Sunatarot: A Dice Intuition Game created by Suna Moya in Egypt in 2000, designed by Robert Courtney, London 2001.
Sunatarot Display Dice
Welcome to Sunatarot, a game of intuition created by its namesake, Suna.
At the age of seven Suna was already accustomed to the Tarot cards. Inspired by the designs on the cards,
Suna developed this into her own form of art by painting a box depicting images derived from the Tarot.
When people saw this they suggested she put together an exhibition, so collecting antique boxes became a hobby for her.
One day in a Cairo market she came across a very old handmade box with cubes inside, originally used as a children’s toy.
Concept : Suna Moya / Design : Robert Courtney
Sunatarot comes in two versions :
One containing 27 transparent coloured Dice,
The other 81 double-sided opaque coloured Chips (and look out for a ‘more traditional’ playing card version).
The 162 different designs on the faces and the instructions contained in the booklet are the same for both.
So, whether you are going to “roll your Dice” or “flip your Chips”:
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TAROT AND DICE
Dice have been played as a game of chance ever since the Roman and Greek times.
The Tarot has a history of its own.
Although the exact origin is unknown some believe that the word Tarot was a corruption of the name Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of magic.
It is said that the cards were created in the initiation temples of the mysterious east.
It is also rumoured that the invention of the Tarot was attributed to the order of the Knights Templar in 1188.
The earliest surviving Tarot deck comes from fourteenth century Italy.
Each card is called ‘Arcanum’, meaning mystery, of which life is so full.
INTRODUCTION TO SUNATAROT
The concept of Sunatarot came to Suna on New Year’s Eve 2000 when she was reading Tarot cards for some friends.
Everybody has the potential to read the Tarot but for most people it takes time to understand the symbols and their meanings.
In this present age of fast moving technology we tend to want answers to our questions promptly.
Sunatarot enables a person to obtain an answer quickly, in a simplified manner, which can then be analysed more in depth.
The principle of the Tarot is to act as a tool for connecting an individual to his or her own deeper psyche.
Sunatarot can help one to analyse a situation and therefore diagnose the best way to deal with it.
With Sunatarot we are our own medium, by throwing the dice we are opening up our subconscious.
Through reading the meaning on the dice we can decide the most suitable action to take. With practice,
Sunatarot combines the two elements of mystery (Tarot) and chance (Dice).
SUNATAROT: THE CONTENTS
The dice game comes in a box containing 26 answer dice and 1 decision dice which are used in obtaining responses to questions posed.
The symbols and words on the 156 faces of the answer dice are derived from the Major and Minor Arcana of the traditional Tarot including the reversed cards meanings.
The decision dice displays the Suna eye symbol (open and closed) representing a straight ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answer and four symbols representing the elements and their associated meanings.
The decision dice is used alongside the answer dice and is read in the same way.
Sunatarot comes with this instruction booklet explaining the meanings of all 162 faces (including the decision dice), a silk bag to contain the dice and a satin mat printed with the traditional layouts for reading the Tarot.
These layouts represent the Past, Present & Future Method (3 dice), the Window Method (10 dice), the Horseshoe Method (7 dice), and finally the Year Forecast or Astrological Method (13 dice).
SUNATAROT: WAYS TO PLAY: 1. A SOCIAL GAME
Sunatarot can be played with friends at any time, perhaps after dinner or over a drink.
Players participating in this way need not to have an in-depth knowledge regarding the rules of the Tarot, so everyone can equally appreciate the benefits of the game.
By putting a question to Sunatarot and then rolling the dice, a player interprets the symbols and words by calling forth his or her intuition and imagination.
Close friends can join in and give help or advice in reading the dice, moreover, anyone can offer his or her own interpretation.
Whatever the situation may be, the interpretation of the throw of the dice (spread) depends on the way in which the dice fall.
SUNATAROT: WAYS TO PLAY: 2. AN INDIVIDUAL DIVINATION
Sunatarot can also be used to ask questions in the same way as you would use the traditional Tarot cards, by yourself or with an interpreter.
A game of chance, the same as life, so roll the dice
Let your intuition guide your reactions
Open your mind to those inhibited dreams
Follow your instincts and your ambitions.
ENJOY YOUR SUNATAROT.
Pre-History:
Robert Courtney first met Suna in March 1999 when he was with his colleague Robert Pinnock at the after-show party for the Vivienne Westwood fashion show in Paris.
