© 2006  Deck by Shayn Amber Wetherell and Tim Wetherell.

The Modern-Medieval Tarot was created by artists Shayn Amber Wetherell and Tim Wetherell.  It portrays a mix of the contemporary and the Middle Ages, blended in a photograph collage style.  The artists were not aiming for historical accuracy, but instead to create a surreal dream-like combination of eras.  Their insight comes primary from a medieval and artistic perspective rather than a mystic one.  They naming of the deck as the "Modern-Medieval Tarot" was to suggest that the deck encompasses a range of eras from the medieval to the modern . . . or as they simply call it, the "new medieval."

The cards are easy to follow as they look and feel traditional -- just brought to life with the digital and photographic art.  The individuals portrayed in the cards are real people dressed in costume.  It gives a somewhat theatrical feel to it, and while some of the people seemed very natural in their costume and setting for the card, others seemed almost out of place or unnatural.  Some of the cards have a gothic look as well which surprised me -- but then again, we are also incorporating modern day themes into the medieval ones, so that is something to keep in mind.

There is a soft and romantic side in some of the cards as well.  I liked the peaceful presentation of the Lovers card (pictured in the sample images above).  It features two swans with a heart shape visible in the background.  The Page of Cups is another one that I like (also pictured above).  The young woman in the card scene seems to be getting ready to experience her first taste of love.  Some of the digital layovers look a bit distracting to me for some of the cards, but overall, the whole effect is really lovely for the majority of cards.

The small booklet that comes with the cards gives a very brief description of each card, along with the main meaning of that card.  It's short and brief as are many of the booklets that come with a set of Tarot cards.  However, this deck follows traditional Tarot, so it's an easy deck to use.  Based on the photographic scenes that might remind you of a play or theater, you can easily connect to traditional images of Tarot.  Thus, this is a deck that I don't feel needed a larger booklet or a separate book.  I don't say that about many card sets that contain little information about the cards, but this one is certainly an exception.

The cards have a smooth finish and handle nicely in shuffling.  They measure about 2-5/8" x 4-5/8."  The backs of the cards are reversible, showing a sun face on a background of cracked earth.  The cards have a small black border around the image, and the titles are printed in white at the bottom.

When I first saw this deck, I was very enchanted by the images that I had seen, and this deck went on my "want list" very quickly.  Although I wasn't quite as excited about the deck once I got it in my hands, I wasn't disappointed either.  I have worked with other digital photography decks, and these types of decks are interesting and definitely different from the normal, flat images that you typically see on a card.

Velvet Angel

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Number of Cards in Deck: 78

Size of Cards:  2-5/8" x 4-5/8"

Included with deck: A small booklet that gives very brief descriptions and meanings for each card.

Major Arcana:
Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers,
Chariot, Strength, Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, Hanged Man,
Death, Temperance, Devil, Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement, World

Suit Names:  Coins, Swords, Staves, Cups

Court Cards:  Page, Knight, Queen, King

Back Design of Cards:

MODERN MEDIEVAL TAROT