Deck Review: Joker Tarot

Pietro Alligo (author) and Corrado Roi (artist), Joker Tarot. Torino, Italy: 2025. ISBN: 978-0738781570. (link to Llewellyn, US distributor.)

The Hierophant-V 

I first used this deck in October 2025. The deck kit comes with a small companion book and the 78-card deck. In typical Lo Scarabeo fashion, the book is written in multiple languages: English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. The book has 128 pages; 38 are in English. 

The book includes the following: 

• Lo Scarabeo, the beginning of a lucid madness. The author gives a short story of how, in a moment of impulsive madness, the company was born. To be honest, this part seems a bit optional. 
• Many masks, one face. Introduces your companion of many masks who would prefer you simply call them Joker. 
• Why should you use this deck? Reminds you to stay in touch with chaos, madness, your inner child. Nurture your imagination. 
• How should you use this deck? Section includes instruction for a one-card spread, a three-card spread, Celtic Cross spread, and grin spread, a 5-card spread. 
• Major Arcana. Instead of meanings for each card, author provides "an aphorism or a quote from a well-known character from the last three thousand years, a concise statement that will make you contemplate the potential meaning of each card" (20). To be honest, the quality of match between quotes and card can vary. For beginners, they may need a book of basic meanings if this is their first deck. Experienced readers may get more out of the aphorisms and quotes. 
• Minor Arcana. This is organized by suits: cups, pentacles, wands, and swords. Entries are the same as Major Arcana using aphorisms and quotes. 
• Conclusion. A few short exercises the author suggests to encourage imagination and play.

The book overall feels very basic. As stated, the usefulness of the aphorisms and quotes in the card entries varies. The quotes can provide some food for thought, and now and then can get you to see a card in a new way. It's just that some quotes work better than others. Despite that, I still suggest readers read the book. From the spreads, the Grin Spread is made for this deck, and it looks at aspects of your life. This is a spread I would like to try out down the road. It may be interesting also to try it with other decks. 

When I saw these cards coming out, I knew, as a devotee of the Cosmic Joker, that I needed to get them. All cards feature the images and humor of the Joker. Do keep mind as I often say that not all humor is funny ha-ha. 

Three of Cups 

The art features muted colors with good use of shadows. For the most part the art leans into Rider Waite Smith (RWS) system with some small variations. If you can read RWS, you can use this deck as well. If you read intuitively, you can use this deck as well. As soon as I started using the deck I found it to be responsive and easy to read. For me, it is a reliable reader, and it embodies the Divine Humor and essence of the Cosmic Joker. Note that this is a Joker in a classic sense, more in a trickster elements. No, it is not the comic books character. 

The art is borderless. The cards do have labels at the bottom of the card in a simple print font. The cards have a matte finish, yet they shuffle with relative ease. The cards feel a bit on the thicker side, in contrast to Llewellyn's very thin card stock. The cards may not feel too flexible for some users. The cards measure about 4 3/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches. 

Overall, I love this deck. I wish the companion book had a bit more substance, but it does not deter from enjoying and using the deck. Can you use the deck without the book? Yes. I read the book but for the most part did not use it much when using the deck. In the end, this is a deck I'd buy a second copy, mainly so I can keep one in my office altar. If they make a mini edition, that would be great for my office altar. 

5 out of 5 stars.   

This kit qualifies for the following 2025 Reading Challenge: