Fenestra Tarot [Cards]

The Fenestra Tarot has replaced the Universal Waite as my main deck. Actually, since I received the Fenestra, I haven't used anything else. The artist, Chatriya Hemharnvibul, has imbued the cards with a depth and beauty who's equal I have never seen. The images and coloring are so evocative, the meanings seem to come to life. This deck is truly a pleasure and an inspiration to work with.

This is a deck that, in structure, follows full force the Waite set up. Card for card, it is perfectly identical and requires very little rethinking of already learned habits to read. Not particularly innovative but still a good, solid deck with lovely art. As a divinatory deck, it fulfills all expectations of a Waite deck.

The stock is a bit thinner than I generally care for in my cards, but the gloss used on them also serves to strengthen the card. Long term wear and tear may be an issue but if properly cared for they will be perfectly fine for years to come.

Now on to the deck's highlight: its art. The artist has combined three different styles to a very enjoyable effect: Egyptian, Asian and a touch of western European. The Egyptian is plainly seen in the symbology and the coloration of the cards- she uses sandwashed colors to give the feel of them having been painted upon stone. The facial style, though possessing the eyes known to anyone who has even passingly encountered Egyptian art, is very much that of the ancient style of many Asian countries: long and narrow, which takes very well to the kohl layering done around them. The western European is blended in to lend a definition of form oft lost to both Egyptian and Asian style arts- resulting in an odd hybrid of features that fit the feel of the deck perfectly.

My only objection are points at which she plainly wasn't sure of what to draw for a card's meaning...the most outstanding example of which is the VIII of Wands. All that appears upon the card is a pip count- a rather disappointing card after the lush beauty of the other cards.

The backs of the cards are absolutely beautiful as well- and would be fully reversable if not for US Games having stamped their logo in one corner. That's no fault of the artist however, so I do not count it as a negative in her or the deck's case.

If you are looking for a solid Waite deck with lovely art, traditional symbolism and a welcoming feel: this deck is for you. It may not be quite as deep as other decks in the symbolism- it's simply cut and dried but beautifully rendered adaptions of the standard Waite deck with an Egyptian theme- but it's lovely naetheless.

This deck is absolutely beautiful, any scans at the review sites simply do not do it justice. Each person has a bit of an anime/manga feel without being "cartoony" or feeling limited and the windows help you to focus on what is going on in the card. This is definetly the best border I have ever seen and the colors are very easy on the eyes and the mind. It is also easy to read with being based on the Rider Waite. However, there are a few cards in particular that are a little different and they make the deck really shine. The devil has a smirk that just invites you in, who else could look that smug? There are no ships in the 3 of wands, like the person is looking just over the horizon. I find that this helped finally seal the card's meaning in my memory as I often get it mixed up with the 2 of wands in other decks because they have similar pictures. The 9 of pentacles shows a modern woman in jewelry and pants, a strong independent woman and this is my favorite 9 of pentacles out of the dozen decks that I have owned over the years. The 4 of pentacles is doing more than just holding his money, he seems to be hiding behind it. Don't even get me started on the Death card! All of her images, while traditional, bring something new to the meanings of the cards. One question though, one reviewer said that her Priestess card was smudged. Mine is fine but The Fool is out of focus. I am not sure whether or not that is intentional as it would make sense as the fool is just starting out on his journey, his life is a little unfocused. Still, I give it 5 stars! It is a beautiful deck and perfect if you want to be able to read with the Rider Waite meanings but look at much more interesting visuals.