Star and Strength Tarot for Beginners

The Star and Strength Tarot for Beginners, has been a real surprise. Since I prefer my tarot decks to be keyword free, having meanings printed on the cards seemed like a lot of distraction to overcome. But I also appreciate beginner friendly tarot decks. So, when Antonio reached out about this deck I was willing to give it a try. I’m glad I did! This deck has had such a positive impact in my household and it really has a lot to offer.

A tarot card titled Ace of Cups is shown upright with water overflowing from a cup held by a hand emerging from clouds. Inspired by Star and Strength Tarot, the card includes keywords and explanations for upright and reversed meanings along the sides.

A tarot card from the Star and Strength Tarot shows the Four of Wands in reverse, with explanations highlighting tension, breakdown of harmony, uncertainty, and miscommunication. The upright card image appears upside down in the center.

The Star and Strength Tarot Cards

The Star and Strength Tarot is exactly what it claims to be — a tarot deck for beginners. Using the RWS as its basis not only provides a solid basic knowledge, it ensures that transitioning to other RWS-based decks in the future is a smooth process. Furthermore, it may help people to appreciate the RWS tarot from the outset. Personally, I shied away from buying a copy of the RWS tarot when I started out because I just wasn’t taken with the artwork. Now I have five different versions. Obviously both my opinion and my appreciation for the deck has changed considerably and it is my general go to recommendation for beginners. So it’s little wonder I think this deck is great.

Even with nearly 28 years experience I still enjoyed working with the Star and Strength Tarot. I found the conversational tone Antonio uses engaging and I feel his explanations help to tie the keywords to the card. Overall I believe his approach encourages storytelling rather than rote recitals. For me, this is the deck’s greatest strength.

Spread example

I decided to pull three random cards to show you what I mean. In so doing, yet again I discovered there is no such thing as a random reading.

Three tarot cards are laid side by side: Page of Cups, Five of Swords, and Six of Wands, each featuring artwork, upright meanings, reversed meanings, and yes/no indicators—perfect for fans of Star and Strength Tarot. The cards are viewed from above.

Initially I was going to reword the messages to align with a past, present, future storyline. But instead I decided it was best to reproduce the meanings as they appear on the cards. This way you can see how easily a story takes shape.

Past
Page of Cups: A spark of curiosity is calling you. This card is about exploring new emotions, ideas, and creative paths. Let yourself be surprised by what shows up — it's not about knowing everything yet, just staying open.

Present:
The Five of Swords is a sign that a hollow victory will leave you wondering if it was worth it. It asks you to look at your actions — are you pursuing success at the cost of others' trust and respect? Think carefully.

Future:
The Six of Wands is about recognition and victory. You've overcome challenges, and now others are noticing your efforts. Celebrate your success but stay grounded — this is just one step in the journey ahead.

As you can see, you don’t have to tweak the wording in the explanations much at all in order to relay a clear story.

A tarot card shows a person rowing a boat with two passengers across water toward land. Reminiscent of the Star and Strength Tarot, the card is labeled Upright and Reversed, with keywords and meanings printed around the illustration.

A tarot card labeled Seven of Pentacles features a person leaning on a tool, gazing at pentacles growing on a bush. Text surrounds the image, offering advice and keywords as seen in Star and Strength Tarot card guides.

Star and Strength Tarot benefits

Personal readings

If you’ve read much of my stuff you will know I don’t agree that you can’t read for yourself. However, I do understand others’ concerns. They argue that people can alter the card meanings to fit the answer they are hoping for. Which is true. However, to a large extent, I believe the Star and Strength Tarot helps to prevent that. Besides, it is just as possible to twist the information obtained through a professional reading. More importantly though, for me, tarot is a wonderful tool for self-discovery. So, anything that helps in that endeavour, such as being able to make sense of the cards more easily, is fantastic and more readily enables growth and personal understanding.

Its beginner friendliness

Others may argue that the Star and Strength Tarot narrows the meanings too far. However I feel the included range of interpretations provides plenty of scope for users to create a cohesive narrative. Plus, for those wanting to dive in deeper ,the Star and Strength website offers additional information. But as someone who still remembers the overwhelm of trying to remember what was what and how it all fit together, I believe this deck on its own offers a great introduction to tarot.

A tarot card titled Knight of Cups shows a knight in armor riding a white horse and holding a golden cup, with design elements inspired by Star and Strength Tarot. Upright and reversed keywords, plus yes/no meanings, appear along the sides.

A Ten of Pentacles tarot card with upright and reversed keywords, a summary about building a legacy, and an illustration of ten pentacles arranged over a family scene in a walled estate, styled like the Star and Strength Tarot cards.

