One day, Soni’s post with the hashtag Seven of Swords appeared on my Instagram feed. It prompted me to check out her IG page, which she uses mainly to showcase her art. Both both spooky and happy ━ Soni’s art spoke to me right away. Back then, she was in the midst of creating a Halloween-themed tarot deck, and ever since, I had been waiting not-so-patiently for it to be launched. When it finally did, I didn’t waste any time backing the Happy Halloween Tarot on Kickstarter (the currently ongoing campaign has surpassed more than 700% of its’ original goal).
Reading more about Soni on her Kickstarter page, I got to learn about her Chilean background. “A witch, tarot deck creator and Chilean artist – we need more of Soni“, I thought to myself. Long story short, she gracefully agreed to answer my Chilean culture-curious questions even though she is juggling many things at the moment.
Thanks Soni, and enjoy guys!
KK: Hi Soni, what’s daily life like for a witchy artist living in the Midwest?
It might go something like this:
I often let myself naturally wake up (I avoid alarm clocks whenever I can). On my good days, that’s around 7 or 8 am, but on a cold winter morning or a gloomy rainy day, I might cuddle up until 9 or 10 am.
I find myself constantly busy, often juggling projects, so as soon as my mind wakes up into a conscious state, my brain is buzzing with lists of what I “should” do today. No coffee needed. The anticipation of what I want to make/do/fix/see is enough to get me up.
That list often includes up-keeping the house how I like, tending to the current art projects at my table, cooking, trying to get my body moving, and often fixing or cleaning parts of the home. We moved into a fixer-upper, and it has been my main “job” to get our house to that certain level of done. It is still a work in progress.
Though we all know it’s never really done. 😉
All these activities are often done while listening to podcasts. I tend to stick to paranormal accounts, true crime, science and psychology, sprinkled with some comedy to balance me out. If listening to music, I’m big on exploring new kinds, but I tend to mostly listen to classical or EDM. Not as contrasting as you might think!
I try my best to remember to eat and relax in between work, but if a project really has my attention (and often it does), I will easily find 12 hours have gone by working in my studio. And oh dang, I AM HUNGRY.
Food is about all that will take me away from my art.
I’m the cook around the house. My partner has their own strengths and cooking just isn’t one; so I tend to be the shopper and creator of meals. We are both plant-based/vegan. On my best days, I’ll cook up a beautifully balanced meal, all macros present, with fresh veggies and creamy sauces. Some days though, I’m tired and stressed, so ramen and tater tots it is! If money isn’t tight, take out is always fun too! As with all things in life, it’s a balance.
I usually end my days with some t.v watching alongside my husband; either completely at rest or with another project in my lap, multi-tasking. Almost like clockwork, I start yawning about 10:30p, where I start thinking about heading to bed, to start all over again tomorrow.
I often wish I was a vampire who did not require sleep.
There is much to do and not enough energy to do it! But alas, I am only human. Thank you for supporting my deck and sharing that excitement along with me! It is the coolest feeling to hear that kind of sentiment from your community.
KK: Please tell us about Happy Halloween Tarot
There is so much I could say about the Happy Halloween Tarot. Much of it I’ve written on my Kickstarter story page.
What I love most about it though, is that I made it for myself. With my heart and my likes in mind.
I was on the search for a Halloween-themed tarot deck, and though there are some good ones already out there, none had that “thing” I was searching for. I finally took it as the sign to create that “thing” I was missing. Possibly fill that niche. It’s hard even to describe what that thing is. It’s a lot of things combined to create a FEELING. So every card, I felt my way through it. If it didn’t give me that Halloween magick razzle-dazzle, twinkle in my eye, energy—then it wasn’t yet done.
It’s spooky but it’s cute. It’s morbid but it’s adorable. It’s what I’m drawn to and maybe even who I seem to be. What kept me going during the times I questioned my abilities, was picturing the private moments I would one day have, consulting my cards and seeing myself reflected back.
Just to be able to read for me, with my own creation…it’s what I wanted the very most.
KK: What’s your favourite card in the Happy Haloween tarot deck? Why?
That IS a hard one to answer.
If we’re talking about favourite artwork, there are many. And it even changes as time passes. But if I answer with my gut feeling, only one stands out: The Hermit. This card has an energy I often and naturally seek out. I am really really good at being alone. My best work happens when I allow myself the space to be alone and introspective. The entire deck was made this way. Me, myself and I, talking amongst ourselves, asking ourselves questions, and also being our own answers.
I sometimes feel like I am “broken” for often craving solitude, even though I do love people at the same time. But The Hermit reminds me it is a gift. And the more you search “inside”, the more you will always find.
