Some projects are planned. Others are lived.
Mi Vida Tarot by Mel Morales is the latter—a deck born not just from artistic vision, but from memory, identity, and a lifetime of lived experience. It’s more than a tarot deck. It’s a time capsule. A tribute. A reclamation.
From the very beginning, this project was never going to be ordinary.
A Deck Rooted in Real Life
This is Mel’s first tarot deck, but the story behind it stretches far beyond four years of creation. It reaches back into her teenage years—into bedrooms covered wall-to-wall with Chicano art, into handwritten letters and drawings sent from friends behind bars, into afternoons spent flipping through Teen Angels Magazine.
It lives in the details: winged eyeliner worn since the age of twelve, the rhythm of Bay Area culture, the unmistakable energy of ‘90s chola style. Big hoops. Bandanas. Ben Davis. Park hangouts with the homies. The kind of nostalgia you don’t just remember—you feel.
Mi Vida Tarot is for the ones who were there. And for the ones who became something more because of it. “This deck is for the little chola girls that grew up into boss witches,” Mel shares. “We’re out here. We want guidance. And we respect the culture and the art.”
Every Card Tells a Story
What makes this deck truly stand apart is its intentionality. Each of the 78 cards is a fully realized piece of art that is hand-designed, deeply considered, and often tied to real people and moments in Mel’s life.
This wasn’t a process of simply placing images onto cards. It was collaborative, layered, and at times painstaking.
Working with a Mexican artist she found on Fiverr, Mel built the deck piece by piece, sometimes five cards at a time. For each one, she would share her vision, reference traditional tarot imagery, and then refine the design through ongoing dialogue. Some cards took months. Others were completely reworked from scratch.
There was no rushing the process because every card had to feel right.
Some designs carry especially personal meaning. The Ten of Pentacles, for example, is dedicated to someone close to Mel who passed away young – a woman she describes as having “rich auntie energy,” now immortalized within the deck. Other cards are inspired by friends, loved ones, and even Mel herself.
The result is a deck that feels alive and rooted in both memory and meaning.
Built on Trust, Vision, and Grit
Creating Mi Vida Tarot wasn’t easy.
Patience proved to be one of the biggest challenges. Spending four years on a single project, especially as someone eager to see it come to life, required discipline and trust in the process. Budget constraints added another layer of difficulty, with many artists out of reach financially.
But Mel didn’t compromise. She was prepared to learn how to draw the entire deck herself if necessary. Instead, she found the right collaborator who is someone who not only understood her vision, but believed in it. That connection became the foundation of the deck’s success.
Through countless revisions, late-stage redesigns, and unwavering commitment, Mi Vida Tarot became exactly what it was meant to be.
A Nostalgic Aesthetic, Reimagined
The visual language of the deck is bold, unapologetic, and unmistakably rooted in Chicano culture. Inspired by prison art, magazine collages, and the DIY creativity of Mel’s youth, each card carries a sense of raw authenticity.
At the same time, the deck was designed to be inclusive and vibrant. Mel intentionally explored a wide range of colors to ensure the artwork would resonate with a diverse audience while still maintaining its cultural core.
The result? A tarot deck that feels both deeply personal and universally magnetic.
Holding the Finished Deck
For Mel, sharing Mi Vida Tarot with others is both surreal and deeply fulfilling.
“I feel so proud of it,” she says. “It turned out beautiful.”
Though still in its early stages, the deck is already making an impression. Many who have seen it—especially those new to tarot—feel an immediate connection. It’s different. It’s bold. It’s something they have to have.
And that’s exactly what Mel hoped for! Not just popularity—but appreciation.
Quality That Matches the Vision
When it came time to bring the deck into physical form, quality was non-negotiable. After researching manufacturers and comparing samples, Mel chose Shuffled Ink for their exceptional reviews and standout product quality. From the linen-textured finish to the durability of the cards and the inclusion of a well-crafted box, every detail aligned with her vision.
“If we’re going to have art pieces in people’s hands,” she explains, “they need to last.” And they do.
Currently, Mi Vida Tarot is available as a limited first edition release through Mel’s website. This initial batch is intentionally small and designed to find its way organically into the hands of those who truly connect with it.
No big marketing push. No overproduction. Just trust that the right people will find it.
And once it’s gone—it’s gone.
Looking Ahead
Mel’s goals for the future are rooted in both expansion and connection. She hopes to sell out this first edition, potentially release a second run, and create an accompanying ebook to deepen users’ understanding of the deck.
Beyond tarot, she’s also focused on growing her energy healing practice—helping others through modalities like cord cutting and Integrated Energy Therapy.
But at the heart of it all is one simple intention:
To help people feel something real.
For those looking to create their own card decks, Mel offers advice grounded in experience:
Don’t settle.
Take your time.
Find collaborators who truly understand your vision.
And most importantly—create something that represents you.
Because people can feel authenticity.
And when they do, it resonates.
A Story of Finishing What You Start
Perhaps the most powerful part of Mi Vida Tarot isn’t just what it represents—but the fact that it exists at all.
Mel created this deck during a time of personal hardship. There were moments when it almost didn’t get finished. Times when doubt, financial strain, and life itself threatened to derail the project entirely. But she kept going.
And now, she holds something tangible: a testament to perseverance, creativity, and self-belief. “With everything stacked against me,” she says, “I still made this happen.” That message echoes far beyond the cards themselves. If you want something badly enough, if you’re willing to trust your vision and do the work, you can make it real.
Mi Vida Tarot isn’t just a deck. It’s a life, shuffled into 78 cards.
Connect with Mel
- Website: www.energyhealingbymel.com
- Instagram: @energyhealingbymel
- TikTok: @hellahealingwithmel