Stitching Magic: Meet Starla Yilmaz
Starla Yilmaz has been reading tarot for over twenty years — but her love for cross-stitching stretches back even further. An avid writer with numerous short publications under her belt, Starla is also a two-time winner of the Prepublished Maggie Award for Excellence for her work in romantic fiction. She lives in Georgia with her family, where creativity and magic weave together daily in her life. You can find her on Instagram as @starlayilmaztarot, occasionally on Facebook as Starla Yilmaz, and on Pinterest as @starlayilmaz.
Starla's journey into witchcraft began at the tender age of fifteen or sixteen with the classic Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. While she quickly grew beyond its pages, that well-loved guide still holds a special place in her heart for introducing her to the Goddess's path. Her practice has evolved tremendously over the years, blossoming into something truly eclectic. "One thing I love about this path," she says, "is that as I have grown, so has the magic I practice." While she began her journey deeply immersed in high magick, today she feels most at home with candle magick, ancestor work, and, of course, divination.
The inspiration behind her latest project — a full tarot deck — came during an intense healing period of her life. In a vivid vision, Starla saw butterflies, a powerful symbol of transformation and rebirth. "It made me smile stitching their beautiful wings," she recalls, and from that fleeting vision, a long and rewarding creative journey began.
While oracle decks offer endless creative freedom, Starla chose to work within the traditional structure of tarot. "I liked how there was already a system in place, and I didn't have to create my own," she explains. With the sheer amount of work ahead — stitching 78 unique pieces — having the firm, symbolic foundation of tarot made the process a little more manageable. She was also drawn to tarot’s rich, centuries-old history, which she finds endlessly fascinating.
Among all the cards in her deck, the Judgement card holds a special place in Starla's heart. Featuring a trumpet (an instrument she personally plays) and a butterfly with transparent wings, it was a design she wasn't sure would succeed until the final stitch was placed. "It was one of those cards where I had to trust myself and my design," she says. Despite the risk — and a few failed experiments along the way — the final result was perfect, making Judgement her proudest creation.
Starla credits her initial spark for the deck to The Embroidered Graveyard Oracle, a beautiful work she was admiring when her vision struck. In her mind’s eye, she saw it: 78 butterflies stitched on a white canvas. Though she tried to brush it off, the image lingered, demanding to be brought into the world, stitch by stitch.
More than just a deck of cards, Starla hopes her creation can be a source of comfort to anyone experiencing change or hardship. "Times of transformation can be difficult," she says. "I like to imagine that my deck can feel like a gentle hug to those who need one."
Starla Yilmaz's butterfly tarot deck is available wherever books are sold — including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your favorite local metaphysical shop.
She leaves readers with wise words that have sustained her through many creative storms:
"No time spent doing what you love and learning to do it better is ever wasted."
Listen to my full interview with Starla on Tuesday, May 27!
