I’m a very private person and I rarely talk much about myself and my life. This post will be an exception. I’m going to get very personal here and share a bit of background that I don’t usually mention on social media but which helps to explain how Treasure Island Tarot came about and what it means to me.
If you’ve purchased the deck, you’ve seen the dedication page. The deck is in many ways a tribute to my daughter, Lee Renee Turner, who died from ovarian cancer on December 7, 2025. She was an avid reader and loved tarot cards as well as novels.
Seeing her suffer was hard, especially knowing there was nothing I could do to ease the pain or “make things better” in any way. It was a struggle to get through those days. In October I had started a Facebook group — Sabbats, Seasons, and Tarot Spreads — and writing and scheduling daily posts helped me stay grounded. The group helped give me a bit of much-needed focus. Only a few very close friends knew what was happening “behind the scenes”.
I also remained active in several other tarot groups, and not long after Lee passed away, while browsing through another group, a post caught my eye. “Think of a movie or book you love and imagine a character as a Court Card”. Immediately I thought of Dr. Livesey from Treasure Island, my all-time favorite book from childhood.
Suddenly an image came to mind. I could see a treasure map spread out on a table with a golden, glowing star marking the site. In that moment, with that vision, Treasure Island Tarot was born. It wasn’t born with any intention of becoming a marketable deck in an Etsy shop. It was a way for me to pour my heart and soul into something I loved during a time of grief and sorrow. It was a reason for me to get up each morning, come to the studio, and create. The deck project gave meaning and purpose to my life when I needed it most.
Everything else — printing the deck, setting up an Etsy shop, making sales, getting reviews — that all came later. In looking back I wonder how it all happened. I’m still a bit amazed by it all.
Creating Treasure Island Tarot was a bit of a challenge, and I’m grateful for the assistance I received from Steven Champion and Linda Zaworski — and from the members of Sabbats, Seasons, and Tarot Spreads who encouraged me along the way. I learned a lot, and I’m now taking what I’ve learned and carrying it forward as I create more decks, with Lee always in my mind and heart. She would be very proud to see what I’ve accomplished.
