Not long ago, unexpected magic caught my eye while I was scrolling on Instagram: a new fairy tarot deck I had never noticed before. Just a couple of weeks earlier, I had published a post on one of my other blogs, featuring my favourite fairy oracle decks. And for some reason, I had totally missed this precious beauty—the Disney Fairies Tarot Deck (likely because it wasn't out yet).
It didn't take me long to decide that this deck needed to be in my collection, and so I ordered a copy as an early birthday present for myself. Once I received it, I immediately fell in love with the Disney Fairies Tarot. It's been bringing me so much joy—and profound insights, too. So in today's blog, I thought I'd review the deck for anyone who may be considering purchasing it.
Not a Traditional Tarot Deck: Perfect for Lovers of the Fae
A favourite Major Arcana card from the Disney Fairies Tarot: the Magician.
Let me begin by saying that if you're a reader who prefers working with more traditional tarot decks like the Rider-Waite, the Disney Fairies Tarot may not be for you. Out of all the tarot decks I've worked with, this one is among the most outside-the-box reinterpretations of the original tarot. Nothing is quite the same as what you might be used to. I love it—but it's not for everyone.
The Disney Fairies Tarot Deck is a good choice for you if you're open to a more modern, reinvented version of the tarot—and most importantly, if you enjoy a good dose of whimsy and elemental magic. Bonus points if you've seen at least one of Disney's Tinker Bell movies (or ALL of them—if you're obsessed with fairies like me)!
A Tarot Deck Inspired by the Tinker Bell Movies: All Your Favourite Characters
Favourite characters and scenes from the Tinker Bell movies: Tinker Bell, Terence, and more.
The imagery of the Disney Fairies Tarot Deck is inspired by the Tinker Bell animation series released between 2008 and 2015. All characters in the deck are based on the movies.
Besides Tinker Bell, the star of the show, you'll meet all of her pixie friends (Silvermist, Vidia, Fawn ...), her beloved Terence, Fairy Mary, Fairy Gary, Bobble and Clank, Queen Clarion, Tinker Bells' twin sister Periwinkle, animal companions like Cheese and Blaze, and other creatures such as Gruff (the NeverBeast).
Many of the scenes are taken from the movies as well, and you'll find matching stories in the guidebook, cleverly paired with the closest archetypes in the tarot.
Periwinkle, Tinker Bell's long-lost twin sister from the Winter Woods (Secret of the Wings, 2012). On this card, she appears as the Pixie of Snowflakes (Knight of Cups).
Traditional Tarot Archetypes Mixed with Whimsy and Fairy Magic
For those who are curious, I thought I'd share a brief overview of the cards—how the deck is structured, what you'll recognize from the traditional tarot, and what's different.
To be honest, it took me a moment to get familiar with the unique features of this deck, and I probably misinterpreted a few of the Minor Arcana in my first reading because I mixed up the suits. But let's start in the beginning!
The Major Arcana in the Disney Fairies Tarot
Queen Clarion, the Empress in the Disney Fairies Tarot Deck.
The Major Arcana cards in the Disney Fairies Tarot are mostly similar to the traditional tarot, which means most of the names are the same. The interpretations are close to the original as well, but you'll find some unique perspectives that differ from the usual interpretations.
I personally find some of those charming and helpful—others not so much. If you're more comfortable with the traditional meanings, you can ignore the guidebook and titles and read the cards as feels right. (Or this deck may not be for you!)
A few cards that are different:
XII — The Caged One (the Hanged Man)
XIII — Skull Rock (Death)
XV — the Villain (the Devil)
The Minor Arcana in the Disney Fairies Tarot
Iridessa, the Fairy of Sunbeams (Queen of Wands) in the Disney Fairies Tarot.
The Minor Arcana cards in the Disney Fairies Tarot are structured just like the suits in the traditional tarot, but you'll find some major differences in the wording, and some of the cards are in the "wrong" order.
The suits are made up of Sunbeams (Wands), Snowflakes (Cups), Feathers (Swords), and Fairygolds (Coins or Pentacles).
Very honestly, I got a little confused by those in the beginning when I falsely interpreted the Snowflakes as Swords. And I'm still not totally in love with the idea of presenting the water suit in frozen form. It takes away some of the symbology that's important in the traditional tarot, such as water being the element of emotion and feminine flow. The interpretations in the guidebook are mostly close to the original, though.
