The Noira Tarot - A poetic mirror of your emotional state
About this deck
The Noira Tarot contains 81 cards created by Vietnamese artist Duy Khanh Vo. You draw a card and see an expressive portrait or abstract composition that evokes a feeling. A fold-out flyer explains each card. The set follows the classic 78-card tarot structure, with 3 additional signature cards by the artist. The imagery deliberately moves away from the familiar Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. The cards work as a mirror: you use them to understand how you feel right now, not to forecast what will happen.
Symbolism and themes
The card style recalls 15th-century painting, but with a surrealist quality. Faces and eyes are drawn asymmetrically, slightly shifted, as if seen through an emotional lens. Duy Khanh Vo combines watercolour, oil, and acrylic paint, which makes the figures appear to glow against dark backgrounds. On the Devil card, you see figures controlled like puppets on strings: a direct visual statement about control and the loss of freedom. Many Minor Arcana cards are pip cards, showing the suit symbols such as swords or cups without human figures. This means you rely entirely on your response to colour and composition when reading.
The creator
Duy Khanh Vo is a Vietnamese artist known for his emotionally charged, handcrafted tarot and oracle cards. He gained international recognition with his award-winning Quen Tarot. Earlier works including A Day Card, The Yukika Tarot, and Walk in the Red show his range, from soft pastels to bold contrast. The Noira Tarot began in 2023 as small individual paintings made during a quiet period in his life. That sense of stillness is present in every card.
Practical use
The Noira Tarot is small enough to keep on your desk or in a bag for daily use. Pull one card each morning and use the flyer to read the context. The pip cards in the Minor Arcana ask you to trust your gut: look at the colour, the mood, the composition. This deck works well for shadow work, which means deliberately looking at emotions or patterns you usually avoid. Lay three cards without assigned positions and let the images tell you something about your current state of mind. If you are used to reading strictly by the book, this deck will stretch that habit.
Place three cards side by side and ask yourself: which image or colour pulls my attention first? Start there. The flyer gives you context, but your first reaction to the image is equally valuable.
Features of the The Noira Tarot
- Author: Duy Khanh Vo
- Number of cards: 81 (78 tarot cards + 3 signature cards)
- Card size: 5 x 7 cm
- Card stock: 300gsm ivory
- Finish: double-sided smooth matte
- Included text: fold-out instruction flyer (no separate guidebook)
- Packaging: compact box
- Language: English
- Edition: limited run
Expert FAQ about The Noira Tarot
Does The Noira Tarot follow the Rider-Waite-Smith system?
No, it does not follow the Rider-Waite-Smith system closely. The imagery is expressionist and surrealist rather than symbolic in the traditional tarot sense. Many Minor Arcana cards are pip cards without human figures, so you read them by feeling rather than by memorised meaning. If you already read intuitively or have used non-traditional decks before, you will feel comfortable here. If you rely heavily on established card meanings, expect a learning curve.
Is there a guidebook included with The Noira Tarot?
There is no separate guidebook in this set. Instead, a fold-out instruction flyer is included inside the box. It covers the cards and gives you a starting point for each one. The flyer fits the compact nature of the deck. If you prefer detailed written guidance for every card, keep in mind that the flyer is more concise than a full guidebook.
