Once a tech executive leading AI transformation at a Fortune 20 company, Lee Duncan, creator of The Dreaming Eye Tarot left that world behind to follow an instinct much older and more personal: to draw.
“I spent about three decades mostly ignoring my creative side,” Lee reflects. “Especially the darker parts. So now I’m listening to my shadow and giving it the light it deserves.”
That impulse to make space for darkness is foundational to The Dreaming Eye Tarot. The deck’s choice of medium is no aesthetic accident. Charcoal, with its smoky gradients and ghostlike texture, doesn’t just shape the cards, it defines their ethos.
“Charcoal brings focus to the things we tend to avoid,” Lee explains. “It’s perfect for exploring the shadow side of experience. And it naturally evokes a dreamlike, sometimes haunting atmosphere.”
While most decks lean into vibrancy, this one draws you inward. From the beginning, Lee envisioned a surreal, minimalist landscape layered with symbolic eyes and archetypes. Some cards followed this plan closely; others surprised him. A pigeon nesting above his back door became a recurring dream symbol and eventually inspired The Six of Pentacles. “A three-eyed messenger. A gargoyle-like watcher. That image became the heart of the card.”
Despite its spiritual tone, The Dreaming Eye Tarot is not rooted in dogma. Lee describes himself as “empirically minded” and refreshingly agnostic.
“My belief system is constantly evolving,” he says. “But I do feel that using tarot grants access to something beyond our normal perception, whether that’s our subconscious, or something bigger.”
He likens the experience to an ant becoming aware of the colony’s mind – a flash of collective knowing. “Maybe we’re tapping into emergent wisdom. Or maybe we’re just listening more deeply to ourselves. Either way, tarot accelerates that process. I tried to amplify that feeling through the deck’s imagery.”
Ironically, Lee was an early adopter of AI in art. Years ago, he created The Technomage Tarot, one of the first decks to incorporate generative AI. But his thinking has changed.
“Part of why I started drawing again was because AI imagery started to feel inauthentic,” he says. “I’ve been in the AI space professionally, and I’ve seen both the promise and the ethical pitfalls. These days, AI decks are flooding the market. It’s kind of gross.”
Instead of outsourcing vision to algorithms, Lee turned to his own hands, and charcoal. “I could easily make another AI deck. But I’m following the guide in my heart.”
That pivot wasn’t just philosophical. It was personal. A few years ago, Lee left his corporate job to pursue art full-time. It was terrifying—but necessary.
“I never planned to be in tech. As a kid, everyone thought I’d end up in the arts. I wanted that, too. But I got turned down for an art scholarship and gave up.” The years in between left a mark. “Suppressing my creativity for decades, especially while leading AI initiatives—was catching up with me. Something had to give.”
The first drawing he completed with real effort was the Death card. “No coincidence,” he says. “Death means change. That image changed my life.”
Lee’s relationship with tarot spans 34 years. His first deck? The Ibis Tarot—an Egyptian-themed set that captivated his teenage goth heart. Raised in a strict Mormon household, tarot was a way to explore rebellion, mysticism, and philosophy all at once.
“I started studying everything – Kabbalah, chaos magic, Jung, Freud. Tarot was a portal to new thinking. And also, the decks just looked cool.”
His approach has always been fluid. Because his first deck wasn’t Rider-Waite-Smith or Thoth-based, he’s always seen tarot as an evolving system. “Imagery is flexible,” he says. “There’s room to innovate without losing the heart.”
The Dreaming Eye Tarot isn’t Lee’s first campaign, but it might be his most intimate. This time, he’s learned to build momentum early, speak clearly about his “why,” and lead with authenticity.
“My goal isn’t just success,” he says. “It’s to get the work into the world.”
He’s already begun writing a companion book, an expanded guide that delves deeper into the symbolism and creation process. And that’s just the beginning. “I have too many ideas and not enough years,” he laughs. A novel, illustrated short stories, and more tarot-adjacent projects are on the horizon.
Support the project:
The Dreaming Eye Tarot is now live on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laduncan/the-dreaming-eye-tarot-a-charcoal-oracle-of-cosmic-insight
Follow Lee’s work:
https://laduncan.carrd.co/
Lee Duncan is a lifelong creator based in the US. His work spans visual art, music, writing, and now tarot. He lives with his wife and dogs, chasing creative freedom one project at a time.
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