Interpretative scope

For those new to tarot, the Star and Strength Tarot takes away the mystery without taking away the magic. I love symbolism and digging for hidden meanings and patterns and stories. This led me to study English, Sociology and History at university. Nevertheless I get that that approach isn’t for everyone — nor should it have to be. Tarot can be interpreted on many levels and in many different ways. Each are valid and can be built on over time. That is what I love about tarot. But before you can grow and find your own style you need a basic understanding and this deck facilitates that.

Besides, if you take in all the meanings, Antonio has included a lot of information. If you don’t generally read reversals it may appear that some interpretations are missing. But when both the upright and reversed meanings are considered along with the keywords, most aspects are covered. This is impressive.

A tarot card displays the Ten of Wands, showing a person carrying a bundle of ten wands. The card includes Star and Strength Tarot keywords, highlighting themes of burden, hard work, exhaustion, and perseverance.

10 of Wands

Take the 10 of Wands as an example. Depending on the circumstance and the surrounding cards, at a surface level, I see this card as a) taking on too much; b) working hard not smart — I mean who in their right mind would carry those wands in that fashion; c) you’re overloaded, exhausted and struggling to find your way; d) you’re almost there, keep going; and e) I consider that it is a stage card so I look for the performative aspect as well. With the exception of the stage card consideration, all these interpretations are covered. That’s a solid foundation to build on over time.

A Star and Strength Tarot card with a black background and gold design features a crescent moon, a star, and swirling clouds in the center. Decorative sun and moon symbols adorn the top and bottom.

A tarot card shows two weary figures walking past a church window with five pentacles, echoing themes from the Star and Strength Tarot. The card is labeled Upright, with keywords and interpretations for both upright and reversed meanings around its borders.

The cards themselves

Now to the physical aspects of the cards. The Star and Strength Tarot cards are slippery suckers but I much rather that than clumpy cards. They are easy to flip through and they fan beautifully. Printed on 320gsm cardstock with a linen finish they are super flexy. This makes them easy to shuffle in any fashion. I notice the backs have an unfamiliar coating on them, (maybe linked to the glittery finish??), that does seem to scratch off, but it doesn’t appear to negatively impact the cards in any way.

Although, since reversals receive as much attention as upright presentations, I was surprised to discover the card backs aren’t reversible. I don’t personally find this an issue, but I am aware that others don’t like knowing the card orientation prior to selecting it. Therefore this might be an area worth addressing in subsequent printings.

I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the card backs overall but I do like the colouring and the floral corner details on the fronts. Together they help to soften the overall appearance. The font used is small but still legible, even without my glasses, which is really important since the text is an integral part of the deck.

A tarot card labeled King of Wands shows a crowned man in red robes holding a wand, sitting on a throne decorated with salamanders. Like the Star and Strength Tarot cards, it includes upright and reversed meanings with keywords and descriptions.

A tarot card, Ten of Swords Reversed, shows ten swords stabbed into a person beneath a dark sky and sunrise. Text explains upright and reversed meanings, alongside keywords like Star and Strength Tarot, Reversal, Healing, and Transformation.

The Star and Strength Tarot card meanings

Since a guidebook is not included I thought I’d discuss the card meanings in more detail. But before I do I want to draw further attention to the Star and Strength website. Whilst Antonio does sell some of the additional resources, he also offers a wealth of information for free. For example, if you’ve ever wondered how to interpret a card in terms of career or love, you can find suggestions for every card on the website. This information is easily accessible via the QR codes included on the additional cards and on the back of the box.

The two additional cards also serve to provide a basic overview. One provides a brief paragraph on the suits and the other breaks down the numbers and the court cards. Viewed alongside the information on the cards themselves, these additional cards can really help beginners to piece everything together.

Now to get on to some examples. I’ve divided them in to various sections to highlight the work that has gone into the Star and Strength Tarot.

A tarot card, the Two of Swords, shows a blindfolded woman holding two crossed swords by water under a crescent moon. Upright and reversed meanings and keywords are printed around the card, similar in detail to Star and Strength Tarot illustrations.

A tarot card titled REVERSED from the Star and Strength Tarot shows seven golden cups filled with various items. The card includes keywords like Clarity, Overwhelmed choices, Focus, plus upright and reversed interpretations.

Overall approach

Firstly I would say there is no sugar-coating. Rather I’d describe Antonio’s overall approach as agentic. The meanings he provides urge you to take initiative, make decisions, and guide your own progress by acknowledging and being accountable for your thoughts, your actions, and your intentions. I really like this.

I’ll use his words to show you what I mean.

Two of Swords Upright
You've been avoiding a hard decision, and it's not going away. The Two of Swords says it's time to face the truth. What are you afraid of? You already know the answer — it's time to choose.

Seven of Cups Reversed
Distractions are starting to fade, leaving only what's real. This card is a sign that you're ready to step out of the haze and make clear, grounded choices. It's time to take action and move forward with intention.

A tarot card called Queen of Swords is shown upright, featuring a crowned queen holding a sword on a throne. The card’s meanings, keywords, and interpretations—like those for the Star and Strength Tarot—are printed around the image.

