Tarot of H’Arts

Tarot of H'Arts - art as language for the Minor Arcana

Most tarot decks assign fire to wands and air to swords. In the Tarot of H'Arts, those symbols are set aside and replaced by dance, music, theatre and film. It is a coherent choice once you understand what tarot symbols actually do: they show how people create, express and respond. Isabel Hayes chose a different vocabulary for the same story.

The deck contains 79 cards, including an extra Lovers card. Every card was painted by hand by Isabel Hayes, a largely self-taught artist born in Guatemala City and raised in Madrid and Los Angeles. That origin shows in the spontaneous brushwork and the variation in line quality. Nothing here looks clinical or digital.

What you see on the cards

The Major Arcana follow the familiar sequence and numbering of the Rider-Waite system, but the focus shifts to facial expression and body posture. Figures hold your gaze or turn away, caught mid-scene. The Minor Arcana replace wands, cups, swords and pentacles with artists' tools: paintbrushes and piano keys serve as symbols for making and creating. The colours are intense. The gold-coloured edges are noticeable when you hold the stack or set it down, but there is no foil on the card faces themselves. The attention stays on the painted image.

Who this deck is for

This is not a starter deck. It assumes you understand the logic of the Rider-Waite system well enough to see what Hayes does with it. Readers who know the traditional symbolism will notice exactly where she continues and where she breaks away. The 288-page guidebook supports that reading: each card receives commentary on both the traditional meaning and the artistic choices behind it - why this instrument, why this posture, why this colour.

Draw a card and resist looking at the meaning first. Notice which instrument or art form appears, and what movement the figure is making. That often tells you more than the card title.

About Isabel Hayes

Isabel Hayes was born in Guatemala City and grew up in Madrid and Los Angeles. She now lives and works in San Francisco. Her approach is intuitive and largely self-taught. The figures come directly from her imagination, marked by saturated colour and expressive movement. In 2020 she contributed to Pride Tarot: A Collaborative Deck as one of the participating artists. The Tarot of H'Arts is her first solo tarot deck.

Specifications

• Author and illustrator: Isabel Hayes
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
• Number of cards: 79 (including an extra Lovers card)
• Guidebook: 288 pages, full colour
• Language: English
• System: based on Rider-Waite-Smith
• Finish: gold-coloured edges
• Packaging: sturdy keepsake box

Questions we often get

Do the cards have gold edges?
Yes. The edges are gold-coloured and are most visible when you hold the stack or place it on a surface. There is no foil on the card illustrations themselves.

Is this deck suitable for beginners?
It works best with a basic knowledge of the Rider-Waite system. The symbolism is not difficult to approach, but you need to be able to see what Hayes replaces and why. The 288-page guidebook provides the context to do that.