Customer Reviews

Fantastical Tarot: 78-Card Deck

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The artwork in this tarot deck is very strange, similar in type to the elongated and angular figures of the Londo Tarot, but if anything, these are more stylized and eccentric. The colors are very rich and very dark, and despite the overall angular extravagance, the figures seem beautiful in an anorexic sort of way. Very few of these cards are overtly happy, but there are quite a few that are serene, and the brooding aspect is more often meditative than pained.

There is no blood and gore, and nudity is occasionally present but not explicit or inappropriate. Some of the pictures can be construed as threatening or scary, but there are also little flashes of sweetness here and there. The pictures are pleasingly framed in gold and black. The card backs have a fully reversible dragon design that is quite lovely and at first glance looks abstract. The card stock and printing are of good quality and the cards shuffle well.

Suits are traditional Swords, Cups, Pentacles, and Wands. The Fool is unnumbered and Strength is VIII, Justice XI. All the cards have full scenes, many of them depicting very different ideas than their counterparts in other decks. The deck's divinatory meanings are mostly but not entirely similar to the meanings used in other more traditional decks like the Thoth or the RWS. For example, in most decks the fives are uniformly difficult, while here only the 5 of Swords and the 5 of Cups are hard. In most decks the 8 of Wands is about swiftness, here it's about peace and quiet. The new meanings suit the new pictures and should be easy to adjust to. The LWB is more useful than most and gives both upright and reversed meanings.

This is a deck that gets more inviting the more one looks at it, and should read well once one gets over the initial shock over the art style. I wouldn't use this as my only reading deck (fat chance!), but it's a terrific little change of pace, and may well turn out to be suited to those more dreamy existential episodes most common in early adulthood. These sullen little cards can get quite endearing if you give them a chance.

"I love this deck!" Well almost everyone says that in these reviews so there is nothing new there.

There is a darkness here in many cards, but it is usually tempered with light. For example the Ace of Swords shows a sharp, medieval hilted sword half buried in a mound of dirt in the foreground. There is a less than friendly castle in the distance with darkly foreboding sky. Do I want to "go" there? No way. I am 'stuck' where I am, no promising place to go, no easy way out. BUT, there are small flowers nearby and a vine gently wraps the sharp edges of the sword showing that there is still softness my current situation and beauty nearby. That was not my card, but a friend's and it was VERY true [smile].

I think the most important thing about picking a deck -- and you will here this often -- is to take your time and make sure the deck speaks to you. This is my second deck. Another was giving to me many years ago. It didn't work for me even though I enjoyed looking at the symbols. When "I" look at the Rider-Waite deck, by far the most popular it seems, I get NOTHING! Yet I have friends that would use nothing else. So some research is a good thing. I spent many, many hours at the Aeclectic Tarot website doing research and looking at the cards. Then I used her link to come to Amazon and buy the deck that seemed right for me.

I am a new tarot 'reader' and found that memorizing the past ideas of others was neither fun nor productive. With THIS deck, because it resonates to me somehow, I can look at the cards and know the answers. As an artist, I appreciate the beautiful work of the paintings. That is what they really are -- paintings that you can journey into -- and find your answers.

This is a lovely, somewhat unique interpretation of the standard Rider-Waite. This is -not- a Rider-Waite clone, but I'd say the majority of things are the same. All of the people are incredibly pale (except two, I think), and their features are sharp and angular. The art style is similar to the Londa deck and the Tarot of a Moon Garden deck . . . sort of a mix, actually. Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The cards are edged in a metallic gold and black frame, which gives more of an elegant look to the already enchanting art. They're glossed, which made me a little afraid to use this deck for fear of scratching it up and making the shine go away, but with proper care, I don't see how this would be too much of a problem. The cardstock is nice and seems firm enough not to bend easily.

One gripe is that although the Pentacles suit was not renamed, the "pentacles" are almost like gold CDs. It would have been more appropriate to call the suit "Disks." Most of the symbolism ought to jump right out and grab the reader, but not all cards have outright symbolism. However, working with the cards, there shouldn't be too much difficulty with readings.

The little white booklet is much nicer than the usual and offers two different spreads: one is the Celtic Cross, and the other is called the Venus Spread for emotional concerns. All of the Major Arcana have descriptions of the cards as well as the divinatory and reversed meanings. The Minor Arcana interpretations do not include descriptions, but they aren't necessary, anyway; it's just an added bonus for the Majors.

Although some would term the style of art "gothic," it also has some very bright pictures. Of course, I feel that even the lighter cards have a dark feel to them -- but this is a charming, intriguing dark, not a frightening one. The Minor Arcana are full scenes, not pips. Nudity in the deck is a rarity, but be aware that it is there. For clients, this deck may be a little too dark, but it would be good for personal reflection or for friends. The back design is two connected whitish dragons and is reversible.

