Tarot Deck Review: NEO Tarot
By Lucy Diggons
I love getting a new Tarot deck! Holding the cards in my hands, exploring the guidebook — it brings me immense joy and satisfaction. I also love reading about the creator’s perspective on the cards because it always helps me expand my own practice.
There are decks I own simply because I like the artwork. Some are mass-produced, some are independently created, some I use only for personal intentions, some are for my community. Some were gifts, some I bought myself. You get the idea. I’m a collector.
I have found there are no rules when it comes to the decks you connect with — whether it’s unicorn-bumble-bee-themed or inspired by steampunk vampire gardeners — you’ll find and receive the decks you were meant to use. (I do not believe you must only use decks you receive from someone else — but you do you!)
A Tarot Deck for Self-Care, Healing, and Empowerment
One of my favorite decks in my Tarot collection is the NEO TAROT Deck by Jerico Mandybur, which I was first attracted to because it's geared towards self-care, healing, and empowerment. It’s inclusive, non-binary, and gender fluid.
Though I’ve used Tarot for the purpose of divination, I more often use it for self-reflection and discovery, as a form of therapy, accepting that it doesn’t always tell me what I want to hear about myself but will point me toward growth.
NEO TAROT is a deck that brings an extra undercurrent of self-support and witnessing to this line of inquiry. Creator Jerico Mandybur and illustrator Daina Ruiz have crafted a gorgeous collection of inspiring images that become powerful portals when coupled with the empowering interpretations of the cards in the guidebook.
The creators also center the importance of practicing Tarot through the lens of accessibility, representation of all identities, and respect for all divinatory and healing practitioners of every culture — past, present, and future.
“(NEO TAROT) should be accessible and inclusive,” reads the guidebook. “Being a NEO TAROT reader means never presuming anything about the identities or practices of your querent/yourself, never passing judgment, and never participating in shady spiritual practices like cultural appropriation.”
This is a beautiful starting point for a Tarot practice, and an important reminder that the beauty and power of Tarot, as a tool and technology, has been shaped by so many different healers and teachers over a span of centuries.
A Tarot Guidebook Filled with Self-Care Practices
But the creators of NEO TAROT are also interested in how you treat yourself, as the human being asking questions and receiving messages. The guidebook invites users to be honest with themselves during a Tarot session, avoiding both toxic positivity and self-judgment.
NEO TAROT invites us to do the work of personal and spiritual growth, but to treat ourselves, every step of the way, with the kindness and compassion we would naturally extend to others. (In other words, never use this deck against you!)
“There’s no need to play yourself — you’re simply a person on a journey of self-discovery, like everyone else. That is wonderful, and it is enough.”
NEO Tarot by Jerico Mandybur
The guidebook itself is well laid-out — there's a brief introduction and manifesto, tips for "meeting the cards," and an explanation for how to use the self-care set-up that corresponds with each card in the deck.
That’s right, in addition to offering meanings for both upright and reversed cards, the guidebook also offers a grounding and supportive practice to connect with the energy of each archetype and soak up its medicine.
Here’s the self-care practice offered alongside The Sun card: The sun’s cosmic energy has been respected and worshipped by humans since time began. When was the last time you simply basked in it? Find a patch of sun on a relatively cloud-free day and lie down in it briefly. Feel its warmth and its life-giving properties. Let yourself breathe easier, extending gratitude for the joy of the present moment. Think about what you can do to step even more fully into who you really are, then go and do it.
NEO TAROT: The Look and Feel of the Deck
The book provides several spreads for self-care and a brief history of Tarot. It also explains the differences between the suits and Major and Minor Arcana. The text is on-point and informative, accessible for all. The artwork is gentle, soothing, and depicts figures of androgynous, ambiguous, and mixed genders.
The box set is solid, with embossed rose gold lettering and a gorgeous image that gives you a taste of the beauty inside. The card stock is good quality — the edges haven’t worn after multiple uses.
My one complaint about this deck, however, is that the guidebook is attached to the back of the box itself. You can remove the deck, of course. But the book is glued to the box it comes in, which is awkward and cumbersome when you’re flipping through the pages. There's no way to take the book out without ripping, cutting, or damaging it. Despite this, NEO TAROT has something beautiful and enriching to offer mystics of all levels of experience.
Getting to Know NEO TAROT
When I asked the cards what I needed to be aware of this coming week, I pulled The Tower and Death. Normally these cards would alarm anyone, especially in combination, but NEO TAROT was there to remind me that change is not only good, but needed.
So, rather than feeling like the rug was being pulled out from under me, The Tower encouraged me to lean into my intense transformation and trust my ability to adapt, evolve, and stay connected to my highest self and truth.
Death is there to assist me in honoring the end of a cycle and mourning what is lost while embracing the new. I can enjoy the sunrise even though I’ll miss the stars.
What a beautiful thing transformation is!
SUPPORT OUR BOOKSHOP
If you’d like to purchase the NEO Tarot, featured in this post, we invite you to do so via this link, or other links in the post, which are hosted through our Bookshop.org affiliate page. This is our online book shop, featuring decks and books to support your growth, inspiration, creativity, and magic — hosted through Bookshop.org, a company that directs revenue and other support to independent bookstores across the United States. When you purchase from our Bookshop.org affiliate shop, a portion of your purchase supports Typewriter Tarot as well, helping us continue and expand our work. In our bookshop, you’ll find curated collections on Tarot, creativity, psychology, social justice, ecology, and more — hundreds of books to bring more magic to your life and your library. If you choose to purchase from our shop, we thank you!
CREATIVE SUPPORT IN YOUR INBOX
If you’re a Creative Spirit — as we suspect you might be since you’re here! — we have a lovely gift for you when you sign up for our newsletter (an almost weekly love letter featuring creative rituals, inspiration, and personal essays on magic, Tarot, and creativity). This free gift is a fun, magical, reflective workbook that will guide you into new facets of your relationship with creativity. To receive it, simply sign up for our newsletter down at the bottom of this page.
About Lucy Diggons
Lucy Diggons is an urban witch based in Houston. Her full-time work supports veterans, and her free time is dedicated to plants, book clubs, Korean TV dramas, and her two beloved pets, Au Jus and Fafi. Lucy is an iconic Cancer and avid birdwatcher.