ARCH LARIMAR
Arch Larimar was established in 2014 and since then we’ve created new worlds. We produced the first complete set of luxury letterpress tarot deck, an entertainment services ensemble, tarot inspired sacred scarves, a podcast, a publishing imprint, and learning programs. We know that good companies achieve nothing alone and Arch Larimar’s continued success is due in part because of people like you. Believe life is luxurious because it can be!
the SIGNATURE
The hallmark of Arch Larimar combines craft, cultural traits and divine cosmology. Inspired by the living, dynamic energy of water, the company's signature identity pays tribute to this revered element. As Masaru Emoto exemplified with his compelling experiments, water may embody the history of memory serving as a bridge, or an arch, between humanity and the Source of all things.
Semi-precious larimar gemstones epitomize the visual aesthetics of water. This rare stone, found only in the Bahoruco province of the Dominican Republic, reflects lovely blue hues reminiscent of the colors seen in the Caribbean seas. Born inside volcanic crevices, it is said that these crystallized mineral deposits were discovered when they fell into a river, tumbled downstream where the river meets the sea and washed up on the beach where it was spotted by natives and later used by local artisans. The allure of employing larimar as part of our company's brand name was motivated by the inventive ingenuity behind the recorded use of this stone in the hands of skilled craftspeople.
Headquartered in New York City, Arch Larimar works with integrity to develop a context upon which to soar, create, love and contribute.
The lady
Before they were associated with the telling of destinies, the allegorical images commonly seen in tarot were among treasured playing cards enjoyed by royal families and aristocrats. Some of these heirloom pieces, and other valuable tarot compilations, are archived in prominent historical, artistic and cultural institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, The Morgan Library & Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA, Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library in New Haven, CT and the Academia di Bella Arti in Bergamo, Italy, to name just a few. Art historians have taken an interest in these cards as the earliest tarot images were probably hand painted by some of the best artists of its day. Moreover, these valued items hint at the evolution of the printing process as some of the tarot images were printed by traditional wood-block and/or stencil techniques that are virtually obsolete today. Its eventual use as a "divination" tool has cast shadows over tarot's creative formation. Yet, this metamorphosis cannot be ignored as tarot does incarnate a potent energy force that can provide some intelligence into the paradigms of self study.
Mesmerized by the tangled history of tarot, Arch Larimar's founder was inspired to create collections of tarot cards that celebrate and revive its contents' artistic uniqueness while elevating the perceptions of this instrument of fate. The company's aspiration of delivering a personal experience of art through tarot, brings forth new, ever expanding ways of re-introducing caliber tarot decks with a modern, spiritual constitution.
Artist and founder, Ingrid Aybar, was born and raised in New York City. Her visionary approach to any entrepreneurial endeavor is to stay authentic and remain appreciative.
the motiff
The bow and arrow imagery galvanized the creation of our logo. Symbolically, this archer's instrument evokes the awakening power of love - a cosmic principle of immense transformational capacity. The mythological story behind the Vedic god of desire, Kamadeva, best exemplifies the inner workings of this indestructible and eternal force. Legend claims that one day Kamadeva prepared his bow and arrow (made of sugarcane and flowers) and shot it at the heart of the Supreme god, Shiva, so that Shiva would fall in love with Parvati, the goddess of devotion. The arrow hit its intended target while Shiva's eyes were closed in meditation. Shiva was said to have been so angry that his meditative state was disturbed that when he opened his eyes blazing blue flames came out of his third-eye chakra burning Kamadeva into a pile of ashes. Nonetheless, the spirit of love prevailed and upon seeing her, Shiva fell in love with Parvati. Thereafter, the goddess begged Shiva to bring back the god of desire. Shiva abided and revived Kamadeva as the invisible power of love. Kamadeva's physical form, however, was never seen again.
an original
Love's weapon of choice is characteristically seen as a bow and arrow because it suggests the launching of something amazing. Tapping into this force-field requires personal levels of self-refinement. To this end, our original bow and arrow logo concept reflected the virtues of beauty (illustrated by a rose tip arrow), elegance (mirrored by plumeria flowers), and grace (personified by lily petals), forming the company's sacred ground (embodied by a bayahibe rose).
an essence
To get to the company's essence it was necessary to strip away these visual symbolic forms - much like Shiva released Kamadeva in physical form so that the purity of infinite love could be experienced. Our final logo emerged as an emblem that somehow appears unseen to the naked eye yet is profoundly felt as a refined moment of perfection. The arrow's directional course is also revealing. Initially the arrow was pointing toward the heavens prompting us to "aim high." Be that as it may, shooting an arrow up to the sky results in it coming down aimlessly, landing anywhere. There is an inherent charm to casting an arrow at a particular mark. Arch Larimar's ultimate motif projects its arrow forward - aiming at a future that is spiritually personal.
