I can't resist...let's unlock the Scythe/Harvest coin early!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 22, 2022 at 01:03:04 PM

We are so close!

Here in the 11th hour (not quite the Witching Hour, but close enough) I've decided to preemptively release the Scythe/Harvest double-sided divination coin. A LOT of people have expressed interest in this coin, and I suspect with add-on's we will reach this goal anyway, so with less than 20 hours left, lets turn this hunch into a self-fulfilling prophesy. 

These will come in antique gold or silver finishes.  Remember, every dice/coin reward or add-on comes with one FREE velvet pouch. Like all the other coins, these will be offered at $11 for Kickstarter backers and then will retail in my store for $18.

Also wanted to clarify a miscommunication about the Bloodstone dice set. Those are limited edition and they cost $55. All the other dice cost $44 (for Kickstarter backers only. For all dice sets, this is a $10 discount from the final retail price). If you already pledged for dice at $44 and want to choose the Bloodstone option instead, you can either increase your pledge now or wait until the survey stage and upgrade then. So sorry for any confusion this might have caused. 

Thanks to everyone for your support, suggestions, and continued enthusiasm. It's going to be hard to sleep tonight! 

Blessed be,

-Xia

As we draw to a close....updates and...limited edition Bloodstone dice???
over 1 year ago – Thu, Jul 21, 2022 at 06:30:00 AM

Hello everyone!

It is with a mixture of relief, excitement, gratitude,  anxiety, and a little bit of sadness that I bring you this update. With only 2 days left to go in this campaign, I'm just delighted with our progress and have truly enjoyed reading all your encouraging, sincere, and enthusiastic comments and questions as we've travailed this lengthy campaign together.  A ton of you have been with me since the beginning and some of you are just now joining us. Regardless, I'm so grateful for all your support.  Now the real work begins on my part, and thus my anxiety! I'm using BackerKit for the first time, so there's a lot to do to set that up. But I think it will really benefit all of you in the long run, as now I'll have a really talented and creative back-up team to help with all the logistics such as surveys, technical support, preorders, shipping, and billing. Phew! 

Add-Ons & Selections

I've gotten quite a few questions about when and how to make selections for the dice, coin, and pouch options, and whether add-ons will still be available after the campaign ends.  Here's the basic run-down. 

When the campaign ends, Kickstarter will charge your credit card for your pledge amount. We have about 2 weeks while all that process is going down. In that time, you will be able to browse my BackeKit pre-order store and shop for add-ons and make selections if you want.  After about 2 weeks, I'll send out the official surveys (also through BackerKit). You can also choose add-ons and make selections at that time as well. 

BackerKit consolidates all your rewards, add-ons, etcetera into one order for easier management and shipment. I will probably leave my preorder store open until I've received everything from the manufacturers and have my packaging ready so I can start fulfilling orders.  At that point, I'll let you know I'm about freeze orders so we can calculate your final shipping costs (based on the weights/dimensions and your location). Don't worry, I'll continue to send out updates so you know what's going on at every stage of the fulfillment process. 

Coins, Stretch Goals and...Bloodstone Dice?!!!

I know it's looking pretty unlikely that we will be able to unlock the remaining stretch goals.  However, I did want to let you know that we can potentially unlock them later, if add-ons and other purchases through the preorder store get us to that level. Also, once I get the surveys in I'll have a better idea of the final order quantities which may impact my costs. Unfortunately, though it seems like we've raised lot of money, with taxes, fees, and such I only have about half of that to actually purchase products. Still, please believe me that I WILL one day create the entire set of coins that I have designed AND the Astrology-based Oracle deck.  One idea is to have another quicky Kickstarter for the coins or to include them as stretch goals for the upcoming Children of Ostara tarot deck campaign (slated for March 2023...if I can get the art done in time for that!) So don't worry, you haven't heard the last from me on that! 

