In standard decks, a card like implies bondage or addiction. In the Tarot del Toro context, the guide book might encourage the reader to look at the "monster" not as an external enemy, but as a fractured part of the self that needs integration. The writing encourages empathy for the grotesque, a hallmark of del Toro’s filmography, making the tarot readings derived from this guide uniquely compassionate and psychological.
The set is a collaboration between del Toro and Spanish artist . Hijo is a professor of illustration at the University of Salamanca and a master of woodcut printing, a technique that gives the deck its distinct, etched, medieval feel. His work focuses on folklore, legends, and the paranormal, making him the perfect choice to translate del Toro's worlds onto cards. The deck gained a renewed spotlight when del Toro personally spoke about his lifelong connection to cartomancy on talk shows, revealing that his mother read tarot cards.
The deck maps traditional Rider-Waite-Smith foundations onto the filmmaker’s cinematic universe.
Every official Tarot del Toro deck comes with a physical, hardcover guidebook. However, searching for a digital PDF version has become increasingly popular for several practical reasons:
Created by illustrator and featuring a foreword by Guillermo del Toro himself, this deck is a "twisted" take on traditional tarot. The artwork uses a linocut style with a limited, earthy palette that captures the essence of del Toro’s most famous works: Pan's Labyrinth The Shape of Water (notably featured in The Lovers card) Crimson Peak Hellboy The Devil's Backbone Inside the Guidebook
The included 88-page guidebook is the essential companion to the deck. While some reviews note it doesn't provide an exhaustive deep-dive, it serves its purpose as a clear and helpful reference for both novices and experienced readers. Inside, you will find:
In Guillermo del Toro’s universe, monsters are rarely the true villains. Instead, they represent the misunderstood, the absolute truth of nature, or a refuge for the broken. When reading with this deck, the "frightening" cards often carry messages of protection, radical self-acceptance, and hidden strength. Structure of the Deck: Major and Minor Arcana
Miguel found the deck at the back of a dusty antique shop on Calle de la Niebla: a small wooden box burned with a bull’s head and tied with red thread. The proprietor shrugged when Miguel asked about it. “Old things carry weight,” she said, and when he paid she pressed the box into his hands like a promise.