Bat For Lashes announces the illustrated oracle deck, Motherwitch
London-based musician and multi-disciplinary artist Natasha Khan – aka Bat For Lashes – today announces the release of an illustrated oracle card deck in collaboration with London wellness brand She’s Lost Control.
The deck is a hand-illustrated reimagining of Tarot, using multiple original female archetypes, visual symbols and an abstract spiritualist painters’ colour palette, to provide a storyteller's guide into the mysteries and beauty of our own internal landscapes. The Motherwitch oracle deck lands somewhere between Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies and The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck, while the deck also stands alone as a bespoke art object in and of itself.
“I began drawing the images that would become Motherwitch at the start of lockdown in March 2020, whilst I was in the early months of pregnancy”, explains Khan. “The world was falling apart, and whilst we huddled inside, I felt I was turning more and more animal every day. My body was changing, my mother instincts prickling, I was afraid of the future for my baby, but also so excited that finally I was to become a mother."
“Images started to circle around my mind and dreams... Female characters in all their different guises and glory: Witches, sisters, sirens, mothers, angels, death hags. I was trying to make sense of my evolving womanhood and conjuring as many archetypes as I could to help me on my journey of transformation.”
The 40 cards were entirely designed and conceived by Khan, creating an oracle deck for use as a tool for the creative process and also as a conduit to the subconscious realms. The deck is accompanied by a guidebook written by Khan and edited by Pam Grossman, detailing the meanings and interpretations for each card as well as lists of rituals, books, music and films to reference for each.
The deck’s bold colours and illustrations were influenced by female painters and mystics, including Hilma Af Klint, Agnes Pelton and Agnes Martin while celebrating the beauty, destruction and power inherent in the spirit of the feminine, though it is fluid and non-gendered in terms of its healing power and relatability.
She's Lost Control has worked closely with Natasha to bring her vision to life. The brand has carved its own niche in the world of wellness with a nod towards music and fashion since 2014 and collaborates with brands through creative
Pre-sale orders for Motherwitch are available now through She's Lost Control. The deck retails at £65 with a range of limited pre-sale options for signed copies and personalised readings.
- Adwaith detail their third studio album, Solas
- Elton John reveals he has lost his eyesight: "I can’t read anything. I can’t watch anything"
- MUNA's Katie Gavin shares acoustic cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer"
- Jack Harlow debuts new tracks and covers Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra at hometown show
- Kraftwerk, The The, and Billy Idol announced for inaugural Forever Now festival
- Sam Fender presents new single, "Wild Long Lie"
- rEDOLENT and Gwenno announced as IVW ambassadors for Scotland and Wales
Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday