#spiriteam

🌊🗻 DEAR BENDERS AND NON-BENDERS  🔥 🌪️

The time has come. We have called upon and recruited spirits from all over the Spirit World to help us achieve this project, and they have agreed to the task.

Without further ado, we are pleased to announce our contributors, the Spirits of the Lake, Art Spirits, Lion Turtles, and Knowledge Seekers! Their socials are listed below the cut.

☀️ GUEST INTRODUCTION ☀️

We’re pleased to present our guest, Jhoca! We’re thrilled to work with her and hope you’re just as excited!

Jhoca, thank you for joining us! We can’t wait to see what you make.

☀️ Jhoca’s Socials: @jhoca-art // Twitter // Instagram

☀️ Why do you like AtLA? I like AtLA because it encompasses everything that I would want in a series: relatable characters, inviting environmental and social consciousness, and relationships between characters that are believable and honest. At the same time, it is lighthearted and enjoyable to watch for all ages, and you can't help but feel attached to them and their journey together. Every character is finding their own paths in life, struggling alone and struggling together. AtLA is beautifully written and heartwrenchingly genuine, that's why I love it. 

☀️ What character and card resonate with you? Why?:Definitely Sokka, but that might just be my bias talking, haha (he's my favorite). He resonates with me because he doesn't feel special or extraordinary among his group of talented friends, and he struggles a lot with what he can contribute to the team, or finding his purpose. He loves and cares deeply for his friends and family, looking out for their safety even if they disagree with him. And he hides his insecurities behind humor, which really resonates with me, too, because I feel like joking around in times of great discomfort. His sarcasm and snarky-ness (like making jokes about expecting the worst to happen) is very much like me, and it's like, let's laugh at how terrible everything is! Life, am I right? LOL

The card that suits me would probably be The Fool. It's just where I am currently in life: I'm still figuring out what I'm doing for the rest of my life, trying to be responsible but also trying to enjoy it whenever I can. I'm not looking where I'm going, but I'm hoping it's somewhere good, and for a cause that I believe in.

☀️ What cause are you most passionate about? Or, what/who do you most want to protect? Or, why/how do you help others? I feel the most passionate about environmental and social causes, to protect the environment and give equal opportunities to the communities that are disadvantaged in society due to their social identity: race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. I want to inspire environmental and social consciousness because the lives that suffer the most, in nature and in human society, are usually the ones that have no authority or control over their own surroundings.

💎 CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT 💎

Please welcome Pomelope, our artist who’s designing a stickersheet, along with the Ace & Two of Wands!

💎 Tumblr: @pomelope || Twitter: lumpydreams

💎 Why do you like AtLA?

AtLA was a cartoon I watched growing up and even back then, I loved the world building, story telling and animation of the series. It was also the only show that really prominently featured Asians, so as an Asian American, it was amazing to see bits of my own background reflected in the world.

💎 What character and card resonate with you? Why?

I LOVE Azula. Multidimensional and morally grey/black female characters have always been a favorite of mine! I really like the nine of swords because of that meme captioned something like, I have too many swords. But it also describes a lot of how I go through life too LOL.

💎 Which element do you most resonate with? Why?

mmmm I think I resonate the most with water! I like the idea that its associated with change and can take form as necessary for the task at hand.

✨ CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT ✨

We're pleased to present Upasana Das, the next writer who contributed to the guidebook!

✨ Tumblr: @upd7

✨ Why do you like AtLA?

Love the classical elements and the storyline!

✨ What character and card resonate with you? Why?

The Fool. The Fool is very spontaneous and lives in the moment without any fear of consequences. I can be that person but I choose not to sometimes. The Devil: Most people think this card is evil but it's the perfect balance implied that resonates with me so much. Toph is quite good as I love her rebelling against normative culture!

✨ What book/text would you want to read the most? Or, talk about a book/text you've read or will read and what it means to you.

Nothing specific but books exploring the Japanese Yokai.

💎 CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT 💎

Say hello to our final merch artist and contributor, Sammiety! She’s working on a temporary tattoo, phone & desktop wallpapers, the Page of Cups card, and the cover for the “How To” Guidebook! Phew!

💎 Tumblr: @sammmiety || Instagram: sammmiety || Twitter: sammmiety

💎 Why do you like AtLA?