They invited Suna to Vivienne’s salon at where they showed her Robert’s portfolio of work.
Suna liked the work in the portfolio and thought that they might be able to work together on artistic projects, thus was born a friendship and a creative partnership that has lasted solidly to this day.
Robert Courtney visited Suna in Egypt in May 1999.
He was particularly inspired by the Egyptian Museum in Cairo where he took lots of reference photographs that would later form the basis for the “Eye of Sunatarot”.
Then came Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna)………….
In the Beginning was the Word:
And the Word was Suna. Sunatarot (the Tarot of Suna) is not called what it is by accident, it is so named because it is called after its author, Suna (Suna Moya).
The Logo of Sunatarot:
The logo of Sunatarot (Suna’s tarot) is the word Suna (handwritten by Robert Courtney , scanned into his Apple Mac computer and then re-drawn using the Illustrator design programme) placed above the word TAROT (in the font style chosen by himself). A graphic eye is placed above and to the right ofthe name Suna.
This drawing of the eye PRE-DATES the existence of Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna).
This eye was partly inspired by the paintings of Suna that Robert Courtney saw whilst he was staying with Suna in Cairo, Egypt, and especially by the painting given to Robert by her as a present entitled “Electric Pharaoh”.
Robert Courtney first used an interpretation of this eye (hand-drawn, scanned into his Apple Mac computer and then re-drawn using the Illustrator design programme) as the design for one of his song lyrics “Land of Light / Love In Action” © Robert Courtney 1982/1999.
(Please note the date – Thursday, July 8th, 1999, 20.41).
Robert Courtney later (in 2001) used that same drawing as a symbol to represent Suna as well as her name.
This logo is used in the booklet of Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna), on the mat and the bag and on the sides and lid of the Perspex box.
This Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna) logo is also used on the outer packaging along with an earlier logo for Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna) also created by Robert Courtney and comprising the word SUNA with filled in letters in either blue or violet in front of the word TAROT in outline only to form the word SUNATAROT (font Helvetica).
Suna is the person who came up with the concept of Sunatarot (this comprising of a simplification of the tarot making it easier to understand, with one-word definitions, using both images and single word meanings, on dice rather than cards.
The dice were to be contained in a box, along with a mat, a bag and a booklet).
Suna analysed the position of the words on the dice, researched the meanings for the game, drafted the initial English for the booklet, the concept of which has always remained the same throughout (this was later translated into French), tested out the game “live” by presentation at salons (with lamp and table cloth demonstrations) and contacted buyers, shops, television and the press.
A previous attempt to design Sunatarot, using Suna’s concept, as above, was initiated, but Suna found the result not in keeping with her vision (the only completed version of the game is designed by Robert Courtney).
Robert was contacted by Suna in August 2001 when she asked him if he would design Sunatarot.
After faxing a sample design to Suna, it was agreed with her that Robert would design the following :
One set of dice in blue, one set of dice in violet, including 156 different images in gold for the faces of these dice (the Major & Minor Arcarna both right way up and reversed meanings), one transparent box for packaging, the Sunatarot logo, one mat, one bag and one booklet. (The words in the booklet and on the dice written by Suna in English and then translated into French).
An extra dice was then added by Robert due to design considerations, containing six new symbols for which Suna analysed and provided six new words in English which were then later translated into French.
Robert designed one set of dice (including all images, packaging & accessories) in blue, one set of dice (including all images, packaging (The “Pyramid Cube”) & accessories) in violet, the Sunatarot logo, one alternative packaging (a square section transparent tube), one set of chips, using the same designs and a simplified packaging (vacuum formed plastic and cardboard), and two alternative packagings for the chips (a blister pack mounted on cardboard & a thermoformed “Crystal Ball” packaging with a CD booklet) plus 2 alternative mats.
Due to manufacturing concerns an outer packaging box of cardboard, polythene & expanded polysterene was later added which Robert also designed.
This was printed with Robert’s designs and extracts from the booklet of Suna.
Concept:
The major difference between Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna) and the many different versions in the traditional playing card format (each the intellectual property of their individual creators) is this – the distillation of the meaning of the individual tarot cards into a single word, this word being displayed on the face of a dice to act as a psychological trigger to prompt the person playing the tarot of Suna (Sunatarot) to answer the question they have asked the tarot, easily, in their own mind, without recourse as with the traditional tarot, to a book or booklet.
Indeed the booklet is not needed in order to fully use the Sunatarot (the tarot of Suna).