KK: I am fascinated by death, and as I read in your profile, you are inspired by it. Tell us more about it!
Whoo wee! We could gab gab gab about death and the afterlife. There is so much possibility. I will try to keep it to a few major points as I see it.
On the one hand, we deal with death physically. That is, the body stops responding and to earth, we return. This creates a lot of fear in individuals (understandably so), which in turn stokes the imagination. We embellish what we don’t understand. And though it may not be true universally, it leaves us a beautiful trail of stories, and tales, folklore and explanation. It is what monsters and demons are made of. It is our way of making sense of fear and dread. For this reason, I will always be fascinated by the many ways death is explained. On a scientific level, the Earths ability to recycle us back into Her is marvellous. It’s hard not to let that concept seep into my spirituality. We are all one. Here is the proof.
I also see death as something you go through when alive.
Think back to yourself ten years ago, ten before that, etc. We often change so drastically when it comes to our beliefs, or how we carry ourselves in the world. We die and we are born again. Sometimes by chance and at best by choice. If you meet me today, you will not know the various versions of myself that once lived and now do not. I often wonder what kinds of “deaths” I will experience in the future as I continue making my way to the person I am meant to be.
Now speaking of the “other side”,. Your guess is as good as mine. I am willing to believe a lot. I am also okay being completely wrong about every one of those things. I do not think anyone knows what is really going on. Every once in a while, someone will get a glimpse and come back. Or they will be “visited” or given information from the other side. I love to ponder what it could mean, but the thing is, you don’t know until you are already there. And we are all going “there”.
Personally, I like to think we either:
A. We Don’t exist anymore. Like when you are asleep with no dreams. Our energy is recycled to be used in other natural processes.
Or
B. We keep consciousness but let go of yearning. We are with the “one”. We are the ones. A feeling of completeness and total understanding. No burning questions left, no feelings of who you were or are. Complete peace.
I don’t believe in punishment after death. All punishment is taking place here.
I also like the theory we choose to be here on this Earth School. It is the mindset I often try to keep. I am here to observe and take notes.
But again, what are ghosts, what is evil energy, and why do we keep being so very much affected by something that is supposedly not there?
I love science, and I listen to science because it is willing to say, “I was wrong”. But just because science has not proven it, does not mean it will never be proven, or it could never be measured. Things that seem woo-woo will one day be explainable with enough time. Or maybe our time will be cut short, and we were never meant to know.
I am making it my personal agenda to savour the time on this site, regardless. And I have a feeling that being “dead” is going to be lots of fun. Truly I feel that. I look forward to seeing what there is to see when the time comes.
KK: Let’s talk about Chilean Culture – do you have a Chilean tradition you still hold on to until now, even though you have lived in the US for most of your life?
There are many Chilean culture and traditions I hold on to even to this day. Much of it food-based. Some of my favourite foods are Chilean foods I grew up with (empanadas, pastel de choclo, humitas━steamed fresh corn cakes). Though these days I veganize them. I would like to one day write a Vegan Chilean recipe book, another niche I’ve found to be quite lacking.
We also speak Spanish from time to time. I must practice, or I will forget. I spent ages 10-24 thinking I had completely forgotten my first language. But two extended visits to re-meet my family in South America quickly brought that back. It’s amazing what the mind can do.
My husband, who is American-born and raised, is practising with me. He would like to learn to be fluent. If I ever raise children, I would like to gift them the gift of being bilingual as well!
My Spanish is not at the level I would like, but I can have my thoughts known, and I understand just about all of them.
KK: Here are a couple of Chilean superstitions and/or traditions I keep alive:
When eating at the table, if someone hands you the salt shaker directly into your hand, it is believed you two will have a fight in the future. To prevent this, you must hand the salt shaker by setting it down on the table to be picked up. If you have handed it to each other only later realizing you have activated the “curse”, you can break it by having the person who received the salt smack the hand of the one handing the salt. My mother and I always have fun with this one.
We also don’t open Christmas gifts on Christmas morning. We wait until midnight on December 24th. Christmas celebrations happen the day before and into the night.
The 25th (Christmas day) is the day to rest, recuperate and enjoy your gifts.
We also don’t believe in a tooth fairy, but instead a tooth mouse. It is the mouse who collects your teeth at night in exchange for treats. I’m not sure if either tale is something I will pass on to my children, but I personally grew up with the tooth mouse, and I loved him! I even got a signed note from him once 😉 He left his footprint as a signature, so I knew it was real (my mom is also an artist, so she knew how to keep the magick alive).
KK: How is Halloween celebrated differently in the US compared to Chile?
