty, ridiculing contemporary culture and art, using cryptically absurd, yet playful and emotive images, Dadaism became the forefather of the fantastic, dreamlike and incongruous imagery of Modern Surrealism. For your enjoyment (and bewilderment) I present my art as the (re)birth of Digital Dadaism for the 21st Century.
Q. All this messed-up art makes my head hurt why is that?
A. The purpose Nihilism and Dadaism and through them, Surrealism, is to make the viewer think. Aesthetic appreciation of the art is not the goal, this is why my first art show was entitled "Question Reality" and this is the theme I am attempting to continue with The Paradoxian Tarot.
(I have also attempted to invest the deck with a certain amount of humour, laughing at reality is just as important as questioning it!)
Q. What does Ph.A.Q stand for? Isn't that supposed to be F.A.Q. for (F)requently (A)sked (Q)uestions?
A. In typical Paradoxian style it stands for: (P)aradoxian-(h)ighly (A)sked (Q)uestions.
(Actually, that is a complete lie! I just used a "Ph" because it looked cool... Special thanks to
Minstrel Samfor actually coming up with a meaning for the acronym!){{}{((@!@#SYNTAX ERROR!!! HTML Coding comprimised... stand by for new transmission... I am NOT Minstrel Sam Dammit! I'm Draxenn! DRAXENN!!! JEEEEEZE!!!!!! {}}{{} {######} {!!@##$................... L33T K-RAD Forever! Strongbad RULZ!@#^^&^#
Q. Why the "Paradoxian" Tarot?
A. Because somebody had already made an Erisian Tarot!
Q. What does the word Paradoxian mean?
A. For the "official" version, you can check out The Pseudodictionary. You should also read the Paradoxian Manifesto for a more expand interpretation.
Q. Why a Tarot Deck?
A. Because it's a classic way to present artwork and wisdom.
Q. Does The Paradoxian Tarot have 72 cards and the Major/Minor Arcana of a traditional Tarot Deck?
A. No, The Paradoxian Tarot has an infinite amount of cards, which are all represented as having a specific, although completely arbitrary, number assignment.
Q. Well, it's obvious that you don't have an infinite number of cards posted on the site, how many do you have?
A. Currently there are over 60 unique cards posted, which more being added on an erratic basis.
Q. Can I buy a copy of The Paradoxian Tarot?
A. No, I haven't found anything large enough to hold an infinite number of cards.
Q. How can I get to see all the cards?
A. Email me and ask nicely.
Q. Will you do Graphic Design for me?
A. Sure, I'm always looking for design work! I have designed CD covers, videotape cases, book covers, posters, web sites and more! I very much prefer to be paid for my work, however, I'm always willing to listen to offers for equitable trade, so don't be afraid to drop me a line if you have a proposal!
Q. Can I buy my favourite Paradoxian Tarot card as a print or T-shirt?
A. Yes! Please take a look at the purchasing page for more information.
Q. Which cards make up the backgrounds of the various Paradoxin Tarot pages?
A. Paradox, Irony and Ars Gratis Artis.
Q. You write very well, is there anywhere else that we can be blinded by your amazing wordsmithing skills?
A. No, I don't actually, however, if (for some inconceivable reason) you would in fact like to read other stuff by me, you just may enjoy my "ElectroZine of Esoteric Digital Nonsense": The Lonely Gunman.
Here's a few notes to increase your viewing pleasure:
#1 - This site is not to be taken seriously, but my copyright is, please ask before you use any of my pictures or art.
#2 - If you want to learn more about Erisian or Discordian thought go type "Fnord" into your favorite search engine. (That's how I found it.) Another good word to look up is "Meme".
#3 - In the spirit of Chaos and Discord all fortunes are completely Random. Please don't load more than one Paradoxian Tarot Fortune per day, it spoils the fun if you overdose. Wisdom on this level is meant to be savoured.
#4 - A site like this would have been a perfect opportunity to go crazy with banner advertising. But, as you can see, there's nary a banner or advertisement to be found on this site. It is my fondest wish for this site to stand as a beacon for free thinking, including breaking the evil mindset that is advertising on the Internet.
#5 - Please feel free to email me at: kusari@artofchainmail.com