FateShifters Astrology Tarot begins with a familiar tarot foundation, then asks what happens when zodiac and planetary cards enter the conversation. The project’s archived site describes a 100-card deck with unique artwork for each card. Its tarot page specifies the traditional 78-card tarot structure and says the team checked the art against Waite–Smith symbolism. A separate product description breaks the core set down as 78 tarot cards, 12 zodiac cards and 10 planet cards. Those are more useful facts for understanding the deck than the number of pictures in any online gallery.
This is a multi-artist project, not a deck whose paintings can fairly be credited to one illustrator. The project’s own artists page names Daniel Kamarudin, Raymond Chen, Tommy Suhartono, Carlos Villas, Leesha Hannigan and Mario Wibisono. Their backgrounds in fantasy and concept illustration help explain why the deck feels like a gathering of visual voices rather than a single painter’s diary. The project page identifies its first published version as an Asia Edition in Taiwan; an international edition was a plan at the time of that archived page, not a release we can confirm here.
For a closer look at an actual copy, Modern Metaphysicae’s review below discusses the cards, astrology additions and alternate illustrations. It is a reviewer’s walkthrough, not an official specification for every printing.
What makes FateShifters different?
The extra astrology cards are the distinction. A regular tarot deck already carries astrological associations in many reading traditions, but FateShifters gives zodiac signs and planets their own cards alongside the Major and Minor Arcana. That makes the deck interesting to a reader who wants a more explicit astrological prompt without abandoning the familiar tarot sequence. You do not have to add an astrology card to every spread: keeping the 78 tarot cards separate is a sensible way to learn the deck’s pictures first, then inviting the extra cards into readings when they answer a real question.
That distinction matters at the buying stage too. The 100-card core is the project’s stated design; promotional cards, replacement paintings or other extras reported by individual owners should not be confused with additional numbered tarot positions. A retailer describes nine optional replacement paintings and a promotional pack, while video reviewers show extras in the copies they handled. Contents can vary by copy or printing, so ask a seller for a photograph or written list of the exact box contents before assuming the same extras are included.
The artists behind the deck
FateShifters’ archived artist credits list six contributors: Daniel Kamarudin, Raymond Chen, Tommy Suhartono, Carlos Villas, Leesha Hannigan and Mario Wibisono. Several of their biographies explicitly place them in fantasy, creature or game-related illustration. That is a more precise way to describe the deck’s authorship than singling out the two names that appear in some reseller titles. The site does not supply a reliable card-by-card artist key in the sources checked for this text-first review, so we will not guess who painted a particular card.
A multi-artist deck asks a reader to look for the thread running between different hands. Here that thread is the project team’s stated respect for Waite–Smith symbolism. You may enjoy the variety of imaginative scenes; you may also prefer a more visually uniform deck. Neither reaction is a flaw in how you read tarot. The useful question is whether an image gives you a clear starting point when you draw it, even if the next card comes from a different painter.
How the tarot and astrology cards can work together
Start with a modest experiment: draw a small spread from the 78 tarot cards and read it on its own terms. Then draw one astrology card as a supplementary prompt. Ask whether it points toward an attitude, a recurring theme or a timing question worth investigating—not whether it cancels the tarot. Note your first interpretation before looking up anything else; that makes it easier to tell what the extra card genuinely added.
For an astrology beginner, keep the second step light. A zodiac card can prompt you to consider a sign’s familiar themes, while a planet card invites reflection on the kind of energy or life area its name suggests. Those are reading exercises, not a claim that the booklet teaches a particular spread or that every planetary card has one fixed outcome. If you already study astrology, you can bring your own correspondences; if you do not, the standard tarot cards still give you a complete starting point.
Is this a good first tarot deck?
It can be approachable if you like detailed fantasy illustration and are happy to learn a classic 78-card structure before expanding it. The project’s explanation of its symbolic approach explicitly connects its symbolism to Waite–Smith, so a general Waite–Smith guide should help you recognise the basic tarot roles. The extra zodiac and planet cards are a choice, not homework to master on day one.
If you want one consistent illustration style, a straightforward traditional deck, or a fully documented astrology teaching system in the box, compare this deck carefully with a current unboxing before you buy. A retailer lists an instruction booklet, and a video reviewer shows brief keywords; we have not verified a comprehensive guidebook or a prescribed method for every additional card. Let the actual edition’s booklet, rather than the deck’s ambitious name, set your expectations.
What to check before buying
First confirm that a listing says FateShifters Astrology Tarot, not a different game or a similarly named oracle. Ask for the edition, the exact card and extras inventory, and clear photographs of the physical box and booklet. The archived project page says an Asia Edition had been published in Taiwan and only planned an international version; we cannot infer a later edition’s existence, publisher, price or availability from that announcement. Treat a seller’s claim about alternative paintings, promo cards or planetary extras as a claim about that particular copy until the contents are shown.
The project’s archived homepage, its artist page, and a retailer specification are useful cross-checks, but none guarantees that a listing in front of you is complete or authentic. This first text-only review intentionally has no card gallery, product photograph or shopping link; those need exact-edition verification in a later phase.
Final Thoughts
FateShifters Astrology Tarot has a clear invitation: begin with tarot’s known landmarks, then leave room for a sign or planet to shift the emphasis of a reading. The six credited artists make it a collaborative visual project, and the additional cards offer a thoughtful reason to revisit a familiar spread from another angle. Its strength will depend on whether that mixture of artistic voices and astrological prompts feels illuminating to you. If it does, try the tarot first, welcome the extras one at a time, and let the connections earn their place in your own practice.
FateShifters Astrology Tarot FAQ
How many cards are in the deck?
The archived project homepage calls its design a 100-card deck. The standard breakdown is 78 tarot cards plus 12 zodiac and 10 planet cards in a retailer’s description. Some observed copies or listings include alternate art or promotional extras, so confirm the inventory for the edition you are considering rather than treating a gallery’s pin count as a box count.
Who created FateShifters Astrology Tarot?
The archived official site credits six artists: Daniel Kamarudin, Raymond Chen, Tommy Suhartono, Carlos Villas, Leesha Hannigan and Mario Wibisono. It does not establish a single sole illustrator or identify which artist made each card in the sources checked here.
Is it based on Rider–Waite–Smith tarot?
Yes in its stated symbolic foundation: the project’s tarot page says its team checked the artwork against Waite–Smith symbolism and that the deck contains a full 78-card tarot. The additional astrology cards are separate from that foundation.
Do you need to know astrology to read it?
No. You can read the 78 tarot cards as a tarot deck and bring in the zodiac and planet cards only when you want another layer. If you are learning astrology, check the guide supplied with your particular copy rather than assuming this review represents a full astrology course.
Is every FateShifters listing the same edition?
Do not assume so. The project documented an Asia Edition and discussed a possible international version, while retailers and video reviewers mention extras in particular copies. Check the actual printing and box contents with the seller before making an edition-specific comparison.
Sources and scope
Deck configuration and release wording: archived FateShifters project page; tarot lineage: archived project explanation; named contributors: archived project artist page. A retailer description details the 78/12/10 breakdown, while Modern Metaphysicae’s independent video review illustrates one physical copy and the reader’s perspective. This is source-based editorial analysis, not a claim of firsthand testing or a guarantee that all editions have identical contents.