Oh! I almost forgot. My dice manufacturer (who has just been so helpful and flexible) said that I can "mix and match" the gemstones for the dice to meet my minimum order quantity. So I have decided to release a limited edition Bloodstone astrology dice set as well! I have honestly been obsessed with this stone lately, so I am REEEEEALLY excited to get my hands on them!

Bloodstone is a variety of Chalcedony also known as heliotrope. This stone is said to offer protection, grounding, and energetic realignment. The Ancient Romans would carry Bloodstone talismans into battle as a form of protection, for it was thought that the bright red specks of red jasper within the deep green Chalcedony stones were droplets of the god's very blood, and provided a surrogate sacrifice so that no more mortal blood need be spilled. Bloodstone is one of my favorite stones and helps one to align towards their highest self and achieve their most noble purpose. 

I will be ordering however many we need according to Kickstarter backers and pre-orders, then maybe 100 or so more, but once those sell out...that's it! Here's a picture to whet your appetite!

And here is another look at all the dice set options.  These are all really magickal stones, and I'm excited to experiment with more in the future!

It's a pity you can't see it in the manufacturer photo with the new font, but the banded agate dice sometimes have very deep brown and other interesting patterns and subtle colors to them close up. Below is a picture of the banded agate with the old font, just so you can see the subtle beauty a bit better. Please note, the banded agate will have the same font as my other dice. 

So that's all I have to report for now.  I should get another round of mat samples to approve, based on the color corrections we've made, so I'll definitely update you all on that when the time comes. Maybe do an Instagram live reading with coins, mats, and dice!  The dice and coin designs have all been approved and they are standing ready once I give them the final order quantities.  My goal is to have everything ready to ship out well before the holidays to avoid that debacle again. 

As always, you have my undying love and gratitude for all your support, shares, comments, likes, and looks! You have made the solitary life of this artist much more meaningful and colorful by standing beside me, sharing your ideas and investments, and helping me to bring my creative visions into reality.  Truly, I love you all! 

Blessed be,

-Xia

We are nearing the finish line! Exciting updates and answers to more FAQs.
over 1 year ago – Thu, Jul 21, 2022 at 12:16:27 AM

Hi everyone,

So excited to post this latest update. We are entering the final week of the campaign and I have a lot to share!

Update 1: Pouch and Mat Samples Arrived

Many of you probably saw my unboxing on Instagram of the mat and pouch samples. (If you didn't, you can check out my Instagram video feed). In summary, the mats are amazing! They are so nice, much nicer than I even expected. The fabric is soft and vivid, the side stitching is impeccable. The thickness is just perfect. I can fan cards so easily. AND! The manufacturer sent them folded, so they had creases when I first unwrapped them. But by the end of my 20 minute Instagram Live, they were already lying flat and perfect. I was very excited to see that! The only downside is that the colors on some of the mats wasn't quite what I wanted (Litha and the Astrology color side both need color calibration fixes), but I'm already working closely with the manufacture to iron out those details so we should be ready to start production the minute the campaign ends. 

The pouches (free gift with any dice or coin purchase) are also amazing. They sent several color samples and they are all so beautiful, I'm not really sure how to choose. I'm thinking I'll do a "Kickstarter exclusive" version and a "standard" version. Maybe violet with silver embroidery as the exclusive and then the silver with black embroidery as the standard? I'm also thinking of trying a gold fabric with black embroidery, as I have been considering phasing the copper coin selections out of my inventory and then selling complete sets of coins in gold or silver finishes...so having a special pouch reflective of each option sounds appealing.  

If you have either of the Children of Litha or The Nameless One pouches, you already know how nice and soft and durable these pouches are. They are the exact same materials, but just a bit smaller.  I'll be offering them as add-ons as well if you want to get both or have backups or give them as gifts. 

Here are some more pics of  the other proofs! PLEASE NOTE: Small fixes, such as to color, are still in process. They will be PERFECT  by the time I am through with them. 