One other note: all of the beings in the deck do -not- have their eyes closed, although it sometimes appears that way. They do not have pupils or irises; their entire eyes are the color the iris would be. For instance, if someone has brown eyes, their -entire- eye (except the lid, of course) is brown. You will be able to tell if the eye is closed by the color and if you can see lashes resting against cheeks.

This is a lovely deck, and although it creeped me out at first, I've been drawn to it over and over again. If you don't want it as a reading deck, it's a beautiful collectible, as well -- although it is completely useable. Even the box is fairly sturdy. This artist also has another deck coming out called the Vampire Tarot, which I'm eager to see.

I recently purchased this tarot after giving my original copy to a friend a few years ago. It is relatively new-published in 1999. I found the artists other work, Vampire Tarot a silly example of a good idea. This deck has a little more depth than that one. It is not based on one theme that tends to throw many artist a curve. The cards are rather vague, non the less, original as far as style. One could almost keep it as an art deck. There is more to it, however.

The backs are one of the best I have seen! White dragons that fit together nicely. Very effective. The major trumps are based on the Rider-Waite standard, making it easy for learners or advanced to master. The accompaning booklet is comprehensive as far as the basic meanings are concerned.

The artistry is dark, but not evil. A new concept for the time. The whole idea of getting in touch with your "shadow" evolved in the 1990s. This deck appeals to this subject. It goes down to the depth of one's feelings; depression, rejection and failed efforts are adressed here. The trumps that stand out are Strength, the Lovers, Death and the World. Weaker cards are the High Priestess and the Tower.

Overall an interesing deck for the collector and those with a gothic appeal.

When I saw these cards were for sale, I knew that I had to have them!

The artwork is distinct and beautiful (both on the faces of the cards as well as on the card backs) and the size of the cards is perfect for shuffling--not too big--not too small. The texture of the cards also contributes to the ease with which these cards may be manipulated.

To any collector of Tarot decks I would advise the Fantastical Tarot deck by Nathalie Hertz will be a welcome--and well-used addition to your Tarot deck collection.

With this Tarot deck as well as Amazon.com's unbeatable prices, how could you go wrong?

I have always been a fan of Natalie Hertz. Her art just catches my eye.

I am happy with the deck.

Only things that bothered me is how the cards stuck to each other when first opening the container. And on some cards there is this pinkish smear on the back of them.

Hello, I went to a local store called "magikal garden." There I found about 50 or more types of tarts cards. I looked at most of them, the dragon, the fairy, the starter, ect.. But I liked the Fantastical Tarot the most. The outside has dark blue backgroung with light blue dragons. I also enjoy all 78 card designs,some are slightly disturbing, but still cool. Also each one has complicated designs and beautiful colors. P.S everyone, even the animals, eyes are closed!

"Enter a world at the edge of the senses, a dreamscape barely reachable by the mind." - Nathalie Hertz

My first encounter with the Fantastical Tarot was after taking a "Which Tarot Card Are You?" online quiz. The automatic results generated The Moon, which was supposedly "my" card based on my answers.

Intrigued by the mesmerizing image, I decided to buy this deck based on that card, as well as an online review displaying six cards from the Fantastical Tarot.

Unfortunately, that site shows six of the most attractive cards in the deck!

After getting this deck from Amazon, I was greatly disappointed at the bizarre imagery. For example, the insectile The High Priestess has a horizontally elongated face, which makes her look like the queen of an alien race. The eye-less faces of all the humanoids are disconcerting, as is the literal rendering of The Hanged Man.

Granted, there are some attractive cards in this deck--including Death, The Tower, 9 of Cups and, yes, The Moon. I also love the star-filled indigo sky behind each of the Knights.

However, the over-exaggerated bone structure and eyeless sockets of the humanoids is a bit too bizarre for me.

When I first opened the Fantastical Tarot, I noticed that there were gold flecks of paint on some of the cards. There is a dull gold border on these glossy cards (not gilt edging, mind you--actual borders) and I assumed the small chunks I found were merely remnants from the factory.

To my surprise, as I shuffled them for the first time, I realized that this "flaking" was actually paint peeling from the borders! From ONE shuffle, some of the cards now have spotted borders (as if water got to them) because the golden paint has flecked off!

The LWB that accompanies the Fantastical Tarot is decent, providing brief upright and reversed meanings. The card backing is fully reversible and has a surprisingly attractive motif: a pale double-imaged dragon with soft blue and green highlights with an indigo background.

If you're into anime and comic-book fantasy art, you may very well like Fantastical Tarot. For me, I feel the Universal Fantasy Tarot is a MUCH better fantasy deck; in fact, that deck is one of the most beautiful that I own!

(To see 10 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

This deck is all I was expecting, The art work is wonderful, it was a good purchase.

Brings fantasy to a marseille deck type, a must have if you want to move our of the ordinary.