My Konxari Experience

Konxari (pronounced kon-zar-ee) is a card divination system that is rumoured to have begun in ancient egypt. It is distributed by the IRM Foundation. Details on who or what the IRM Foundation is are scarce at best. I was given this set to try out and review by Matt Busch, who is representing IRM as their chief spokesman. I did try and pry some information from him but he remained tight-lipped. Matt explained this was part of his contract with IRM. (Though he insists it is likely for disclaimer reasons to avoid lawsuits from overzealous religious groups who think these cards are the tool of the devil.)

The first known version of the Konxari were glyphs etched in 88 stone tablets called stela. Though the practice became more and more obscure through the centuries, small groups of pagans and gypsies held its secrets for many generations. Now the true Konxari has been resurrected. This deck has 88 cards much like the original. Each card has a photographic image, word, symbol and letter. There are six sensory cards, eight “character” cards, fifteen location cards, eight victim cards, ten time cards, nine obstacle cards, six equipment cards, twelve energy cards and fourteen message cards. The cards have eerie images by photographer Paul M. Kane. I was lucky enough to steal a few minutes of Paul’s time and ask him about his experience with Konxari. (The interview will follow this review.)

According to the rules of Konxari, you should never play alone. Although I am experienced (I have been reading tarot more than half of my life) I decided to abide by the rules and I dragged my friend Alanna out with me. The next thing the instructions say is to find a haunted place, or one that you suspect is haunted. One person should be the “reader” and one the “observer”. I took on the role of “reader”, Alanna was my “observer”.

I figured the best place to try the Konxari would be the Lone Fir Cemetery here in Portland, Oregon. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the city and on several occasions when visiting the grounds I have had peculiar experiences.

Alanna and I arrived at the cemetery just before dusk (as with most cemeteries this once is only open from dawn till dusk). I had an idea of where I wanted to setup. There was a grave in particular I was looking for. Lone Fir is a large cemetery and I was having a heck of a time finding the spot I had in mind. That is when we happened upon two volunteers in front of the Maclay crypt.

When I described the spot I was looking for, a tombstone (slightly disheveled) surrounded by large trees… the gentleman knew instantly what I was talking about. “Oh, you mean the 4 redwoods?” he said and motioned me toward the spot. On the way over he told me a bit about the person who was buried there. Daniel Wright was a Mason and Newspaper man. He had been to California and saw the redwoods and fell in love with them. As a tribute after he passed his friends bought saplings and placed them at the four corners of the grave. Today they are giants.

After the volunteer wandered back to do his thing I began to set up. I pulled out my digital recorder and my pendulum and the deck of cards. I started by shuffling the cards and laid out the 12 cards face down as the diagram in the book states. (It isn’t dissimilar from a tarot spread, so it was easy for me to pick up. However, I think that even a first time user would have no problem understanding how to do this.) At this point I turned on my recorder in hopes of picking up something. I pulled out my pendulum (in the expanded rules it mentions the use of a pendulum as a clarification tool) and set aside at the ready.

Once the initial spread is laid out the instructions say to remove the cards from the far north, south, east and west and place them on the bottom of the deck (not looking at them). Now 8 cards remained in front of me – with the option to draw a 9th wild card (or the thirteenth from the top of the deck after the shuffle).

The first card is meant to answer the “who” question, the second “what”, the third “where”, the fourth “when”, the fifth “why”, the sixth “how”, the seventh “the problem” and the eight “the solution”. All 8 cards are meant to be assessed as a whole.

I began with the chant in the book before I flipped the cards:

Calling to those

For whom we can’t see

Through the Konxari

Please speak to me

Here are the cards I flipped in order:

1. Love (symbol: journey, letter: T)

2. Dusk (symbol: Judaic, letter: N)

3. Help (symbol: Mercury, letter: T)

4. Audio (symbol: Taurus,  letter: T)

5. Always (symbol: infinity, letter: I)

6. Karma (symbol: Aries, letter A)

7. Mirror (symbol: Gemini, letter X)

8. Aura (symbol: Magic, letter Q)

9. Hiding (symbol: Libra, letter B)

Alanna and I went over what we thought the cards could mean. Then we began to ask Daniel questions, using the pendulum, about our assumptions.