FAQ: Add-0ns and Stretch Goals

A lot of people have been asking how they can add-on items and/or if they should up their pledge or wait until the survey stage to add-on. The short answer is that either way works, but the benefit of adding to the pledge before it ends is that we have the possibility of unlocking more stretch goals. However,  it's totally fine to wait until the end to add on items. Basically the way it works is that your pledge will be regarded as "credit" with BackerKit. You'll have that much money to shop with during the survey phase, so you can add or switch your selections as you see fit. I'm working with them now to set up my "preorder store" where you can also add on items after the campaign ends. More on that as we get to the end of the campaign in 10 short days!

Stretch goal sorrows...

As far as the stretch goals...well, let it never be said I am of an unambitious nature. I know a lot of people are disappointed that we haven't unlocked them all. I am too, to be honest. BUT! That doesn't mean I'm not going to make them. I have every intention of creating a complete set of coins that can double as Witches Runes and illustrating the black and white Astrology Oracle deck....at some point. Maybe now I'll have time to include a companion book--or grimoire--with it. (I've already forgotten my vow to never write another book after the hefty labor The Nameless One grimoire turned out to be!)  I've almost finished the design process with the manufacturer of the coins, so as soon as I have enough funds to produce them, I can just push the GO button! Who know, if we raise enough funds this final week or through after-campaign add-ons, we might be able to make them all right away. Just rest assured that I love, love, love making these precious tools and really look forward to having the complete set myself, so I'm not going to simply abandon that idea. Maybe I'll have a quicky Kickstarter just for that? Not sure!

New Dice Option??

The dice manufacturer has also suggested using natural black and white banded agate as well as pure black Onyx (itself a sub-type of agate) and...I have to admit, I do like the natural patterns on them. There are very subtle streaks of grey and sometimes white in the Banded agate stones, that I think work well symbolically to represent the nuance and subtly shifting transitions between spiritual and mundane extremes. I am thinking of making this an available option as well. What do you guys think?  

Also! I am looking into using a  different astrology font than the one used for the proofs as well. This one has the benefit of being thick and  easy to read, but I'm wanting something...sharper. More stylized. I have some in mind, but does anyone have some astrology fonts to suggest? Here is a pic from the manufacturer of all three sets so far,

 to see the banded agate:

Thank you all for your continued support!

To sum it up, I'm so honored that you all have stuck by me through this campaign. Your words of encouragement mean the world to me. I know times are "interesting" to say the least, and you have many demands on your attention and pocketbooks. I feel truly blessed to have such loyal supporters. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to post an update on a specific subject. We are in the final stretch. I'm so excited to see how everything turns out!

Blessed be,

-Xia

Another Stretch Goal unlocked - Star/Crossroads Divination Coin...Lets keep it Rollin!
over 1 year ago – Wed, Jul 20, 2022 at 11:57:54 PM

Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my new and loyal backers! It's been a bit touch-and-go these last few weeks, as we had a lot of backers changing and canceling their pledges, and we saw the campaign run forward, then slide back. But it looks pretty safe to say that we now have unlocked the next stretch goal! The Star/Crossroads divination coin. 

I'm so excited for this one! Here's how you might interpret the symbolism in this coin when doing your divination or meditation work: 

The Star 

In general, stars represent hope, honor, renewal, achievement, salvation, inspiration, and navigation. It was by starlight that our ancient ancestors learned to brave the dark unknown and explore the world; it was the stars that urged them onward toward adventurous and new horizons, and it was by the map they painted in the heavens that led them faithfully home again. It was by starlight we learned to track the passage of time and to decipher the coded messages of the gods via the emblazoned tapestry of fate and free will that they hung in the blackness of night. It was the stars that aided the first shamans, mystics, alchemists, priestesses, and priests in their quest to better know their gods, their world, and by extension, themselves and their destiny.  This specific star is an eight-pointed star, also known as Octagram, which has its own subset of symbolic meaning. The Octogram is a symbol of the Babylonian goddesses Ishtar, as well as her Greco-Roman descendent Aphrodite/Venus. Both goddesses imbue the Octogram with connotations of beauty, celestial harmony, fertility, and the raw power of creation. It is a star of prosperity in Hinduism, connected to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. She is said to govern over the 8 forms of prosperity: A wealth of knowledge, material wealth, a wealth of food/nourishment, a wealth of courage/valor, a wealth of progeny/family, a wealth of victory/success, a wealth of leadership/authority, and spiritual wealth, or that of self-knowing.  In Abrahamic mythologies, it is a star of prophecy and salvation. It can also represent the 8 holy days on the Pagan Wheel of the year, the Eightfold Path taught by Buddha to reach enlightenment, or the four elements overlapped with the four seasons.  

