As descendants who cherish the culture of Vietnam, we humbly dedicate our hearts to the Divine Vietnam Tarot deck — wishing only to write one more line in this everlasting divine narrative, to paint one more stroke on this immense, beatific painting.”
I. OVERVIEW
The Divine Vietnam Tarot deck celebrates Vietnamese spiritual and mythical culture. Each of its 78 cards is a watercolor painting, rendered in a traditional artistic style and imbued with symbolic details that reflect the essence of ancient Vietnamese culture.
II. CORE SPIRIT
The spirit of the Divine Vietnam Tarot is encapsulated in the ancient saying: Nurtured Beauty, Cultivated Divinity [毓秀鍾靈].
[毓秀] means to nurture beauty and grace. [鍾靈] means to gather and forge sacred essence. Its original Vietnamese name means “Rivers and Mountains of the Southern Nation”. For millennia, those who came before us have shaped this land with beautiful Rivers and Mountains. Since the primordial dawn, past generations have inscribed countless sacred tales upon this Land and Water.
The back of each card features an illustration of the Heavenly Scroll resting upon a backdrop of auspicious five-colored clouds. This imagery evokes the opening lines of “The Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Nation” — the poem often hailed as the first declaration of independence in Vietnamese history:
The mountains and rivers of the Southern nation,
By Heaven’s decree are under its king’s dominion
III. TALES WITHIN THE CARDS
78 cards. 78 hand-drawn illustrations featuring the distinct features of traditional art. Some cards recount the divine deeds and legacies of deities and heroes who have safeguarded the land and nurtured its people for millennia. Others retell legends and folktales, imparting valuable lessons for ages to come.
IV – PROJECT TEAM
The Divine Vietnam Tarot was written by Lệ Chính, illustrated by Nam Ngọc, with Anh Minh serving as the Tarot consultant.
Lệ Chính – scriptor
Also known by the pen name Rio Lam, Lệ Chính has spent many years dedicated to sharing Vietnamese culture and spiritual traditions with the world. From a young age, she held a deep fascination with the myths and legends of her homeland.
Her journey with Tarot began more than a decade ago, driven by an interest in world-building, symbolism, and storytelling. To her, every Tarot deck is a distinct universe shaped by its creator, and each reading is a process of decoding — a search for meaning within mystery.
Nam Ngọc – artist
Nam Ngọc, birth name Đoàn Thành Lộc, is a scholar of East Asian culture with a particular focus on Vietnam. Over two decades ago, he founded the Nam Ngọc Hiên Cultural House to help bridge ancient traditions with modern audiences.
He began practicing calligraphy and painting as a teenager and gradually honed a mastery of watercolor silk painting, defined by traditional brushwork. The themes of spirituality hold a central place in his body of work.
Anh Minh – Tarot Consultant & Designer
Trần Nguyễn Anh Minh, known by his pen name Chú Mèo Kỳ Diệu (The Magical Cat), is a university lecturer based in Hồ Chí Minh City.
He has studied Tarot since 2009 and authored several decks, including two rooted in Vietnamese cultural themes: Thiên – Địa – Nhân Tarot and U Linh Tarot. To him, Tarot is a rigorous symbolic system capable of reflecting the intricacies of life. Each deck is a unique blueprint of existence, and reading Tarot is both a contemplative practice and a valuable tool for guidance.
V – TIMELINE
At present, the Divine Vietnam Tarot project has completed its guidebook, illustrations, and overall design. The above content was developed over the course of five years, beginning in early 2020.
Following the completion of the crowdfunding campaign, the project will move into its next phase: printing and distribution.
2020 – 2023
In early 2020, we began developing a Tarot deck inspired by the spiritual and sacred realms found within traditional Vietnamese culture.
Stage 1: Sourcing Tales for the Cards
Once the project’s themes and criteria were clearly defined, Lệ Chính began the process of researching and curating suitable tales. Each selected story needed to embody characteristics that aligned with the specific meaning of a given Tarot card.
The primary sources consulted included:
– Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái (Selection of Strange Tales in Lĩnh Nam)
– Việt Điện U Linh Tập (Collection of Stories on the Shady and Spiritual World of the Viet Realm)
– Truyền Kỳ Mạn Lục (Casual Records of Transmitted Strange Tales)
Bách Thần Lục (Register of Hundreds of Deities)
– Hội Chân Biên (A Compilation of Sacred Accounts)
– Thánh Tông Di Thảo (Thánh Tông’s Posthumous Manuscript)
– Nam Hải Dị Nhân (Tales of Extraordinary Beings from the Southern Ocean)
– Kho tàng truyện cổ tích Vietnam (The Treasury of Vietnamese Folktales)
– Lược khảo thần thoại Vietnam (An Overview of Vietnamese Mythology)
– Sacred biographies of deities preserved in temples and shrines; imperial decrees of recognition, and ancient books in the Repository of Ancient Sino-Nôm Documents.
