The world of Dune is one filled with mystery, spice, and a powerful appreciation for knowledge, wisdom, and leaning into intuition. Denis Villeneuve’s current Dune films, which will continue with a highly-anticipated third installment, have brought Frank Herbert’s world to a new generation of fans. All this considered, it makes perfect sense for the ever-growing popularity of both Dune and the practice of tarot card reading to form a powerful creative alliance. Insight Edition’s DUNE: The Official Tarot Deck and Guidebook marries the characters and world from the Legendary films to tarot, reimagining a standard 78-card deck as a life and soul guide from the Bene Gesserit.
As an owner of quite a few decks based on nerdy properties, I have a deep appreciation for the creativity that guidebook writers and artists bring to this ancient form of divination. This guidebook walks deftly in the spirit of Dune, complete with a message from the Reverend Mothers of all time periods. There are card explanations that filter through the lens of characters like Chani, Feyd-Rautha, Paul Atreides, and, of course, the Bene Gesserit.
Yet it does not compromise the known standards of a tarot deck’s inner workings and Major/Minor Arcana classifications. After giving my Dune tarot deck a little cleansing/charging, I spent a few days mulling over the guidebook and individual cards, taking time to pull a few suggested spreads and look at card meanings.
Before I get into the latter, let’s talk about what makes this tarot deck (and pretty much any tarot deck) a good overall purchase. DUNE: The Official Tarot Deck and Guidebook’s cards are quality stock, which is important as you continue to handle the deck and shuffle cards. Flimsy cardstock rips and tears, which is a frustrating issue that I’ve had with decks I otherwise loved in the past.
It comes with a complete guidebook that you can hold in your hands and navigate easily, which is so important for any deck you choose. And, the artwork is vibrant and alluring with strong representations that reflect the card’s meaning. While, for example, the Death card often refers to an ending and not just literal death, the context of the card’s imagery and clear explanations further informs how the user can connect and interpret it into their own life. Additionally, there’s sections on how to prepare your heart and mind to read tarot and how to keep your deck spiritually refreshed and free of heavy/negative energy.
Art and guidebook writing are supremely important for themed decks, and that’s especially true for Dune. It’s an incredibly lore rich universe and anyone who picks up this deck is likely well-versed in all things Arrakis. It is very, very easy to tell when an artist and/or a writer doesn’t have a firm grasp on a universe. Thankfully, that’s not a problem for this deck.
The artwork by Sarah Rain Hammond will certainly resonate with fans of Dune, bringing familiar characters, locations, and imagery to life, and pairs well with Minerva Siegel’s guidebook interpretations. They are very much to the point, giving a couple of sentences about the card itself and brief explanations of the card’s upright and reversed meanings. Whether a user is a seasoned tarot practitioner or new to this practice, it makes navigating this deck easy.
I enjoyed pulling the suggested spreads from the guidebook. Considering this deck is centered around the Bene Gesserit, it was only right to pull The Bene Gesserit’s Strategy to help identify my primary goal, what obstacle is blocking me from my destiny, and the advice I need to push forward. In my case, my goal centered around my mental and physical health. But, a person’s goal can be spiritual, financial, social, and so much more.
Interestingly, my three cards were Temperance (upright), The Devil (upright) and Knight of Planets (reversed). The Temperance card meant I was working to cultivate balance and bliss even in the midst of life’s challenges. It gave the advice to continue to be sensible and lean into moderation to keep with this pathway. The Devil card, however, warned me of a possible indulgence that will not serve me well if I lean into it. I have my own personal Baron (or five) that I have to push back against to attain what I desire. And, the Knight of Planets reversed said that small changes and discipline can be affective, indeed. What an excellent spread!
DUNE: The Tarot Deck and Guidebook is certainly worth owning if your a fan of this franchise and want to enjoy the exploration and fun of tarot cards. It is currently available for purchase.