First Impressions:

The Star Spinner Tarot by Trungles, Trung Le Nguyen, is a gorgeous dreamy deck that reminds me of warm and windy spring days surrounded by blooms with not a care in the world. So you know, fantasy. But hopeful fantasy!

As I write this review it’s safe to say that the world outside looks nothing like my sweet little fantasy, which is all the more reason to find some breathing space in a deck like the Star Spinner. Mind you, fantastical does not mean frivolous, as any femme will be quick to let you know. Just check out the Queen of Swords below.

My favorite cards from the Star Spinner Tarot

Look & Feel:

The cards come safe and secure in a beautifully designed flip-top box with magnetic closure. Perfectly sized for the deck and its guidebook, it makes an ideal storage option- no tarot bag needed! The matte cards feel silky between my palms and are of standard size and card stock so expected wear and tear over time is inevitable but not enough of an issue to put me off. The backs of the cards are fully reversible, purple background with spinning stars bordered by fairies- just gorgeous!

“Forgoing the promise of cosmic insight, the Star Spinner Tarot trusts that you know your own life best. It is a medium by which you can illuminate the threads that connect seemingly disparate pieces of your day-to-day experiences.”

— Star Spinner Tarot guidebook by Trungles

My Birth Cards; The Emperor and Death from the Star Spinner Tarot

Imagery & Content:

The art in this deck is beautiful, bold, unendingly vibrant, which Trungles somehow manages to maintain in even the cards with a darker palette. In amongst the mermaids, angels, and fairies, the Star Spinner Tarot is reflective of the Rider-Waite Smith tradition but not tethered to it; the images are a breath of fresh air. There’s a good chunk of skin showing in the deck, which Trungles uses to distort expectations of what sex and gender look like in the body.

In the guidebook, Trungles is intentional about noting the Asian and African origins of the Tarot and ensuing misappropriation powered by Imperialism that brought the tarot to Europe and gave us the familiar images we now consider ‘traditional’. Other than the gorgeous variation in The Lovers cards, the names of the cards are familiar with the suits read as Chalices, Coins, Wands, and Swords- each with their own theme. All the Kings are animals, which I found intriguing (a raven king for the wands, a rabbit for the coins, a dragon for the chalices, and a finch or robin-like bird for the swords). This is a queer deck, intentionally diverse, and a much needed reset to often whitewashed cis-het fantasy imagery.

Its shortcoming is the mostly thin figures with little body-size variation to be found, which is disappointing and unfortunately in-keeping with normative ideas of fantasy figures as thin and petite.

Additional Thoughts:

The Star Spinner Tarot would make a great beginner’s deck with its reflection and concurrent irreverence to the RWS tradition. Still, I must note that just because it is an immeasurably lovely deck of fantasy and lore, it is not just down for a good time. There is a challenge that Trungles sets by positioning the deck as medium rather than message- we find the answer in ourselves when we read with this deck, and there’s nothing to dismiss about that.