– Additional materials—such as reference books and academic studies—were also used to expand the research scope and clarify contextual details. These include: Bảng Tra Thần Tích Theo Địa Danh Làng Xã (Index of Deity Records by Village), Tín Ngưỡng Thờ Mẫu Của Người Việt Qua Tư Liệu Hán Nôm (The Mother Goddess Worship of the Vietnamese through Han-Nom Sources), Đạo Mẫu Vietnam (The Mother Goddess Religion of Vietnam), Văn Hóa Dân Gian Người Việt Ở Nam Bộ (Vietnamese Folk Culture in the South), Nam Việt Thần Kỳ Hội Lục (Collection of Marvelous Tales of Southern Vietnam), etc.
Stage 2: Drafting the Stories and Card Meanings
Once the appropriate tales had been selected, the scriptor began composing the companion guidebook. Each story was distilled to highlight its most vivid and meaningful details — elements that would reflect the symbolism and interpretation of its corresponding Tarot card.
Artist Nam Ngọc, with his expertise in Vietnamese culture and Sino-Nôm literature, served as a cultural advisor throughout the tale selection and editorial process.
Interestingly, even before 2020, Nam Ngọc had already begun exploring themes of traditional Vietnamese spirituality in his artwork. Many of these earlier pieces later served as inspiration for the illustrations of the Divine Vietnam Tarot — including the artworks depicting the Six Generals Attending Saint Trần, the Mother Goddess of the People, the Matchmaker Deities, the God of Land and God of Wealth, the Goddesses of Pregnancy and Birth, the Ancestors, and more.
2024-2025
In early 2024, the scriptor began direct collaboration with Anh Minh, who formally joined the project as the Tarot consultant.
Stage 3: Review, Revisions, and Finalization
During this phase, the content of the guidebook and the details of each card were carefully reviewed and edited by Anh Minh from a professional Tarot perspective. Once finalized, the manuscript was handed over to the artist to begin the illustration process.
Stage 4: Illustration
Following research into the selected tales, along with the development of a symbolic framework and color palette, artist Nam Ngọc began drafting the initial sketches. Each sketch was reviewed by Lệ Chính and Anh Minh, who offered feedback to ensure alignment with the symbolic and structural integrity of Tarot.
Once all 78 preliminary sketches were complete, the artist proceeded to render the final versions in watercolor on paper.
All original illustrations of the Divine Vietnam Tarot have been bound into a traditional-style book.
Stage 5: Design
With his experience in publishing multiple Tarot decks, Anh Minh took on the role of design consultant for the Divine Vietnam Tarot. Every element of the final product’s design was carefully refined — ensuring alignment with the artistic vision of the deck while enhancing the user’s overall experience.
VI. PRODUCT DETAILS FOR THE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN
Product Information
Basic product specifications:
– 01 deck box;
– 01 Divine Vietnam Tarot deck, consisting of:
+ Size: 75 x 150 mm
▪️ Cardstock: 350 gsm
▪️ Full-color (4-color) printing
+ 01 bilingual companion guidebook (Vietnamese – English) included.
List of Rewards
- The Divine Vietnam Tarot deck
- Thank-you card with the authors’ stamps
- Sticker set
- Blessing charm (random selection)
- Art print (random selection)
- Tarot reading cloth of the Four Sacred Beasts
- Standee of the Mother of the Nine Heavens
- The Divine Vietnam tote bag
- The Divine Vietnam badge
Reward Tiers
VII. A NOTE OF GRATITUDE
Our team extends heartfelt thanks to each of you for taking the time to explore and support the Divine Vietnam Tarot.
Every act of support brings this deck one step closer to reaching a wider audience. For those who practice Tarot and cherish Vietnam’s spiritual and cultural traditions, we hope this deck offers a fresh and meaningful way to deepen your connection with the inner and sacred realms.
To kindred spirits — may we meet soon, in good time.
Rewards
50,000 ₫
Tier of METAL (Gói KIM)
50.000 ₫
Thank-you card with the authors’ stamps
Sticker set
Blessing charm (random selection)
Art print (random selection)
0 Backers
550,000 ₫
Tier of WOOD Rewards (Gói MỘC)
550.000 ₫
The Divine Vietnam Tarot deck
Thank-you card with the authors’ stamps
Sticker set
Blessing charm (random selection)
Art print (random selection)
0 Backers
800,000 ₫
Tier of FIRE Rewards (Gói HOẢ)
800.000 ₫
The Divine Vietnam Tarot deck
Thank-you card with the authors’ stamps
Sticker set
Blessing charm (random selection)
Art print (random selection)
Tarot reading cloth of the Four Sacred Beasts
Standee of the Mother of the Infinite Heavens
0 Backers
1,200,000 ₫
Tier of EARTH Rewards (Gói THỔ)
1.200.000 ₫
The Divine Vietnam Tarot deck
Thank-you card with the authors’ stamps
Sticker set
Blessing charm (random selection)
Art print (random selection)
Tarot reading cloth of the Four Sacred Beasts
Standee of the Mother of the Infinite Heavens
The Divine Vietnam tote bag
The Divine Vietnam badge
0 Backers
