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I have a love for trees, especially ones that are twisted or burnt. In this gallery, the larger trees are ancient Bristlecone pines, which are some of the oldest living being on Earth. The smaller ones are various trees and shrubs from across the Eastern Sierra.
It took going to Death Valley in the middle of a pandemic for me to become comfortable with self-portraits.
My love of Iceland started many years ago when I did a two-day stopover in Reykjavik in winter. It's a magical time with limited hours of daylight. I have been back several times since. The horses and waterfalls keep calling to me.
I find inspiration in medieval reenactment as part of the Society for Creative Anachronism.
The Five Elements are: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Each corresponds to one of the five Chinese seasons. To read more about the "Living with the Five Elements" please the see the interview with me by Jen Strongin in Alameda Magazine.
The 10th anniversary edition of the deck will be available for pre-order on October 31, 2024.
Please email me at dcicuto@gmail.com to order.
Photographs by Denise Cicuto
Graphic Design for the 10th anniversary edition by Calyxa Omphalos
The Kuan Yin oracle deck is based on an ancient system of divination dedicated to and inspired by the Bodhisattva of Compassion. This photographic version combines my photographs and the poems as translated by Stephen Karcher in The Kuan Yin Oracle: The Voice of the Goddess of Compassion. (For further information on each poem, please see his book.)
There are 100 cards for 100 poems (plus a small folio with information and instructions). You can shuffle the cards, think of a question, then choose a card (or cards). The lines at the bottom correspond to bigrams for each season, and there is a moon phase associated with each poem as well.
The 10th anniversary edition of the deck will be a fundraiser for the Mono Lake Committee, who have been stewards for the preservation and restoration of the Mono Basin ecosystem since 1978. I took several of the photos that appear in this deck at Mono Lake. It is one of my favorite places on Earth.
Note: the cards do have rounded edges but the black frame is just to separate the cards from the rest of the white background on the webpage.
Thank you for supporting my art, my devotion to Kuan Yin, and the Mono Lake Committee.
The price of the deck will be $45 each plus $10 shipping (the price is for shipping to the US but I will ship to anywhere in the world at whatever price the USPS tells me.)
[Image ID: A photo of a Kuan Yin Statue in a garden. She is standing on slabs of rocks. End description.]
[Image ID: A photo of a Kuan Yin Statue on grass. The poem reads “Though you have been given a lucky fate, The time is not yet ripe for you, Kuan Yin wants to say; if you are loyal and true, this fate will soon be yours.” There is a number 1, a green bigram for Spring and a Waxing moon. End description.]
[Image ID: A photo of a temple at sunrise with mists and fog around it. The poem reads “You are showered with heavenly gifts and live in an earthly paradise, whether you realize it or not.” There is the number 42, a red bigram for summer, and a full moon. End description.]
[Image ID: A black and white photo of a deer looking straight into the camera. The poem reads “It is strange to achieve something in the middle of a battle. As if by magic, an arrow hits a running deer. And what seemed like bad luck turns to good. Whatever you plan will be successful.” There is a number 11, a silver bigram for autumn, and a waning moon. End description.]
[Image ID: A color photo of a moon partially covered in clouds in a dark sky. The poem reads “Majestic and graceful, the moon rises in the west. Something hides it, it is still there, crescent or full, waxing or waning. A cloud covers the moon now and your situation looks dim. The clouds will soon disperse and the friendly light shine.” There is a number 28, a blue bigram for winter, and a new moon. End description.]
