Continuing with my reviews of tarot decks, I’m diving into Tarot del Toro. This tarot deck and guidebook draws from the world of award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Designed and illustrated by Tomás Hijo, this deck features original artwork inspired by the themes, imagery, and characters of some of del Toro’s most popular films including Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Crimson Peak, and The Shape of Water.

For many tarot card readers, the physical aspects of the cards and the deck box are important, so let me address that aspect before addressing the art and off-page elements of this unique horror-themed deck. The back of the cards has a design that does indicate which position it’s in. The position of the skull indicates whether you’ve drawn the cards in the upright or reversed position. The cards are printed in a limited color palette on a matte card stock that feels velvety-soft to the touch. The box the cards arrive in can be considered a true keepsake box: a red satin ribbon helps lift the cards from the interior box, exterior words are printed in raised, embossed lettering, and the box has a thematically-appropriate interior print that’s then covered with an additional piece of cover art. These details, along with the 87-page guidebook, present a deck worthy of del Toro’s vision.

I find the Tarot del Tarot deck interesting for a lot of reasons. First, if you didn’t know this was a deck of tarot cards based on del Toro’s works, Tomás Hijo’s art remains compelling regardless of whether you recognize the characters. By that, I mean that this deck feels like a work of love to encapsulate del Toro’s vision that doesn’t fall into the trap of reprinting images from films or concept art just to put art on the cards. Hijo’s linocut style and its limited palette are perfect for a deck inspired by the legendary director, because they are cards that depict the essence of a character, theme, or scene. The lines are sharp, and the card printing even captured the depth of the linocut lending each card a three-dimensional feel.

This deck is a departure from traditional tarot, however, because it’s a blend of filmmaking inspiration and symbols. Themes are present in the Major Arcana, the ace of each suit, and the court cards. So, cards two-through-eight in each suit of gears, goblets, knives, and branches are elements rather than full scenes. For some tarot card readers, that detail may be a turn-off, but for myself I think this artistic choice lends to the uniqueness of this deck rather than detracts from it. In so many tarot card decks, each suit has a minor, narrative arc. Here, those narrative arcs are harder to glean, but aren’t necessarily important to the overall theme. I can’t imagine choosing unique themes, symbols, and images found within all of del Toro’s popular movies to mark the traditional stories inherent within tarot–whether del Toro himself uses tarot to tell stories (as he describes in his introductory letter) or not.

To use the cards, you must read the small guidebook. I was especially interested in Hijo’s experiences with a member of his community, Don Miguel and the older Tarot des Marseilles (as opposed to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck), and the stories about his mother’s tarot card readings. It is refreshing to read about how an artist not only drew inspiration from another creator’s work, in this case Guillermo del Tarot, but also from other people in their community. Thus, what we get, as both tarot card readers and fans of del Toro’s work is a deep look into each card and the choices made. The minor arcana, as I mentioned earlier, is different because here Hijo describes how the progression of cards in each suit describes the same or similar journey within a suit. This is different from typical tarot. For example, the numbered cards each have a similar meaning described on page 70. Nine is the Harvest or Happy Ending of the process. If you read tarot, you might have had the same reaction I did: Wait, the Nine of Swords is the same as the Nine of Cups? But, yes, that is what Hijo intended. In this way, the departure from traditional tarot is intentional to ensure, just like del Toro’s popular films, that this deck stands apart.

Included in the booklet are Don Miguel’s sample readings and the encouragement to lean into your intuition when reading the cards. More than just a collectible, the beautifully-illustrated Tarot del Toro is truly a work of art.

Tags | horror, tarot