Interview with Luna Charlotte, artist of the Octopus Tarot!

"An artist, a traveler, a diver, and a practitioner of magical things, Luna inspires herself by the many facets of what exactly it means to be alive. 
She has travelled to 33 countries, submerging herself into the culture of every place she sets foot, learning languages, participating in different spiritual practices, and experiencing the world from as many doors of perception as humanly possible."

We carry Luna's beautiful Octopus Tarot deck at Gaia Rising & we had the pleasure of interviewing her....

Gaia: Luna! We are so excited to be interviewing you... please tell us a little bit about yourself!

Luna: I grew up in Calgary on a bison farm to parents from France… so it was definitely an interesting childhood. I was a creative child, always playing make-believe and obsessed with crafts. My parents were a whole lot less enthusiastic about the countless “murals” my 5 year old self designed in the house, but it was pretty clear from a young age that art was my calling. As for my art career, it began 7 years ago, after a messy break-up and car crash when I had no other form of therapy. You could say art saved me in a way. I started sharing my work online and received a surprising amount of support - enough to decide to pursue it as a career. It has been a very difficult journey filled with struggles, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Despite the hardships, nothing beats how rewarding it feels to pursue your dream, and to inspire countless souls around the world to do the same. I know I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing. Some of my interests (outside of the obvious art and painting) are travel, SCUBA diving, psychology, plants, spirituality and cultures, learning languages, and music.

Gaia: What is your earliest memory of creating art?

Luna: My earliest memory of creating art is probably the Play-Doh animals I made that I was so proud of I refused to mush them back up into the containers. Unfortunately they were nowhere nearly as cute when they dried.

Gaia: You have had a very interesting life, you have travelled a lot, it says in your bio 33 countries! Can you tell us about which countries have maybe been the most artistic muses & inspiration for you in your art?

Luna: Every place I have been to has definitely impacted my art in some way, shape or form. Australia and the USA have been very influential through the artists I met there, the conversations we had, and the sharing of our processes. Indonesia and Egypt are two of the places I SCUBA dived the most and diving has had a major impact on my subject matter in my art. India’s colors and spirituality left me overflowing with inspiration, I still have visions from that trip I haven’t had the chance to paint yet. Touring Europe led me down a road of deep self discovery and inner work, which in turn has impacted my art as well. The history and ancient civilizations of South America and Egypt led me to explore more symbolism in my work. The people I met in Israel challenged me to think in new ways to create an experience from my art. Every place has left its mark, they all contribute to the way in which I create art today.

Gaia: Before you became a full-time artist what did you do?

Luna: I was very all over the place. I worked waitressing tables for a while, worked in a toy shop, did graphic design for all sorts of clients from dj logos to construction company business cards, I backpacked through South America doing occasional work trades and selling wire wrapped jewelry I made… Heck, I even made hula hoops and sold those on beaches for a bit. I worked retail at one point, I did photography gigs, I worked on farms, I worked making balms and creams for a small business… I’ve always been very “go with the flow".

Gaia: We carry your beautiful Octopus Tarot (Which happens to be one of my favourite decks ever), how natural was it for you to blend your art with spirituality and create a spiritual tool?

Luna: My art is already a very spiritual process, so it was a very natural experience. I didn’t even start off trying to create a deck. I had made 8 drawings of octopuses when my friend was flipping through and said “Luna… this is a tarot deck!” and proceeded to name each of the cards I had subconsciously channeled. In other words, the tarot asked me to create it, not the other way around. When you “accidentally” create 8 cards, it only makes sense to follow the calling and complete the deck. Every card I drew, I also experienced it, not only through my own life, but through the creation of the card itself. For example, if a card embodied the energy of setbacks, the card would take forever to complete. I would struggle to find time and inspiration to work on it. And the same patterns would be reflected in my own life. Honestly it couldn’t have been a more cohesive and spiritual experience. I am baffled to this day at the way in which this deck ruled my life for the entirety of its creation.

      
Gaia: Are there any other personal spiritual practices you have? Do you mind sharing about them?

Luna: I would say my art creation process itself is a major spiritual practice, and I do a lot of meditation and exploration of the spiritual realms through inner work. I also practice yoga regularly, and I try to do everything I do in life with as much awareness and intention as possible. I think you could argue that living itself is a spiritual practice if you can participate in every moment you experience consciously.

Gaia: Are there any spiritual philosophies, beliefs or paths you are drawn to that you would like to learn more about?

Luna: I am fascinated with so many philosophies and belief paths, although I wouldn’t say there is one in particular I’m more drawn to. I’m more interested in the threads that tie together seemingly disconnected philosophies than I am in what makes them different. All walks of life and perspectives are totally valid and necessary for our highest evolution. Even seemingly opposite views are often based on very similar value systems beneath it all, but if we didn’t experience separation and duality, then it would also make it very difficult to experience wholeness and unity. The whole point of the human experience, I believe, is to experience separation so we can return to wholeness little by little and get to experience it for the “first time” again. The stories we tell ourselves to experience this separation are fascinating, and they are beautiful. One is not better than the other. We just have to embrace the experience we are having, no matter what it may be.

Gaia: How do you think you have grown as a person in the last year?

Luna: My biggest growth over the last year has been very much a “real world” experience. I have spent so much of my life very disconnected from the way the masses operate and all the systems that are in place. This tarot deck has forced me to become more literate in the business world. As someone who functions from a very emotional way of being, the very strict and rational systems I have had to navigate have proven a challenge. Nothing has gone according to plan, I have had countless challenges, the difficulties I have faced in fulfilling the Kickstarter campaign for this tarot deck have insane amounts of backlash which has been very challenging to process. Despite all of that, this has taught me how to work WITH the systems that are in place and allowed me to grow my knowledge base. In turn, I’ve built a foundation that will actually allow me to step more deeply into my creative practice thanks to the automation and scalability that’s possible on this foundation. Things still aren’t fully resolved, but every day I get closer and I can see the freedom this last year of intensity will have created.

Gaia: What is one thing you would like to grow about yourself in 2023?

Luna: In 2023 I aim to deepen my understanding and ability to regulate the nervous system. I strive to be a better version of myself every single day and I believe a deeply relaxed and regulated nervous system builds foundations for me to step even more deeply into myself and my creative practice. At the end of the day though, I know whatever I am meant to work on will present itself and I’m always adapting to whatever my body and life tell me need my attention.

Gaia: What is your sun sign and do you feel you relate to it? If you know what your moon and ascendant signs are, do you feel like they reflect in your personality?

Luna: I am Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon, and Leo ascending. I would say I do relate to a lot of what astrology has to say about my placements. That said, I believe astrology is a great tool to understand your tendencies, but it doesn’t tie you to them nor does it define you. Knowing your tendencies gives you the awareness you need in order to move past them and grow if you choose.

    
Gaia: Where can we find more information about accessing your products and or services?

Luna: The best places to follow my work are my website - www.lunacharlotteart.com - or my social media. @lunacharlotteart on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Gaia: What would be in your shopping bag at Gaia Rising?

Luna: Last time I was in, I purchased my friend’s deck, “Beyond Lemuria” by Izzy Ivy. It was the first time I’ve seen her deck in shops and I just had to grab it. I could easily bag the entire shop if I was left unsupervised with no spending limit, but otherwise, I would pick up a crystal singing bowl, a couple books, and a few crystals that I connect with.