I could go on literally for pages about the Octogram, but I think you get the idea.  This heavy symbolism is also why I chose an eight-pointed star for the icon of The Children of the Wheel Series, the 8 Tarot/ Oracle decks I am currently working on (the first of which is The Children of Litha, soon to be followed by The Children of Ostara in Spring 2023). I have also included a very subtle Octogram as the center of the Signature Sigil on The Nameless One (A Tarot & Oracle Deck). In fact, the 8-pointed star will be making an appearance in every deck that I do, overtly or otherwise, for the foreseeable future ;) It is a very important omen for me, personally,  so I am really happy to have this coin unlocked!! Major blessings to you all who helped make that happen! 

The Crossroads:

The Crossroads, or Labyrinth, is modeled after Hecate's wheel. Hecate is the Greek goddess of Witchcraft,  magick, spells, crossroads, doorways, liminal spaces, the moon, ghosts, healing and poisonous plants, and all things that go 'bump' in the night.  She is a protector of women and of the home, as well as a master of that which is hidden or obscured. The Crossroads coin represents a difficult choice, a chaotic or uncertain moment, a precipice, utter liminality...as well as a reminder of our ability to overcome via the inner power we all have locked away within us. We use the star to navigate through the crossroads--to help guide us into our freedom and purpose, both internally and externally.  To "be at a crossroads" is an expression that means we are at a point where a very important decision needs to be made--one from which there will likely be no return.  It is stressful, scary, and difficult, we may not be able to see the way out right away, and so we may be trying to stall or delay. Be that as it may, the time has come and a direction must be chosen. Look within, Follow the star, and navigate through the labyrinth of free will. 

More coins?

As far as the remaining coins, we'll have to wait and see what happens and how these last few days play out. Like I've said before, I'm determined to create the whole set of coins so they can also be used as Witch's runes. So I'm thinking through some ideas of how I might be able to make this work. More on that as things shake out. 

Dice Design Update

I think I mentioned in my last update that I was trying to find a more stylized astrology font to engrave in the Astrology dice. I found a great one and my manufacturer has already produced a sample. They did say they would experiment with making the lines just a touch thicker.  Let me know what you think. Here's some pictures and a video! 

Velvet Pouch Updates

Some of you may have seen my Instagram Live where I showed you the samples I've received from the Manufacturer. I mentioned I might make one a Kickstarter Exclusive Limited Edition. I also pondered the idea of getting a gold velvet as well. Here's where I landed on these questions. I will make the purple pouch with silver embroidery the limited edition option. I'll probably order a small number of extras for my store but once they sell out, they will be gone! But, then I'll have the silver velvet and gold velvet, both with black embroidery, available for...forever? Not sure I can promise that, but they won't be a limited edition, at any rate.  Also, just FYI, if you are getting any of the coins and/or any of the dice you can select whichever color pouch you want, but you only get 1 for free. If you want to buy more, you can add them on to your pledge or order them in my preorder store (read next part) for $11. After that, they will be available at xiahunt.com for $15 each. It pays to be a backer!

