The Magician, Death, and the Moon - Surrealism meets Symbolism in Salvador Dalí’s tarot deck

Legend has it that when preparing props for the James Bond film Live and Let Die, producer Albert Broccoli commissioned Surrealist maestro Salvador Dalí to create a custom deck of tarot cards. Inspired by his wife Gala, who nurtured his interest in mysticism, Dalí eagerly got to work, and continued the project of his own accord when the contractual deal fell through.

The work was published in a limited art edition in 1984 that has since long sold out, making Dalí the first renowned painter to create a completely new set of cards. Drawing on Western masterpieces from antiquity to modernity (including some of his own), Dalí seamlessly combined his knowledge of the arcane with his unmistakable wit. The result is a surreal kaleidoscope of European art history.

TASCHEN resurrects all 78 cards in a fresh celebration of Dalí’s inimitable custom set, complete with a booklet by renowned German tarot author Johannes Fiebig offering:

an introduction to Dalí’s life and the project’s making-of

a comprehensive explanation of each card’s composition, its meaning, and practical advice

step-by-step instructions on how to perform readings

a jargon-free approach simplifying tarot for the newcomer

The author

Johannes Fiebig is one of the most successful authors in the field of Tarot and a leading expert in the psychological interpretation of symbols. He published his first book in 1984. Since then, his books have sold over 2 million copies, appearing in more than a dozen languages. In 1989, he co-founded and co-owned Königsfurt publishing house, which later became the publishing houses Königsfurt-Urania and AGM-Urania, of which he was managing director until 2018. Since then, he has been an independent writer based in Kiel.

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Deck of 78 tarot cards with booklet in box, 18.8 x 33 cm, 1.65 kg (3.62 lb), 184 pages