Halloween is much less elaborate in Chile. Or it was back in the day. Western influence is prominent in modern Chile, so they have adapted much the same customs we have here, but it’s a newer concept.
I do, however, have fond memories of being in Chile and dressing up as a black bat every single Halloween. Every year my mom would ask me what I wanted to be, and every year was the same. To this day, she calls me her Murci (short for Murcielago, which means bat in Spanish).
I have no memories of trick or treating with friends until we moved to the United States. I very quickly picked up on this tradition, and some of my fondest childhood memories include the costumes I wore while roaming the neighbourhoods with friends on cold Halloween nights.
I love this part so much; the last time I went trick or treating, I was 22. Yes, 22 years old. I figured since I have been the same height since I was 12 (thank you early puberty) if I covered my face, I could pull off being a kid one more time. It totally worked 🙂 Now I have a niece I can hopefully introduce the joy of Halloween night to, and I can start making new memories with her!
What’s your favourite Chilean food delicacy?
My very favourite Chilean food is Empanadas de Pino. It consists of tons of white onions cooked down to be sweet and caramelized, mixed with (vegan) ground beef, and black olive and a slice of egg (or flavoured tofu) in the centre. Like a little surprise rather than mixed throughout. This is all wrapped in flaky pie crust and can be fried or baked (KK: sounds so yummmm).
I truly could eat these every single day, but they take lots of time and love to make by hand. I often save them for special occasions like Yule or my birthday.
KK: A female tarot reader/deck creator, witch or artist who you admire?
Bakara Wintner (KK: I love Bakara too!). Though I will admit, we do not completely share the same cultural background. I believe she is American-born and raised. But I really resonate with her take on the Tarot. She wrote her own book called “WTF is Tarot?”. This is the first tarot book I read, that spoke like I do. Like a girl with lots of heartbreak and stories, messy and emotional, all translated to better understand the tale of Tarot. I love her modern, down-to-earth approach. She is also a businesswoman who would not take no for an answer as far as following her dreams. I admire that.
KK: What is next for you, Soni?
A lot, I hope.
Tarot-wise, I would like to recolour the Happy Halloween Tarot deck to include all the Halloween colours (purple and green added to the orange, black and white already used). I would like to release this as the 2nd edition to this deck, re-imagining the packaging and the back of the card design. This would complete the vision I have for this deck.
I would like to create another Tarot deck highlighting my other aesthetic: a rainbow, technicolour dream meets a goth, black and white moment. I am thinking of naming it Groovy Graves Tarot (get it? I’m a groovy Graves myself ).
I have many ideas for both Tarot and oracle decks, enough for a lifetime of work if I so chose. Not to mention notebooks filled with drawing ideas and quotes to inspire my work.
I will also continue to work towards publishing a couple of illustrated books. Think children’s books but for adults. I have almost completed my first one, called “Harsh Realities of the Oregon Trail”. It’s a rhyme book where you follow the reaper as he makes his way across the Oregon trail alongside his accident-prone “friends”. Inspired by the heartbreaking stories of death and demise the pioneers faced while trekking their way to new lands.
The next book I would like to write is another illustrated rhyme book about Halloween night and the creatures who love it.
But above all, I will be focusing on tattoos. It is something I have wanted to pursue since at least age 15. But the world never really said, “you can do it”. I have built enough confidence in my abilities to finally take this challenge. I am not rushing the journey, but I envision opening up my private tattoo studio with my husband. A family shop for us both to create our own culture and nurture our artistic dreams (he is also an artist!).
I want a place where magick and art meet: having the option of letting the Tarot decide your tattoo.
I want it to be a safe space for all bodies, all colours, and all genders. I want to be part of the change I wish to see in the tattoo industry. Be part of the future of tattoos while honouring the ancient art form it is. Tattoos are where art, magick, science, and history collide, and it’s an art that can truly change the wearer’s life.
I will continue to customize my life and create clothes, decor, etc (KK: check out Soni’s Etsy shop). I want to try my hand at mural creations and get deeper into metalsmithing, hooping, roller skating, pole, screen printing, woodworking, and more. I am easily inspired and I am just finding every which way I can to express myself and have fun.
One day, I would just like to be a mother and caretaker. I would like to teach them all I know and, more importantly, be taught by them. And if I could support my family through my art and passion, well, that’s really what I call heaven on earth.
Thank you so much Soni! It has been a delight to get to know you better.
It’s the season of the witches; if you are into tarot, Halloween, and spooky but cute things, why not back up the already-fully-funded Happy Halloween Tarot deck on Kickstarter and or treat yourself with something-something from Soni’s Etsy shop.
