RP Mystic Celebrates the Magic of AAPI Heritage Month
As modern mystics, we have the benefit of learning the history and cultural context of our everyday mystical practices. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, RP Mystic is shining the spotlight on our AAPI creators and their mystical offerings.
Here, we’ve gathered a list of books, decks, guidebooks, and more for the modern mystic who wishes to have their rituals represent a diverse range of perspectives, including those of our AAPI creators.
First on our list is fine artist Jia Sung’s Trickster’s Journey: A Tarot Deck and Guidebook. This deluxe deck and guidebook set is Inspired by ancient Chinese mythology—particularly, the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey To The West—which tells the tale of Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang’s legendary pilgrimage to Central Asia and India to procure sacred Buddhist texts. The Fool card is renamed the Trickster, a character based on the Monkey King character found in Journey to the West, to give it new meaning. Throughout the deck, Jia Sung gives a fresh take on classic tarot figures, using symbols from Buddhism and ancient Chinese history.
We love turning to the Trickster’s Journey deck—especially during AAPI Heritage Month—because it brilliantly explores the themes of the tarot through the lens of Eastern mysticism, folklore, and spirituality. This deck is perfect for novices and seasoned tarot card readers alike!
Explore Jia’s favorite cards from the deck in our blog post “Trickster’s Journey: Tarot Reimagined with Chinese Mythology.”
Next up we have The Chinese Zodiac: And Other Paths to Luck, Riches & Prosperity written by Aaron Hwang and illustrated by Li Zhang. This book walks readers through the ancient creation of the Chinese Zodiac and provides a framework for interpreting your own zodiac.
Aaron Hwang writes: “The history of the Chinese Zodiac stretches back to a time when history itself is full of holes. The use of a sixty-phase cycle to record days goes back as far as the earliest written records in China, carved into oracular bones from 1250 BC. Likewise, the use of animals as symbols and totems is seen as long ago as history can record. However, the union of animals with the cycle, and the expansion of the system to include the year as well as the day, do not appear to have begun until the Han dynasty in 200 BC, when astrology itself went through a kind of renaissance.”
Inspired by the illustrations and content of the book, The Chinese Zodiac Wooden Magnet Set is a tactile way to teach the Chinese Zodiac to little ones, or simply to have Li Zhang’s striking illustrations displayed on your fridge. We also love using The Chinese Zodiac 500-Piece Puzzle as a mindful, screen-free way to explore the elements of the Chinese Zodiac.
Discover what the Year of the Rabbit has in store in our blog post “The Year of the Rabbit: Exclusive Excerpt from The Chinese Zodiac: And Other Paths to Luck, Riches & Prosperity.”
Last, but most certainly not least, we have Grace Duong’s collection of decks and guidebooks: The Astro Alignment Deck: A Deck and Guidebook for Celestial Connection, The Cosmic Creatures Deck: A Deck and Guidebook to Connect to the Wilderness Within, and The Crystal Grid Deck: An 80-Card Deck to Charge Your Intentions. The beauty of Grace Duong’s decks is that they all complement one another and can be incorporated into your ongoing mystical rituals.
Plus, we love how these decks came to be—their origin story embodies the spirit of AAPI Heritage Month.
“I couldn’t find a Tarot deck that I really loved. The decks that I found seemed outdated, didn’t represent figures that looked like me, with language that seemed antiquated,” Grace Duong remarks in her sit-down with Queer Tarot creators Ash + Chess. “I wanted Mystic Mondays to feel fun, modern, and vibrant, introducing people to Tarot in a way that would be easy and magical. Since I couldn’t find a Tarot deck I really resonated with, I decided to make my own!”
With The Astro Alignment Deck, explore the cosmos within yourself through the practice of studying celestial bodies. By deepening your understanding of the zodiac signs themselves, along with planets, asteroids, lunar nodes, moon phases, and more, you’ll synchronize your inner cosmos with the universe as a whole.
With The Cosmic Creatures Deck, explore celestial illustrations and divine information on 66 cosmic creatures selected by Grace Duong herself. “I wanted The Cosmic Creatures Deck to feel well-rounded with both animals and mythical creatures that we are familiar with,” explains Grace. “I also made sure to include creatures that I’ve had a special relationship with, where they’ve shown up for me as synchronicities that I’ve applied in my own life.”
What was Grace’s favorite part about making this deck? “Learning about the wisdom of animals and creatures, and how they can play such an important part in our lives on a spiritual level,” she goes on to explain in her interview with Ash + Chess. “We always have guidance on our side and we don’t need to look into the ethereal heavens. We can look right here on Earth at the majestic beings we share this planet with. We just have to know where to look!”
With The Crystal Grid Deck, you’ll learn how to harness the power of crystals through 80 full-color hexagonal cards featuring bold illustrations of each crystal, crystal properties, uses, zodiac connections, and more. It’s a great deck for tapping into your intuition and learning how to supercharge your intentions.