The Eight of Fairygolds (Eight of Coins) in the Disney Fairies Tarot.
Each suit consists of the ten usual number cards (ace through 10) and four court cards. The court cards are in the beginning of each suit, starting with the Minister (King), which also puzzled my mind at first. But with some practice, I've gotten quite good at remembering which is which.
In the Disney Fairies Tarot, Ministers correspond to Kings (although one of them is a female character), the Fairy is the Queen, the Pixie represents the Knight, and the Companion is the Page.
Again, some of these may seem a bit confusing or even inaccurate when compared to the traditional tarot, but so far my readings have been spot on either way.
Cute Features: a Magical Tarot Deck Crafted With Love for the Details
Considering that the Disney Fairies Tarot is technically a mass market deck, I was surprised at the quality and them amount of love the creators have put into every little detail. Nowadays, I buy independently published decks almost exclusively, but there are some worthy exceptions, and this is one of them.
The Box
The packaging: a sturdy two-piece box with gold foil details.
The Disney Fairies Tarot is packaged in a traditional two-piece box with lots of cute illustrated details and gold foil elements in all the right places.
My favourite part may be the inside of the box! Not only is the illustration super adorable (hello, Cheese!), but it's also made of sturdy cardboard that should last a long time. The green satin ribbon is long enough to wrap around the cards in just the right way and help to remove the cards and guidebook from the box.
The inside of the box: an illustrated cardboard insert to hold the cards plus a satin ribbon to help remove the cards and book from the box.
The Guidebook
The Disney Fairies Tarot comes with a full-length guidebook featuring instructions and detailed meanings of each card (without it, I would have been lost in the beginning). Again, the quality is great! The pages are printed in full colour and remind me of an antique fairy-tale book.
The guidebook: a full-colour, in-depth guide with instructions and card meanings, high quality and designed with love.
The Card Backs
I almost forgot—besides the card fronts, box, and booklet, the card backs are also adorable and beautifully designed. They feature a symmetrical, floral pattern with some magical elements and references to the suits. They're perfectly mirrored, so the cards can easily be read upright or reversed.
The card backs: beautifully illustrated and perfectly symmetric for upright and reversed readings.
Accuracy of Readings
As I mentioned a few times already, the Disney Fairies Tarot is not your average tarot deck, so if that's what you're looking for, some of the reinterpretations may seem a little "off" for you.
I began my journey as an angel oracle reader many years ago and discovered the tarot later, so I'm quite accustomed to reading many different types of cards. Although I appreciate the structure, detail, and archetypes of the tarot, I ultimately discern the messages of each reading intuitively, so my readings tend to be spot on regardless of which deck I use (unless I'm emotionally attached to the outcome, which is a different story).
Because the tarot is so detailed, it does help to increase the specificity of a reading. The Disney Fairies Tarot is no different in that way. So far, each reading I've done for myself with this deck has been incredibly helpful.
I also love the lightheartedness of this deck. Different readers have different preferences here, but for myself, humourous references to traditional archetypes help me see my own ego traps more clearly without getting scared or overly concerned. I'm reminded that all of life is a game—and there's no need to take it so seriously. We're just playing roles, which this tarot deck reveals in a very unique and fun way.
A few more cards: the Five of Feathers (Five of Swords) featuring a fight between Tinker Bell and Terence, the High Priestess (Fairy Mary), and the Nine of Snowflakes (Nine of Cups—may all your wishes come true)!
Conclusion: The Perfect Tarot Deck for Lovers of Whimsy, Fairy Stories—and Your Inner Child
To sum things up: in spite of some of the potential weaknesses of this deck (depending on what's important to you), I would give it a solid 10/10 stars. I love the imagery, the quality, and the vibe. Not only have the readings I've done with this deck been extremely accurate and helpful so far, but every time I pull a card, I feel so uplifted.
My inner child adores this deck. Even when diving into difficult topics, the playful nature of these cards reminds me that nothing is really as serious as it seems, which brings an instant energy shift and reconnects me with the magic within.
The Tinker Bell characters and stories are a big plus for me. Those movies brought me so much delight when I first saw them in my late twenties and early thirties, and to this day, they're like a soothing healing balm for my heart.
If you love all things fairy, magic, and inner child work, and you're ready to dive into the world of your subconscious in a lighthearted yet profoundly insightful way.
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