I was thrilled to get this in the mail. Vintagia is an oracle deck built for creativity and inspired by the I Ching, an ancient Chinese divination text. The design is part early VHS, part early Atari, with imagery from DOCUMERICA, a 1970s photography initiative by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which provides both nostalgia and inspiration. Sereptie, the creator and part of Acid Horizons, suggests that this version may see updates down the road based on feedback.
While I haven’t had the chance to use the Vintagia deck yet, its beauty is undeniable. The guidebook, fecund with possibility, promises a rich journey. I can already envision its potential when paired with musical ideas. My previous year of working with the I Ching was a source of inspiration and a learning experience, using two translations: one by Wilhelm/Baynes and another by Bi/Lynn.
It was difficult at first, but eventually I could read the hexagrams as images, much like looking at the pictorial elements of the Tarot. Since I’m more in a writing mode at the moment, I’m interested to see if Vintagia sparks anything. I’ve been able to use various oracle and Tarot decks for working with music (and have had little success with Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies deck, though I cherish my copy of it). I have also been unable to translate pictorial ideas into written words.
The I Ching itself has an interesting tradition in American creativity. I was first made aware of it through John Cage’s music and writing. Subsequently, I learned that Philip K. Dick used it to help plot The Man in the High Castle.
Stephen McClurg 