BackerKit Preorder Store

In between all the other things I've been doing to get ready for fulfilling this campaign, I've been setting up my Preorder Store with BackerKit. I'm experiencing a few challenges, but things are coming along. If you've never done a BackerKit survey before, basically how it works is that your pledge becomes a "credit" in the store. So for example, say you initially added on $11 for a Sun/Moon coin to your $22 pledge for a Children of Litha Mat, you have $33 to spend in the store. You can stick with your initial choices, change your selection, or add to your selections. It is my understanding that you can continue returning to the store if you change your mind or if new goals get unlocked and you want to add them on. It remains open until I need to finalize the order quantities and place my orders with the manufacturers. I expect it will stay open at least a couple weeks after the campaign ends...So do try to get things settled asap after the campaign! It is with this survey at the end that I will also be charging for shipping, so keep that in mind. 

Well, I guess that's all the news I have for you right now. I hope you all have fun plans for the weekend and I'll be keeping you all updated with any new updates. 

Sending love and light,

-Xia 

FAQ: How you can use Divination Coins in your practice
almost 2 years ago – Thu, Jul 07, 2022 at 12:16:24 AM

Hi everyone, 

I hope this mini update finds you well. I've been getting a few questions about the divination coins I have as stretch goals/add-ons and I thought this would be a good topic for a little FAQ update, especially as we are really close to unlocking the next stretch goal for the Star/Crossroads coin (yay!!!). 

Which reminds me to ask you all to let your like-minded friends to check out this campaign. I realized that by having this specifically listed as a divination mat campaign, people may skip it not realizing we also have gemstone dice and the possibility of unlocking all these awesome coins! There is no need to include the mats if one does not like or need them. Simply select the lowest pledge amount, add additional funds for the coins you want. Then when we send out surveys you'll be able to specify exactly what you want to get. 

Now, on to the fun stuff!

Several people have asked how to incorporate coins into their meditation and divination practices. There are actually many ways you can use them. The easiest way is clarify a reading by asking a yes or no question and answering it with a flip of the coin. For example, you may do a tarot reading and then ask the coins "Am I interpreting this tarot spread correctly?" You assign a "yes" answer to one side and a "no" answer to the other, and then toss. 

A more nuanced way to use the coins is by interpreting the symbolism of the images on the coin(s). For example, if you got a tarot, rune, or charm casting reading that indicated that you needed to take action of some kind, you could flip the heart/eye coin to see whether logic or emotion should guide the action. If the coin landed on the eye, it might mean you should proceed logically, remain impartial, take a strategic move. If it landed on the heart, it might mean you need to follow your heart, listen to your emotions, consider what would make you or others happiest about the action. 

A sort of hybrid approach might be to use the coins to direct how you go about your divination to begin with. So if you are doing a tarot reading for example, you could use the eye/heart coin to indicate whether your reading should be more "literal" if the coin lands on the eye side (e.g., use the book to interpret the meaning) ore more "intuitive" if the coin lands on the heart side (e.g., use the imagery to base the interpretation on how you feel rather than what the card is *supposed to mean.*

If we get unlock all of the coins, you might simply toss them all out onto the divination mat from a dish or pouch, and then depending on which coins land face up on which mat section, do a full reading 

of the coins in much the same way that you would do a rune or charm casting. For example, the Hare side of the Fox/Hare coin in the "Love" section of the mat means "Listen to the needs of your partner." If the Crow fell into the labor section, it could mean "prioritize your freedom" OR "work will ask you to travel soon." Fox in the labor section might mean an innovative problem needs creative troubleshooting. 

Or, you might even choose to simply carry the coin around as a grounding talisman or charm to invoke the strengths of whatever symbol the coin has. For example, the Eye/Heart coin might help us become more aware and emotionally receptive. While the Fox/Hare coin might inspire swift action and resourcefulness. The Crow/Ouroboros coin might invoke prophecy, wisdom, and healing/renewal.

Those are some of my favorite ways to use the coins, but truly the only limitation on how you use them is your own creativity! They are a lot of fun, and I hope to be able to start writing a guide for how to use a complete set (or even two) as a unique divination system. But…well, we’ll have to unlock the whole set first. ;) I'm looking forward to seeing how much we accomplish in the next two weeks or so!

As always, thank you so much for your support. 

Blessed be,

-Xia