Author: Alison Price   –   Updated: September 2026

Wellbeing Category

In this article I’m sharing with you the roadmap I used and how I got to be such a fan of cards in general and astrology cards in particular. This is a part of my Wellbeing category and has ideas of a creative nature.

Card Evolution Roadmap

The Map

Recently I have been creating cards for many things in my life.

I’ll be explaining more below.

But the point is that the handmade cards which I have crafted are such a mainstay in my life now.

I always seem to have some cards on the go and often I’m working on multiple decks at the same time.

Diagram

Here is the diagram of my cards experience roadmap and clearly this was draw in retrospect.

In the beginning I had no idea that cards would become such a feature in my life and the best way for me to do daily art as a creative outlet.

So, thinking back I drew this handy dandy road with the cards that came into my life dotted along the way.

I suppose it’s not really a roadmap, but more of a timeline of how I had the cards and when they rose to awareness for me.

My card journey began way back in 1980 and the path I took shows the different cards along the road.

Let’s still call it a roadmap even though it is a timeline.

Maybe it’s both?

Podcast Episode

Astro Art Cards

Listen to our latest Astro Art Card podcast episode on the Starzology Astrology Podcast.

Tarot Cards

1980

When I started to learn astrology and took my first astrology lesson it was back in 1980. Yes, I’ve been doing astrology that long.

I bought the Rider Waite Tarot deck from Aquarian Books in Hillbrow in Johannesburg.

If you know that shop then you know.

I consider myself to be the Queen of Wands.

Who do you see yourself as?

Resources

Rider Waite Tarot

Mandala Astrological Tarot

Astrology Tarot Cards

Several years ago, I got myself a copy of the Mandala Astrological Tarot by the astrologer Tad Mann.

These cards are square and so can be read by laying them in a circle just like a chart.

He painted each card’s design himself is bright cheerful colors and I really like these ones.

I think they reflect my Leo energy very well.

Resource

The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann.

Bridge

Absorbing Game

During my early marriage we played bridge.

It was a card game that I’d never heard of until we joined a bridge club in Johannesburg.

We played for about five years twice a week and it became intense.

Resources

Bridge Cards

Arwynne’s Tarot Deck

2014

When I met Arwynne in 2012 and we started the first podcast venture to gether she introduced me to her hand made reading cards.

She made them in Photoshop and collaged the backgrounds.

Then had them printed to finally laminate them.

She was the inspiration for me to create my own cards sometime in the future.

 I thought that it was so cool what she had made and realized that I too could make something for myself.

That just because the big boys, Ryder Waite, had made the final word in Tarot cards, I realized that they actually were notthe final word.

It dawned on me that anyone who is interested can create their Tarot art, in their own style and with their own interpretation.

Mind blown.

Astrology Reading Cards

Personal Guidance

Around 2016 I purchased The Astrology Reading Cards by Alison Chester Lambert and Richard Crooks.

These are a delightful set of signs, planets and house cards.

They are beautifully and richly illustrated and I loved them for a long time.

They can be used in an astrology reading as an ice-breaker with new clients.

Reaching Out to Alison

I did reach out to Alison, great name by the way, and asked her about becoming an affiliate for the cards.

She told me that her only involvement in the process was writing the astrology for a one-off payment, and that the publishers had the rights and I should contact them.

Resources

• The Astrology Reading Cards by Alison Chester Lambert and Richard Crooks

Pure Astrology Cards

Canadian Design

The Pure Astrology Cards from two Canadian sisters Dana and Barbara.

It is another set of astrology cards which include the signs, planets, houses and aspects.

They also include the modes cardinal, fixed and mutable.

Resource

Pure Astrology Cards

Artist Trading Cards and Astrology Trading Cards (ATCs)

2022

During 2022, I began making some Artist Trading Cards (ATCs).

I decided to call them Astrology Trading Cards (ATCs).

You can read more about these cards which I made here.

2.5″ x 3.5″

The ATC size is specified at 2.5″ x 3.5″ or the same size as a regular playing card.

• Regular playing cards

Gratitude Cards

Inner Reflection

Later that year I bought some gratitude cards for inner reflection.

I enjoyed just how these cards always had a positive message.

Whereas the Tarot has some disturbing cards like Death and the Hanged Man which are cards that I always felt popped up far too often.

Resources

• Gratitude cards

Greek Myth Cards

Gift

Later I had an astrology student who came to me for personal classes.

She had a Greek boyfriend and one summer she went to Greece for a vacation.

Upon her return she gifted me some very attractive Greek Myth playing cards.

Fun, fun, fun!

Resources

• Similar to the cards I have, the Mythos deck by Stephen Fry

2024 Astrology Cards

97mm x 140mm

Next, I moved on to cutting out my larger Astrology Cards to the same size as the Gratitude cards deck and Alison’s cards.

