The Byzantine Tarot

I just ordered this after seeing an unboxing video from Lisa Frideborg. She shows all of the cards and I think they are just stunning!

I just received mine today. I spent the day reading through the book in spare moments - over lunch, on the way home - and only really looked at the cards once at home.

I was very impressed, I wasn't expecting any gold leaf so wasn't disappointed on that score. It isn't entirely Byzantine in feel to be honest , more a deck inspired by Byzantine art and the result is quite curious - very rich and bordered, a bit deco. Feels a little like Art Deco friezes or maybe antique book plates or something. Can't put my finger on it. Reminds me a little of Eric Gill, but maybe that's just me in my drowsy state. It's interesting how the artist confesses to not really being much of a specialist, so it is very much something based on / inspired by etc, but there is something definitely appealing about it.

I love the death card. A tiny soul being ushered out of a person on their death bed. I have to say though, I always loved Cilla Conway's Intuitive deck. This is very different but appealing in a different way. I would like to use this for readings this week and see where it takes me...

I received my copy in the mail yesterday. I'm really quite impressed with the images--very evocative and clever decisions on many of the cards. The Sun and Moon are GORGEOUS. However, the card stock seems so flimsy that I'm afraid to use the deck for actual readings. The Count of Coins (King of Pentacles) card actually came out of the box with a dent-almost-tear at the bottom of it. If this happens to the deck inside the box, how long can it last in the real world?

The card backs, while beautiful, also have a shading pattern along the border that alternates sides when the cards are upright and in order. What was the point of this? I suppose to allow for reversals (one could pick out an upside down card if the shading were uniform), but why not do away with the shading entirely? Very odd. I find the alternation distracting.

Not sure if I'm going to keep this one. If I do, I will almost certainly have to trim it.

SixDegrees said:

The card backs, while beautiful, also have a shading pattern along the border that alternates sides when the cards are upright and in order. What was the point of this? I suppose to allow for reversals (one could pick out an upside down card if the shading were uniform), but why not do away with the shading entirely? Very odd. I find the alternation distracting.

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I noticed this too. Only late last night. It's very strange. The backs aren't uniform. And the card stock is a little like the Liz Dean Golden Tarot. Sort of glossy but cardboardy. A little at odds with the sumptuousness of Byzantine art.

I like the deck- but there is something symptomatic of contemporary tarot design when a deck creator admits that they knew little about a subject before 2012 and then created a deck. I wonder about the expertise involved. I would like the impetus behind a deck to have more authority, I must admit. Having said that, I like the images tremendously but they don't strike me- in fact are not - authentic Byzantine images. But so many Byzantine images are static, two-dimensional figures seen from the front, so it's good that the deck isn't uniformly like that. As I said above, the deck theme could be something else but the cards are very striking. I'm happy with the borders.There's a richness but then there's the card stock.

I can see myself using this one, despite all that I say. It has something, and that's enough...

I don't find the colour variation distracting but I would probably have not used that effect if I were creating this deck. As it is, I like this deck very much. I grew up in Greek church and love icons. As I am not christian, I was afraid there would be too much christian symbolism for me but there is not. I am not down with the angel thing and this deck has a few. Its my only deck with this ammount of angels. I find them colorful and not too busy yet intricate. I do not like the card stock.

Now a Fool's Dog app. Spotted last night...

Nicely spotted Le Fanu. A deck that I "wanted but didn't want", makes a great app.

Alta said:

Nicely spotted Le Fanu. A deck that I "wanted but didn't want", makes a great app.

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I'm constantly checking. I miss the days when there seemed to be a new Fool's Dog app every week!

Le Fanu said:

Now a Fool's Dog app. Spotted last night...

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Saw that, too. As well as Lisa Hunt's Animals Divine

I've tended to buy apps I have actual decks for. That way I can pull out whatever cards I'm working with at any point during the day without having to carry the actual deck around. At home though it's the actual decks that get use.

I have to confess, I too only really buy apps of decks that I also have the real, physical deck for.

If I buy only the app, I feel like I only have half the deck and it doesn't quite work for me.

Touch is an important sense for me in tarot. Dealing with the symbolism is one of many tarot slices.