Meet My Tarot Deck

Salvador Dali's illustrated tarot deck

My primary divination medium is the Dalí Universal Tarot, a beautiful deck designed by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and gifted to me by my mother for Christmas in 2017. 

History

In 1973, Producer Albert R. Broccoli commissioned Dalí to design a deck of tarot cards for Roger Moore's James Bond film, Live and Let Die. 

However, the contract fell through after the 70-year-old artist demanded an expensive fee, and the producer replaced him with lesser-known artist Fergus Hall, who went on to create the iconic Tarot of the Witches, the official movie deck. 

The psychic Solitaire

In the film, Jane Seymore's character, the taromancer Solitaire, uses the cards to foretell 007's future, only to have them turn against her. Unbeknownst to Solitaire, Bond has manipulated her deck to show the Lover's card. You don't need to be a psychic to guess what happens next. 

Unfortunately, Solitaire's powers disappear along with her virginity. There's a lesson to be learned here: Never let strangers handle your deck! 

You can read more about tarot's influence on James Bond and other media in my pop culture tag.

Details

The Major Arcana illustrated by Dalí

Eventually, Dalí released his finished deck in 1984, complete with real gold leaf, in an expensive, limited edition. In 2014, Tashen re-released a more affordable, mass-produced version, which is the one I own now. The set includes a 192 page booklet by Johannes Fiebig in English, German, and French detailing the cards' traditional meanings and Dalí's symbolism. 

The names of the Major Arcana appear in English and Spanish, and feature the corresponding zodiac sign and Hebrew letter in the top corners. 

My favorite Minor Arcana cards from Dali's deck

For the Minor Arcana, Dali's artistic vision diverges from the traditional while stile honoring the original four suits:

1. Wands, depicted as green and alive, rather than dead wood
2. Cups, represented by golden chalices
3. Swords, drawn as rapiers with golden hilts
4. Coins, reimagined as the Suit of Pentacles

Sources

Smith Journal: "The Surreal Story Behind Salvador Dali's Tarot Cards" (2017)

The Tarot Review: "The Salvador Dali Tarot Book" (2013)

Dali Universal Tarot by Johannes Fiebig (2014)