Court cards

I love the approach taken with the Court cards as well. They can be tricky for readers of all experience levels but here, in presenting them as an aspect of self, he has managed to demystify them. Yet, if circumstances require, they can easily be interpreted to refer to someone else as well. There is obviously room for people to expand on their meanings as they progress, but the provided information offers a sound starting point. The more I evaluate the Star and Strength Tarot, the more I appreciate it.

Here are the interpretations for the Queen of Swords.

Queen of Swords
Upright
You're seeing things for exactly what they are, and you're ready to speak up about it. Now is the time for balancing truth with compassion — say what you mean, but don't lose your warmth in the process.
Reversed
You've built walls so high in the name of logic that warmth is shut out. The Queen of Swords reversed urges you to soften. Strength isn't just guarding yourself; it's letting others in where it matters most.

A tarot card featuring The Devil illustration, with two chained figures below a horned, winged creature. Set on a floral background, it displays upright and reversed meanings alongside keywords from the Star and Strength Tarot themes.

A tarot card featuring the Five of Cups reversed, illustrated in the Star and Strength Tarot style. The figure in a dark cloak stands by spilled cups, with two upright cups behind. Text explains its reversed meaning: hope, healing, and release of regret.

Reversals

I like that he doesn’t take a straight up opposite approach in regards to reversals. Therefore the overall energy of the card isn’t erased. Instead, for the most part, he suggests that the energy is beginning to turn around.

For example, For XV The Devil he writes,

XV The Devil
When The Devil is reversed, it's about starting to break free from what's been holding you down. It won't happen all at once, but every step counts. Stay strong — you're on your way to real freedom and change.

Another example is Five of Cups. Here he writes

Five of Cups 
The Five of Cups Reversed shows the weight of regret is lifting. Healing is here, but you have to choose it. The past will always be there, but it doesn't have to control you. Let go, even a little, and make space for hope to grow.

A tarot card, the Eight of Swords reversed, appears in the Star and Strength Tarot deck. An illustration shows a blindfolded, bound figure surrounded by eight swords, with text explaining meanings and interpretations for both upright and reversed positions.

His approach to the “difficult” cards

As you can see from the previous examples, on the so-called “negative” cards he urges you to take ownership and acknowledge the role you’ve played in the situation. Take the Eight of Swords pictured above as another example.

Eight of Swords
Upright
You feel trapped, but the cage is one you've built from fear and doubt. The Eight of Swords says the way out is through opening your eyes, and changing your mindset. Challenge your limiting beliefs and take that first step.
Reversed
Your mental barriers are cracking, but fear still holds you back. The Eight of Swords reversed is telling you to just take action. Prove your negative thoughts wrong one at a time, trust in yourself, and get back the freedom you've been denying.

A tarot card titled The Hermit features an old man in a cloak holding a lantern and staff. Like the Star and Strength Tarot cards, The Hermit upright emphasizes introspection, solitude, and guidance, with keywords and explanations surrounding the image.

A tarot card featuring The Fool is displayed upright, alongside cards like the Star and Strength Tarot. The image shows a joyful figure with a small bag, a white dog, and a cliff edge. Surrounding text explains meanings and keywords for interpretation.

Yes/No

If you scroll back and look at the four cards above you can see that each card features a combination of ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ as well. If you have read many of my posts you will know I am not a fan of yes/no questions but I recognise that many people, especially when starting out, will appreciate the clarity. I am also aware that many people utilise various methods for determining yes/no answers so this makes answering these types of questions easier to navigate.

Keywords

I haven’t really mentioned the keywords but as you can see there are several given for both the Upright and Reversed presentations. They are fairly standard but they serve their purpose well. In a small amount of space they increase the range of interpretive possibilities without creating overwhelm. It is clear Antonio has kept his target audience in mind throughout the entire creative process.

A tarot card called The Moon is shown upright in the center, with two animals howling at the moon. Framing the card are explanations of its meanings, keywords like those found in Star and Strength Tarot, and the word Maybe on each side.

A tarot card featuring The Fool, depicted as a young traveler with a stick and sack, a white dog at his feet, standing on a cliff edge. Includes upright and reversed keywords, blending the style of the Star and Strength Tarot for added meaning.

Wrapping it all up

I will admit that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed working with the Star and Strength Tarot and I love that it has the potential to really help people connect with the cards. With the way the meanings are written, (which for me is what differentiates this deck from similar products), beginners can see how readings come together.

So for those just starting out with tarot and/or struggling to build a cohesive story from the cards laid out before them this deck will be greatly appreciated. It truly makes tarot accessible from the first card pull and that’s a wonderful achievement.

A blue box labeled Star and Strength Tarot sits in front of fanned-out tarot cards featuring black and gold star and crescent designs, all set against a magical starry background.

Publishing Details

Created and published by: Antonio Tourino

Available at: Star and Strength Tarot