I don’t know if we came close to an answer this time. But from what we can gather… something was hidden from Daniel and he wants help finding it again. We think it may have something to do with his work.

There were signs that some there was some activity during the reading. The crows stopped squawking the whole time we sat there… The crystal on my pendulum was ice cold… Sadly the recordings picked up nothing. There were a lot of stop gaps  in the recording and although it says I recorded for 8 minutes and 11 seconds… for some reason there was only 6 minutes and 50 seconds worth of sound file.

Did we make actual contact with Daniel Wright? I don’t know. Are we willing to try again. You bet!

I think this deck is a must have for anyone who scries, reads tarot/runes or is interested in divination. The imagery is amazing and in many ways a lot easier to understand than tarot. The instructions are easy to follow and everything you need to interpret your reading is included in the booklet. This also might make a great addition to a spooky slumber party. (I know as a young girl I loved breaking out the Ouija and this is a very similar experience.)

I give this “game” a 5 out of 5.

She Never Slept Interviews Konxari Photographer Paul M. Kane

SNS: Did IRM approach you directly to do the images for these cards?

PMK: I was lucky enough that the IRM Foundation stumbled across some of my shots from prison gallery back when I was putting together my first book of photography, Captured: The Ruins of Eastern State Penitentiary. They contacted me with an offer I simply couldn’t refuse! After they pitched me the idea – something  of a cross between Tarot Cards and the Ouija Board – and I accepted the offer, they sent me a list of 88 card titles with loose suggestions for how to interpret them photographically. Some of my existing body of work fit that list perfectly, while some others I shot specifically for the card set.

SNS: As a photographer, did you use a different method when taking  pictures for this card set than your normal process?

PMK: I didn’t really use a different method when shooting for the cards, but I did find myself problem solving when I conceptualized a shot in my head that I had never done before. Take the Suffocation card. I saw in my head that I wanted a figure behind some sort of ethereal barrier . . . I just wasn’t sure how to light the scene to make a good image . . . so I began with a single light from behind. Snapped a couple test shots and kept fiddling with the lighting until I had two lights illuminating my model from behind at 45 degree angles, achieving the image that I had in my head. The entire process of shooting for Konxari brought me new techniques that I developed for the set. A very rewarding experience!

SNS: The imagery on these cards are haunting. What was your inspiration?

PMK: I drew a lot of inspiration from childhood, actually . . . the things that would frighten me as a kid. I drew from Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Hitchcock, H.P. Lovecraft and even Stephen King. Stuff I’ve been reading ever since I could pick up a book. I tell people when I describe my work experience on the Konxari Cards that it was very much like filming a horror movie one frame at a time.

SNS: Did you have any “supernatural” or peculiar experiences when photographing or preparing shots for this set you would like to share with our audience?

PMK: I do have to admit that I am a skeptic of the supernatural – not because I don’t believe in it, but rather I have never experienced anything supernatural. My involvement with the Konxari Cards has led to work with a local paranormal investigative team and I hope to maybe finally see the proof I am looking for. That said, the only creepy thing that occurred during the shoot involved the Sister card – the one with the creepy doll. Immediately after shooting the doll for the card set, I buried it in an closet for fear that my 4-year old daughter might stumble across it. A couple weeks go by and I am sitting at my keyboard and I begin to hear a muffled music box going off – it’s playing a very haunting rendition of Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. I can’t for the life of me figure out what in the world would be making that sound in my office until I begin hunting for it and uncover the doll in the closet behind my computer work station. I didn’t realize the doll had a music box in it – AND – therefore, never even wound it to make it go! Rather peculiar, don’t you think?

SNS: That is peculiar! It is also one of my favorite cards. Thanks so much for taking part in this brief interview.

To see more of Paul’s work please visit his website at: http://www.pmkane.com/

You can get your own set of Konxari cards directly on their website, simply go here: http://konxari.com/ and click enter, then look for the link that says order!