I felt this was the right size.

By cutting my own cards form Bristol board, I felt I was truly immersed in the process.

The creative nature of making your own cards is very therapeutic.

Dopamine

It was at this time that I discovered neurographic art and how sketching can help to support your mental health by reducing stress and anxiety.

I recommend the book DOSE by Tj Powers for more information on how the brain chemicals can be supported by what you spend your time doing.

Resource

• The DOSE Effect by Tj Powers

Pacific Trees Cards

Nature Cards

I discovered Pacific Tree Cards. I have listed a similar deck below.

These I just liked when I saw them at the Vancouver Art Gallery gift shop.

In my mind I thought that if one day I was fortunate enough to have some grandchildren, I’d be able to teach them about the trees in our local area here in Vancouver.

Let’s face it, we could all do with knowing more about trees…

Resources

• Sibley Tree Identification Flash Cards

Vivid Kingdom

Ten Hundred

I found the artist Ten Hundred on YouTube.

His art style speaks to me and I have supported him on Patreon.

One year he created 52 playing cards in his own unique style called Vivid Kingdoms.

I bought his deck of cards which I haven’t opened yet.

Artspiration Cards

2024

Next, I ventured into my Artspiration Deck.

This was a deck of cards, the size was still 97mm x 140mm, with mainly New Age symbols like the Eye of Horus and the Hand of Fatima.

These I did for a while but I only made about thirteen cards in the set.

I’ll circle back around to these a bit later.

Arabic Alphabet Cards

Language Learning

As my family grew, I was pleased to welcome a new son-in-law who speaks Arabic at home.

He says he will teach his kids Arabic as they will learn English naturally in their environment.

Thinking back to the potential for grandchildren I decided to start to learn Arabic.

It is good for my Mercury mind to keep learning and a language truly stretches you.

If you feel like you need a stretch then go and learn another language.

You can see more about this here.

Emjulaire Cards

Christmas 2025

For Christmas last year I did not want to just get my daughters more junk.

You know what I mean, another coffee machine, an electric carving knife, an ornament of a squirrel etc.

 Junk.

So, as I was in “Card Making Mode,” it occurred to me that I could make them some family-themed cards to slip into their Christmas Card envelope.

This would mean that I was not just waiting money on clutter that they don’t even want and it would be a creative artwork from Mom.

Win, win.

Family Cards

I decided to make them each five core cards that they all got the same and then two individual cards which relate directly to their lives and what they get up to.

The five core cards were love, money, wellbeing, vision and creativity.

The individual cards were:

• My first daughter was given a dog card as she has a golden labrador,
• My second daughter got a traveler’s card as she is the family traveler
• My third daughter received a typography card as she is obsessed with type.

Vision

I had a vision of making more cards, like a granny card for my mother, for them for their birthday, other special days and next Christmas to grow their personal deck.

I also thought they could make cards for each other; well, you can hope.

Emjulaire

I wanted a name for this family deck that would grow over time.

I hummed and hawed for quite a while.

I thought back to when my dad started his business and named it after us kids.

He called his company Alsada Engineering from the first two letters of mine and my sibling’s names, Alison, Sarah and David.

Thinking about this I tried some combination of my daughter’s names Julia, Claire and Emma.

Syllables

Then I came up with a blended combination of their names as Emjulaire.

So not the first two letters but a syllable from each child’s name.

This I liked and I put the deck name, Emjulaire, at the bottom of every card just like the Pokémon people do.

Notes from Nature Cards

Johanna Basford

A brilliant Scottish artist is Johanna Basford.

She creates wonderful and whimsical coloring books for children and adults.

This year she launched a set of cards called Notes from Nature.

Obviously, I had to have them.

I’d never had one of her coloring books, as that is not really my thing, but when she launched cards, well, say no more, they just had my name on them.

And by the way she has a new set of cards coming Autumn 2026 and I’ll link to that here when it comes out.

Resized to 100mm x 150mm

It was at this point that I finally plumped on my card sizes.

Up until now I’d been cutting my cards to 97mm x 140mm with 7mm corners, but then I noticed that Johanna’s cards were published to a slightly different size.

Her cards are 100mm x 150mm with 5mm corners.

Very metric which I can do as that is the measuring system which I was brought up with.

This size also relates to 4″ x 6″ in imperial measurements.

4″ x 6″ is the size of a standard photograph, a basic envelope and ever the Canon Selphy printer prints photos to 4″ x 6″.

Finally, I had a great size for my cards for the future.

One that works so well in metric and imperial.

Yaay.

Signs and Symbols Deck

2026

This year I decided to refresh my old Artspirations Cards into my new shiny Signs and Symbols Cards.