Learn how to incorporate all three of Grace Duong’s decks into your modern mystic practice with our blog post “Explore Your Inner Cosmos with Mystic Mondays: The Astro Alignment Deck.”
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An evocative, deluxe illustrated tarot deck and guidebook set inspired by Chinese mythology and the canonic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. Trickster’s Journey reimagines the tarot by exploring its themes through the lens of Eastern mysticism, folklore, and spirituality. By renaming the Fool card to Trickster (a character based on the legendary Monkey King in Journey to the West) this archetype of the sojourner takes on new meaning—and new agency—as a seeker of truth and self-discovery. Created by fine artist Jia Sung, this fresh take on the classic figures in the Major and Minor Arcana uses symbols from Buddhism and ancient Chinese history to enliven this age-old divination practice once more.
The 78 full-color tarot cards feature the artist’s signature watercolor style, a modern homage to the understated yet radical beauty of traditional Chinese painting. The 184-page guidebook provides an illustrated introduction to the tarot, with descriptions of each card and suggested interpretations, as well as instructions for sample readings and a brief history of tarot. Sidebars throughout explain the cultural significance behind certain card renditions and offer additional mystical insight. This arresting, inclusive, and beautiful tarot deck set is an ideal gift for tarot novices, seasoned readers, and everyone in-between.
The Chinese Zodiac
by Aaron Hwang
Illustrated by Li Zhang
The Chinese Zodiac by Aaron Hwang is a beautifully illustrated introduction to eastern astrology. Known as the Bāzì, or Eight Words, the four animals and Wuxing elements associated with one’s birth make up a complete horoscope and can help you to better understand yourself and others. No matter your sign, there is something to be uncovered in these pages. Charmingly illustrated, with sidebars on Chinese culture and myth throughout, this book is an informative and mystical guide to knowing just a little more about the universe—and how you fit into it.
Explore the Chinese Zodiac with this fully illustrated 500-piece puzzle and book set, featuring beautiful illustrations of the 12 animal horoscopes. Learn more about the characteristics of each Chinese Zodiac animal (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig) in the enclosed 32-page paperback book.
Perfect for Lunar New Year and birthdays, people of all ages and abilities will love this gift set as they celebrate new beginnings. This puzzle measures approximately 16 x 20 inches when finished.
Bring good fortune to your home or office with this keepsake set of 12 Chinese Zodiac wooden magnets and a mini guidebook. Perfect for Lunar New Year and birthdays, people of all ages and abilities will love this gift set as they celebrate new beginnings.
This set includes 12 full-color, illustrated wooden magnets, each featuring a unique animal horoscope (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig). Learn about the Chinese Zodiac in the enclosed 48-page, fully-illustrated paperback book.
From the artist and founder behind Mystic Mondays, Grace Duong, comes a deluxe deck and guidebook set featuring vibrant, celestial illustrations and divine information on 80 astrological signs and phenomena for practicing Astro Alignment: using the symbolism of astrology to explore the cosmos within yourself!
Discover the insights of each sign, modality, planet, and other cosmic phenomena, rendered in stunning colors and vivid details on these durable divination cards. This set includes an accompanying 112-page flexibound guidebook featuring astrological profiles and enchanted rituals for using the cards, and a magnetic-closure keepsake box, with a separate, shrink-wrapped interior travel box for the cards.
Connect to the powerful, ancient magic of animal spirits through Mystic Mondays: The Cosmic Creatures Deck from Grace Duong, founder and designer of Mystic Mondays. Discover the attributes of each of 66 creatures from land, sea, and sky using this beautiful, graphic oracle deck. An accompanying 144-page guidebook features animal profiles and enchanted rituals, including connections to astrological signs, super-charged intentions, and powerful crystals. Housed in a magnetic-closure keepsake box, with a separate, shrink-wrapped interior travel box for the cards, this one-of-a-kind collection is a must-have for modern mystics.
Use the power of crystals to tap into your intuition and supercharge your intentions. The Crystal Grid Deck uses beautiful, vibrant illustrations to channel the magic of 80 gemstones, from rose quartz and lapis lazuli to amethyst and Tiger’s Eye. Featuring bold, 3D renderings of crystals, these deluxe hexagonal cards fit together, allowing users to magnify their intention-setting by creating grids and spreads. Each card offers users a glimpse into the properties of the stone, with notes on uses, zodiac connections, chakra work, and more printed on the reverse. Housed in a stunning, fully-illustrated keepsake box, with magnetic closure, this breathtaking set is an essential addition to your mystical toolbox. An accompanying 11 x 13″ poster shows all 80 crystals together, for convenient reference that doubles as bold artwork suitable for display.