Avatar was a huge part of my childhood and has stayed with me up until now. I never really understood entirely what was happening back then, but after coming back and rewatching it now that I'm older, I've been able to fully appreciate the intricacies and details that really makes the series special. I really just find myself coming back over and over due to the spectacular worldbuilding and relatable and real characters.

💎 What character and card resonate with you? Why?

I find myself coming back to Zuko and his character quite often, and I think its because he's painfully relatable, especially the scene where he talks to a frog. I find his character arc to be really powerful while being really natural. I'm a bit of a hot head like Zuko, and its reassuring to watch him be able to make amends and continue on with his life despite his past. Similarly, The Hanged Man is a card representing moving on and letting go, which is something I have trouble with but think about often, wanting to get better at.

💎 Which element do you most resonate with? Why?

I really feel like I resonate with the element of water the most, which is appropriate because I'm a Pisces, a water zodiac. While water usually represents calmness and serenity, I feel like I'm more on the chaotic side. I can go from being calm to expressing a powerful emotion in the blink of an eye, kinda like the calm before the storm!

⚔  CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT  ⚔

Give a warm welcome to Panstarry, who will be working on the Two of Swords & the Four of Coins cards!!

⚔ Panstarry’s Socials: Instagram // Twitter // @panstarry​

⚔ Why do you like AtLA? atla is honestly one of the most well-done shows i've seen!! everything about it is really consistently successful and it had a lot of positive influence on me when i was a kid.

⚔ What character and card resonate with you? Why? I LOVE... KATARA... i dont mean to call myself out but as a kid i used to roleplay as "icy katara" on the playground because she was so cool. don't @ me. my fave card is the fool for a reason bro...

⚔ Art Spirits (Minor Arcana): What are you most attached to? Where or with whom would you like to be forever? What would you want to have forever? i love my friends dude.. it's not even funny how much i love my friends like what is the POINT of being around if not for my friends. we're like. *attacks each other but in a cool way* and honestly that kind of dynamic is what i want to have forever

✨ CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT ✨

Today we're pleased to present Rissa, our next writer who contributed to the guidebook accompanying the deck!

✨ Tumblr: @miss606writes // Tumblr 2: @miss-cherryblossom

✨ Why do you like AtLA?

The world and characters intrigued me since I was a child - I would set a reminder on my flip phone to make sure I never missed an episode. And now, years later as an adult, I still love the show - it still speaks to me even now. It's something that's impactful, no matter your age.

✨ What character and card resonate with you? Why?

It used to be Toph, but now it's Katara. She's strong and a caregiver even in the face of hardships, something I look up to. As for which card, I'd say Death, because I've experienced so many transformations in my life, and instead of fearing them, I've come to appreciate them.

✨ What book/text would you want to read the most? Or, talk about a book/text you've read or will read and what it means to you.

An important book that I still want to read but haven't yet, is Lord of the Rings, because it's a book that means a lot to my best friend and my boyfriend.

✨ CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT ✨

We're pleased to present Em, the next writer who contributed to the guidebook!

✨ Twitter: naberiie \\ Tumblr: @naberiie​

✨ Why do you like AtLA?

So many reasons! The world building is expansive and the different styles of bending is so clever, but what really resonated with me is how well the show can balance humor with more serious and dark moments. The season one finale still gives me goosebumps! Also, I had a mega crush on Kyoshi.

✨ What character and card resonate with you? Why?

The Star, the card of hope and rebuilding. And I've always loved Katara! She's passionate, good-hearted, and stubborn as all hell.

✨ What book/text would you want to read the most? Or, talk about a book/text you've read or will read and what it means to you.

Two books that I started recommending to people before I even finished reading them myself are The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Chambers writes some of the warmest, coziest science fiction I have ever found. There’s a huge emphasis on found families, the characters and worlds and alien species are all charming and loveable, AND it’s gay! I reread it at least once a year. Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi nation and a botanist. She couples indigenous knowledge with her scientific training for this book about the natural world, our place in it, and the reciprocal nature of that relationship. Her writing is absolutely gorgeous and definitely made me cry  more than once, as well as filled me with a deeper appreciation of... basically everything. Her writing is a celebration of the world; this is one book I think absolutely everybody needs to read!