I see these as cards as starter cards for anyone interested in symbology.

They are not strictly astrology cards and that I why I write about them and explore them further on my lifestyle blog Heathcote Living.

New Size

They are now in the new size and I’m slowly working on them.

It really is a labor of love.

Vancouver ATC Club

Seasonal In-person Meetings

This summer I launched the initiative of an in-person ATC club in downtown Vancouver, Canada.

I see this as a way to connect with others in the astrology space without it becoming a boring old astrology lecture session.

The idea is that every season, so winter, spring, summer and autumn, we get together to create and color some astro art cards to trade or swop just for fun.

If this interests you then there is more information here.

Video

Back in the day I hosted an art evening with a few ladies and you can see more about that in this video.

Future Decks

The Plan

I have a plan for some more card decks in the future.

It may be next year or the next five years but there are other card collections that I’m toying with the ideas for.

Crystals

I’d love to do a crystals deck with emerald, amethyst and citrine etc.

I’d love to draw each crystal and have their meaning on them.

Watch this video on crystal and astrology for some ideas on what I’m thinking about.

I also did a crystal swatch for my colored inks.

Women Artists

I’m interested in women artist in history and those still creating currently.

Women like Frida Kahlo and Emily Carr spring to mind.

I envision me painting a portrait of each woman as a card in itself with information on their art style, movements and mediums.

Support female artists.

Butterflies

I do have an interest in butterflies and how they are such beautiful insects.

You can see more about my butterflies here.

Delicate and transient butterflies are all gorgeous.

Female Saints and Icons – Religious

On another note, I have a passing interest in the female saints in the bible.

Maybe even the women of the bible.

Ther are over 1500 men mentioned in the Bible and only about 150 women, so I’ll have to sift through this list to find the ones that speak to me.

This card deck I’m still pondering.

Overarch

Why I Do Create Cards

I create cards because it’s a way to do a daily art practice without having a massive blank canvas staring at me.

Cards are affordable as an art form and so easy to get going with.

One card can be completed in one day.

If I mess up a single card I can simply chuck it away and start again.

Why You Should Create Your Own Astrology Cards

If you want to learn astrology, I urge you to create a few cards.

They can support your astrology journal entries as well.

Begin with your Sun sign and your ruling planet and go from there.

Your Astrological Personal Curriculum

Astrology cards, or other cards, can support your personal astrology curriculum.

Your personal curriculum is the learning you have set out for yourself each season in which to learn something new.

For me, my personal curriculum contains my Arabic language along with other things including astrology.

Your personal curriculum is a way to take control of your education and stop the doomscrolling.

Resources to Get You Started

More for You

Because astro art is so much of what I do and live for, I’ve created a few goodies, events and initiatives for you to join in and with which to get engaged.

Quick Links

• Astro Art Cards Printables (coming soon)
• The Starz Post: Astro themed mail club
• Vancouver Astro Trading Cards Club
• More free resources

Get Your Own Astro Art Card Printable (Coming Soon)

Paid Printable PDF

Get your printable Starzology Astro Art Cards PDF which includes all the glyphs and symbols used in astrology.

This is all designed and written by me, Alison.

I have covered the signs, planets, houses, aspects and points.

This is a paid item which you receive a PDF file to print out in your own home.

You can print as many or as few as you like.

You can use it for your own pleasure or create your own group meeting to work through each component individually.

Smaller Communities

Who is this for?

Good for people who live in places far from the big city’s or those who have no local astrology group with which to engage like these special places:

• Blow Me Down, Newfoundland, Canada where its windy.
• Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa where “place of two summers” because of the heat.
• Eketahuna, New Zealand whose meaning is “the middle of nowhere.”
• Salsipuedes, in Mexico whose meaning is “leave it if you can.”

City Slickers

Of course, if you are a city slicker, just like me, then this printable too will interest you and be a gateway to get started with self-learning astrology art cards.

The Starz Post

Astro Themed Mail Club

If you want to get back to analogue information then you may be interested in my mail club.

The Starz Post is my astro themed mail club where I send you astrology related papercraft goodies in an envelope every month.

Join The Starz Post

Vancouver Astro Trading Card Club (ATC)

Seasonal In-person Meeting

If you live in Vancouver then here is just the get together for you.

My seasonal Astro Trading Card club meets once each season, winter, spring, summer and autumn, in downtown Vancouver.

Find out more about the Starzology Astro Art Trading Club

Author Bio

Alison Price: Professional Astrologer

Alison helps you uncover your individual creativity and lead a fulfilling life using your own astrology. She shares her wisdom from the heart with a touch of humor. She offers Consultations for everyone and Coaching for Aspiring Astrologers.

If you’d like to get in touch with Alison, you can reach out to her via email at starzology@gmail.com.

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