Tarot Tag: #NoFilter and Ang Iyong Gabay's Mikko
My first ever Practical Magic collaboration was the #NoFilter oracle deck—something I launched with a work acquaintance-turned friend-turned small biz partner (and fellow Aries), Mikko Sumulong.
Photo is courtesy of Mikko Sumulong.
Mikko and I share a lot of friends and did a lot of freelance work for the same magazines and publishing house. I didn’t know her-know her, for real, until she booked a reading with me a couple of years ago. The Practical Magic Starter Deck hadn’t been born yet, I was still at my old job and doing tarot on the side, and we were in vastly different parts of our lives. Mikko took to the cards and the whole tarot reading process right away, and after that first reading (which I remember was full of belly laughs and “OMG’s), we became fast friends.
Mikko designs and sells handwritten fonts, assists Creatives and small businesses in building website, and writes craft tutorials and craft books. She’s also one of the seven ladies behind Make Space Today, a creative co-making space aimed to provide all types of creatives and makers with a shop, space and the skills to help grow their businesses.
A couple of months after I did Mikko’s first reading, I launched the PM Starter Deck and soon after that, met up with Mikko to talk about (maybe) coming up with a collab deck. We immediately said YES to the project, found that we agreed on basically everything about it, and about a week after that meeting, we finished the #NoFilter Oracle Deck you know and love (IKR, put two Aries girls together and we will set the world on fire).
Two #NoFilter decks, one Filipino oracle deck by Mikko herself, and lots of plans later, I thought it was about time Mikko popped up on the PM blog. I hope you enjoy our little dialog!
Photos are courtesy of Mikko Sumulong.
PM: What was your first experience with the cards?
MIKKO: I remember my Grandma talking about reading cards when she was younger, and how she stopped when Death came through one of her readings. Apparently, Death manifested in the most literal way possible, and she just couldn’t get back to doing it again.
When I moved to NYC in my early 20’s, I was a bright-eyed naive girl from small-town Anchorage, Alaska. Contemplating whether or not I should stay in the big city, I found myself being approached by a random psychic on the street. She gave me a quick unsolicited reading while I was waiting at the crosswalk, inviting me into her shop. I was freaked out!
I’ve always wanted to delve into it, but was always put off by the “scary” factor often associated with it. Macy introduced me to Chinggay’s readings, and how tarot didn’t have to be “scary.” After my first session—one that pretty much nailed every single thing I was going through at the time, I was hooked. Tarot became that thing that helped me sort through my own thoughts and feelings. Not creepy, never scary.
PM: What are your fave decks?
MIKKO: You mean other than the ones I worked on? Haha!
Bias aside, I absolutely love the Practical Magic Starter Deck. It’s the first deck I ever purchased, and is still my go-to tarot deck. It’s noob-friendly. The keywords allow for a story-telling type of reading. It was my “gateway drug” to all things new age. This 90’s girl also couldn’t resist The Illest Tarot (ed’s note: now called That 90s Tarot by Kristi Prokopiak). I mean, who wouldn’t love a spread with Lauryn Hill or Winona Ryder?
For oracle decks, I find myself reaching for Inquire Within. It’s a beautiful minimal deck, with equally beautiful messages.
PM: Can you talk about how #nofilter was born?
MIKKO: Chinggay thought that the quotes on my Mix Fonts (@mixfonts) account would render well as punctuation marks for readings. She wasn’t wrong.
Photo is courtesy of Mikko Sumulong.
PM: Were you always this sassy? Where do all the quotes come from? (ed’s note: Mikko’s responsible for the unique #NoFilter voice!)
MIKKO: There are times when my mouth moves much quicker than my brain. I say things without filter. I verbalize the things everyone thinks but never says, and end up getting in trouble for it. I usually scribble my favorite nuggets in my planner, until a need to showcase my fonts came along. That’s when “Mix Quotes” started to become public.
PM: When do you use #nofilter vs the Woowoo deck (our astrology deck)?
MIKKO: I use the #NoFilter deck when I need quick slap-in-the-face type answer to questions I might have. I use the Woowoo deck when I have more time, and don’t really have much questions in mind. I split up the deck into a question pile and an answers one, then go from there. It’s also a fun way of understanding the signs, planets, houses and elements.
PM: How has your life changed since becoming a deck creator?
MIKKO: Everyday, I have a deck in tow. And since I started making and selling decks, it seems people ask me to read for them. I can’t quite pinpoint the connection, but I’ve also started trusting my intuition more. I feel like I pay attention to things not said, signs that I may have ignored and listen to messages the universe might be sending me.
Photos are courtesy of Mikko Sumulong.
PM: Describe the process of creating Ang Iyong Gabay. How different is it, working on Filipino compared to English?
MIKKO: Ang Iyong Gabay took me all but two hours to conceptualize, design and send out for printing. It started out with me raving about the beauty of the Filipino language. How a word's meaning changes with the slight change in conjugation. Sinira versus Nasira. How certain Filipino words can’t ever fully be translated. Think Gigil, Basta or Kilig. I feel like for those who speak or understand Tagalog, the new deck is able to tap certain feelings and emotions, English decks might not be able to do.
PM: Do you have any advice to aspiring deck creators, especially those in the Philippines?
MIKKO: A great idea will keep you up at night. If it does, go ahead and do it. The biggest hurdle was finding the right balance of quality and cost. Unless you get funding from elsewhere, expect to shell out a good chunk of money outright to get your project off the ground. What I do love about selling and creating decks in the Philippines, is the support from the community. I love all the #nofilter deck users!
Photo is courtesy of Mikko Sumulong.
PM: Have you always been creative? Where does the inspiration come from?
MIKKO: Have I always been creative? All I know is that I can’t not be working on something. The Aries in me loves to work on new projects. It must be a fire sign thing. I love making things that have not been done yet. For me, I’m inspired by words and colors—something that’s manifested itself in the decks, books and crafts I’ve worked on.
PM: What can we look forward to from you in the next few months?
MIKKO: I have a couple projects lined up, and if all goes well, they should all be done within the year. Expect books, decks and some other things in between. :)
Find Mikko on her website and on Instagram. Her fonts are available at Mix Fonts, Ang Iyong Gabay is available at www.mgabaraha.com, and #NoFilter decks are available at www.nofilter.wtf.