Tarot Deck Review: The Yokai Tarot
Overview
• Creator(s): Marga Biazzi, Paolo Bertazzo
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
• Release Year: May 2024
• Deck Type: Rider-Waite-Smith Clone
• Number of Cards: 78
• Guidebook Included: Yes
• Card Size/Finish: 3.25 x 2.16 x 5 inches, Matte Slightly Textured Finish
First Impressions
I am a sucker for decks that come with built in lore. My favorite example of this is the Ghosts and Spirits Tarot by Lisa Hunt. This deck, similarly, comes packed with cards that feature many various yokai from Japanese lore. Yokai, for those that do not know, is the Japanese term that covers a large variety of spirits and monsters from lore. Yokai literally means strange apparition. You may find some of these helpful and some you will find the others perhaps quite intimidating. They are not to be confused with the idea of these creatures being strictly demonic; not everything inhuman is bad!
Art Style & Symbolism
These cards are stunning. Normally, I dislike the idea of “insert character and they mainly stand here” and much prefer dynamic images. This deck balances that well. Many of the images show the various yokai in their element and gives you an idea as to what their energy may lend to the tarot meaning.
Guidebook & Accessibility
I love a good guidebook that shares what the cards are referencing. The booklet is a simple one with a stiffer paper cover but each meaning covers which specific yokai is featured. It would be worth it to read as the extra knowledge expands on the understanding of the cards.
Special Features
Yōkai, the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore, embody the rich tapestry of fears, values, and mysteries woven into Japan’s cultural psyche. Ranging from mischievous spirits to vengeful ghosts and shape-shifting animals, yōkai represent the unknown forces of nature, human emotion, and moral ambiguity.
In a tarot context, yōkai could be reimagined as archetypes—each card capturing a specific energy or lesson, much like traditional tarot. Integrating yōkai into tarot such as this deck allows for a cross-cultural dialogue that deepens divination, bridging myth with meaning.
Tarot Spreads
1-Card Draw: Daily Focus
Use this spread for simple clarity or journaling.
My Card: The Hanged Man (Jorōgumo)
Meaning:
Sometimes it is necessary to reverse your entire perspective in order to see the way forward. Like the jorogumo, the change of perspective may reveal what is for you and what is not.
2-Card Spread: Insight & Action
Perfect for balancing internal and external forces.
Prompt Example:
1. What’s the core of the situation?
2. What action can I take moving forward?
Meaning:
Just as Yagyō San does not let anyone interrupt the parade of spirits he heads, so too can success need to be a stalwart and determined approach. Do not let anyone slow you down for anything.
Meaning:
The forest dwelling Kinoko reminds us to dot our i’s and cross our t’s. Persistence and diligence in equal measure ensure success. Cutting corners or being disrespectful of the process will erase your progress in the blink of an eye.
3-Card Spread: Past – Present – Future
1. Past influence: Queen of Cups (Kawahime)
2. Current situation: 5 of Swords (Yatagarasu)
3. Likely outcome or direction: 6 of Coins (Kitsune)
Meaning:
Past:
Kawahime, the river princess, is sometimes best ignored with deference. Not everything will need your attention, nor will it do you any favors to stick your nose in someone else’s business.
Present:
Your kingdom will only see light when ego is cast aside and you walk the path you need to walk. Lean in! The way forward may seem treacherous but trust your instincts.
Future:
Sacrifice is sometimes the ticket. Want to go forward? What needs to be let go of in order to do so? Giving up one thing for another may hurt but so can spending all that time filled with want.
Final Thoughts
This deck is one that I can see myself and any other lore lovers using for quite some time. It reads bluntly, does not hold back, and I love that as it seems to be in line with the spirits found in Japan. You get this impression of “we exist, deal with it” and I think that makes for a very tough but honest tarot tool. If this deck has any downsides, I want more information on each of the creatures but I suppose I can offset this by researching the relevant lore. I do love a deck that makes me curious.
