Every so often, a tarot deck comes along that doesn’t just sit quietly among your collection, but practically demands to be shuffled, split, and laid out again and again. The Lubanko Tarot by E. Lubanko is precisely that kind of deck, one that refuses to blend in and instead sings its own surreal, brutal, and brilliant song. It has become a deck I reach for again and again.
Stunning Art Breathes New Life into the Tarot
First off, let’s talk about the art, because honestly? This deck could sit in a gallery and steal the show. E. Lubanko’s vision explodes across every card: surreal, intricate, and emotionally charged. The imagery is so dense and evocative, you could read this deck by visuals alone, letting intuition and wild symbolism take you deep. It doesn’t pull its punches: sometimes it’s erotic, often unapologetically queer, and it bares its teeth when it needs to. Some cards are graphic, even gory, but always stunning, never just for shock value. The deck feels alive, like it’s channeling stories older and stranger than you can name.
One of the standout features for me is the inclusion of three distinct Lovers cards. Each one offers a different take, not just in art, but in embodied meaning. It’s a rare, thoughtful choice that opens up all kinds of readings. You can pick what resonates for the moment, or rotate them depending on your question. Each Lovers card is its own little world. My favorite is the Lover’s in a blood ritual. Each turn of the card shows a different perspective and message within the spread.
A Tarot Guidebook That Brings Tradition A Surreal Light
The accompanying guidebook is, frankly, a treasure. It’s full color, gorgeously laid out, and packed with insight that doesn’t talk down to you. It’s thick, none of that flimsy pamphlet nonsense, and each card’s write-up is transparent, nuanced, and refreshingly honest. If you love delving into an author’s intention and layered symbolism, you’ll be in heaven. But even if you prefer to toss the book aside and read straight from the imagery, Lubanko’s art will captivate you and pull you into a world of symbolism.
What I appreciate most is the deck’s honesty. The Lubanko Tarot does not coddle, sugarcoat, or dodge the hard stuff. This is a deck that’ll look you dead in the eye and tell you exactly what is needed, even if you’re not ready to hear it. The readings I’ve done with it have been some of the most direct and impactful I’ve ever had, no fluff, just clarity (with maybe a little side-eye).
And yet, even with all its edge and power, the Lubanko Tarot never loses its beauty. There’s a kind of raw magic running through it—queer, feral, erotic, mystical—that feels like a celebration of what tarot can be at its most alive. This is not a deck for the faint of heart, but it’s exactly the kind of deck I find myself reaching for first, especially when I need a reading that cuts through the noise and gets to the heart of the matter.
A Deck I Can't Live Without
In my opinion: 10 out of 10, would recommend. The Lubanko Tarot is now a permanent fixture on my altar, right up there with my beloved Dark Mirror oracle deck. It’s brutally honest, breathtakingly beautiful, and unapologetically itself. If you’re looking for a deck that can handle the full spectrum of human experience, light, shadow, pleasure, pain, and all the weird in between, then this one is for you.
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