Suna and Robert thought a booklet should be included in the same way as with a music CD (hence the size and shape of the booklet), to give additional information but not necessary for the full enjoyment of the product.
This ease of use and self interpretation is what makes Sunatarot (Suna’s tarot) unique.
Sunatarot Concept © Suna Moya, Egypt 2000, Design Concept ©Robert Courtney, London 2001. This text ©Robert Courtney, London 2004.
The Design Concept of The “Pyramid Box” of Sunatarot (Suna’s tarot) as created by Robert Courtney consists of the following:
A transparent Perspex outer cube (measuring 156 x 156 x 156mm).
Inside the cube are 6 pyramids (base dimensions 150 x 150 mm) with the “capstones” (in this case the top part (45mm) of the pyramid) missing, giving them a height of 30mm.
The bases facing outwards towards the faces of the cube and the missing points (tops) of the pyramids facing inwards to the centre of the outer cube.
The missing portions of the pyramids forming an inner cubic “empty space” (measuring 90 x 90 x 90mm).
Inside this “empty space” are contained the 27 cubes (dice) that form the “playing pieces” of Sunatarot (Suna’s tarot).
The 6 sides of the 27 dice form the 162 different faces of Sunatarot (Suna’s tarot) echoing the 162 building blocks that originally formed the ancient monument of Stonehenge.
The precise combination of those said elements with precise dimensions; qualities of material (thickness, hardness, feel, colour & transparency) formed in particular relationships with each other as described, chosen by Robert Courtney for his Design of Sunatarot (Suna’s tarot), in 2001.
Inspiration & Design
Q. How did a Sculpture made by Robert Courtney in 1976 form the basis for the design of Sunatarot?
A. Robert Courtney was interested in the Art of Illusion in 1975/6 and produced a series of Performance Art Events, Paintings and Sculptures exploring this theme.
The sculptures in particular involved Pyramids and Boxes placed inside each other along with graphic illusions producing appearing and disappearing faces.
One of these sculptures designed and made in 1976 formed the entire basis for the Sunatarot “Pyramid box” as on sale today, the other formed the entire basis for the “Window On The Future” extermal Packaging for the Sunatarot Dice and as yet unreleased Sunatarot “Chips” version.
Look out for the original photographs from 1976 on: http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert_Courtney/635605632
Both “The Pyramid Box” and “Window On The Future” ©Robert Courtney 1976-2005.
Further to the sculptural elements of Sunatarot described above, the paintings of Robert Courtney from the period 1975 to 1977 also formed the basis of major elements of the design of the final Sunatarot product.
The first of these being an Optical Art Painting entitled “Red Versus Green” ©Robert Courtney 1975.
This was in effect an acrylic painting comprising graphic elements within triangles, forming a pentagram within a circle within a “Midnight Blue” square.
The graphic elements being painted in red and green (colours reflected in gold) the resulting effect when viewed with special eye-glasses appeared to leap from the canvas and flash on and off.
This painting was the foundation of the cover of the Sunatarot booklet on sale today, the original holographic image of Robert Courtney’s inspiration being changed by Robert Courtney to a Gold embossing for the First Edition of the Sunatarot Dice Game.
The second painting “Transformation of The Cross” ©Robert Courtney 1977, created the cube of 27 Dice, this being a series of 5 square canvases arranged in a cross to form 9 squares within a square.
The resulting cross image then being transformed around an epicentric axis to give the impression of cubes falling out of a box within space.
This is the way in which the Sunatarot Dice fall from the “Space Within The Cube” when the Sunatarot Dice Box is opened and the dice are first poured onto the playing mat.
Elements directly derived from this “Transformation of The Cross” Painting are also to be seen in the playing mat contained within the Sunatarot Dice Game on sale today.
Other, even earlier paintings by Robert Courtney formed the basis if his inspiration for the images on the Sunatarot dice, notably “Reflections In Acrylic” and “Transformation Of Pomegranetes” (A Tryptich).
“Transformation of The Cross”, “Red Versus Green” & “Space Within The Cube” ©Robert Courtney 1975 – 2005.
“Reflections In Acrylic” & “Transformation Of Pomegranetes” ©Robert Courtney 1974-1975.
Sunatarot Concept © Suna Moya, Egypt 2000, Design Concept ©Robert Courtney, London 2001. This text ©Robert Courtney, London 2004 (Revised 2008).
