Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, the beloved and iconic holiday film, is now an enchanting tiny tarot set, offering a frightful-but-friendly take on the traditional 78-card deck.
This set features all your favorite characters from Jack Skellington to Oogie Boogie to Santa Claus himself. This fully functioning miniature tarot deck (a new imagining of the original bestselling deck inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas) is packed with original illustrations based on classic tarot iconography. Featuring both major and minor arcana, the set also comes with a helpful guidebook explaining each card’s meaning, as well as simple spreads for easy readings. Packaged in a sturdy, decorative gift tin, this hauntingly charming tarot deck is the perfect gift for the Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas fan or tarot enthusiast in your life.
COMPLETE TAROT EXPERIENCE: This deluxe set of 78 cards consists of both major and minor arcana, perfect for anyone beginning their tarot practice, as well as for experienced practitioners.
A MUST-HAVE FOR FANS: Featuring original illustrations of all the main characters and the wider world of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, this deck matches moments from the film with tarot archetypes, making it a fresh interpretation of a traditional tarot deck.
DETAILED GUIDEBOOK: Includes a 128-page guidebook with explanations of each card’s meaning and simple spreads for easy readings.
GREAT GIFT: Packaged in a sturdy and decorative tin, this is sure to enchant fans of the film and tarot practitioners alike.
You can see the unboxing and complete flickthrough on Tiktok or Youtube. I posted two versions of the interview spread - one before watching the movie and one after!
📌 Specs & Quick Summary
Deck Name: Nightmare Before Christmas Tiny Tarot
Publisher: Titan/Insight Editions
Deck Size: Standard 78 card deck
Card Dimensions: 76mm x 54mm
Card Stock: Gold gilding, matte surface, easy shuffle
Guidebook: 128 pages, upright and reversed meanings, spreads and deck care included
Spreads Included:
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Eureka!
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A Peek Behind the Cyclop's Eye
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Blown to Smithereens
Artwork Style: Illustrated, based on the movie
Special Features: Small enough to carry around easily, very faithful reproductions of movie characters
Skill Level: Possibly not beginners, but could be used quite early
Great For: Movie fans, mini deck enthusiasts
Quick Verdict: Yes!
Unboxing Experience: The deck is presented in a small tin, with the cards held in with a small elastic band. Note there is no plastic anywhere; neither the tin nor the cards are wrapped, which is lovely to see. The tin is just large enough for the cards and the book.
Artwork Style: The artwork is based on the movie, but illustrated rather than the CGI style in the actual movie. They're mostly quite dark, but it suits the style very well.
II. The Cards
II. The Cards
The cards feature this, reversible background:
Major Arcana: The Major Arcana follows the standard order, with Strength at 8. The cards have their name and number across the bottom, with the number in Roman numerals, and the picture contained within a frame. The images loosely follow the RWS.
Minor Arcana: The Minors are a fascinating mix of pips and illustrated scenes. In the Candles suit (Wands), for example, seven of the ten cards depict candles only; two include characters in front of the pips; and one is a fully illustrated scene. It’s unusual but surprisingly intuitive.
All suit names are delightfully thematic:
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Candles = Wands
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Potions = Cups
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Needles = Swords
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Presents = Pentacles
Card Stock and Size: These cards are small enough for anyone to shuffle with ease, though be wary of the matte finish which can make them slippery. They feel very sturdy and aren't showing any signs of wear yet.
III. The Guidebook
Writing Style and Readability: On a simply physical level, the reduced size of the book meant I had to squint at a few bits. However, the writing itself is clear and easy to follow.
Card Meanings: Majors get two pages; one a reproduction of the card, the other a quick description and both upright and reversed meanings. Minors get one page, with a smaller image and both sets of meanings.
Spreads and Techniques: The book includes three spreads designed for the deck, and some general tips for reading tarot both in general and with this deck in particular.
IV. In Use
Card Meanings: Majors get two pages; one a reproduction of the card, the other a quick description and both upright and reversed meanings. Minors get one page, with a smaller image and both sets of meanings.
Spreads and Techniques: The book includes three spreads designed for the deck, and some general tips for reading tarot both in general and with this deck in particular.
IV. In Use
Intuition and Connection: When I started using this deck I wasn't familiar with the movie, so I was reading based on RWS meanings and artwork. I got some good readings out of it! The artwork's very well chosen - for instance, the 2 of Needles shows Sally making Jack's Santa suit, and I could tell she was in two minds about it. Very clever!
Clarity of Readings: I found the readings went very well, both before and after watching the movie. There was surprising depth in some of them.
Suitability for Different Skill Levels: Because it isn't quite RWS, I don't recommend it as a first deck. But for a fan of the movie, someone needing a portable deck or someone looking to deepen their understanding, this is an amazing choice.
Final Thoughts
I’ve genuinely enjoyed working with this tiny tarot. It’s charming, clever, and sturdier than its small size suggests. Even without knowing the film at first, the artwork guided me well - and now, with the movie fresh in mind, the symbolism hits even harder.
Highly recommended.
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