Dali's Tarot - The mystery uncovered?

I'm a huge fan of Salvador Dali. A lot of people are too, but they have probably never read his books or tried to discover his thinking perspectives on creation. He believed that true art comes from deep within the unconscious mind. Inspired by Freud's ideas, he used dreams, irrational thoughts, and spontaneous imagination to fuel his creativity. Dalí developed a technique called the "paranoiac-critical method," which helped him tap into hidden fears and surreal visions. He saw art not as something logical or perfect, but as a way to explore madness, obsession, and the strange beauty of the human psyche. Surrealism, for him, was a tool to break free from rules and expectations—it allowed him to paint melting clocks, floating objects, and dreamlike landscapes that challenged reality. Dalí didn't aim for perfection; instead, he embraced spontaneity and intuition, believing that imagination mattered more than technical skill. His creative process was intense and ritualistic, often involving long hours of staring at a canvas until an image revealed itself. He once said, "The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad," showing how closely he walked the line between genius and insanity. Dalí's reflections on art remind us that creativity isn't always neat or rational—it's often wild, mysterious, and deeply personal. His work invites us to look beyond the surface and explore the strange worlds within ourselves.

Salvador Dalí's was always open to try something new, especially if it was something of mystical nature. In 1984 he published his own Tarot card deck. Originally commissioned for the James Bond film Live and Let Die, Dalí continued the project independently for over a decade, finally creating a full 78-card deck. Each card is infused with his signature dreamlike style, merging classical art references with symbolic depth. Dalí portrayed himself as the Magician and his wife Gala as the Empress, reflecting their personal connection to the mystical themes. The deck is not only a tool for divination but a visual journey through Dalí's imagination, rich with colour, symbolism, and eccentric beauty.

Putting it into perspective: I recently won an auction lot "Dali's Tarot Cards", a specific numbered edition box published by Fiebig (Krummwish, Königsfurt Germany 2004). I was very interested his artwork design for this endeavour, it was certainly not my intention to go deeper into the mystics of tarot, but in the end I had to read about the tarot cards in order to understand each of the cards and how Dali was inspired by them.

I'm a scientist and artist, so I'm not really into mystical things … But when reading I somehow got triggered by the fact that my 'Artistic Reflection Framework' might match the Tarot cards somehow, there also seemed to be some kind of coincidental link, content wise. So I went into it deep (very deep, maybe too deep 😊), through the use of AI analytics, allowing 'easy' integration and comparison …., this is what I discovered …

See it as creative fun or journey (if your open and up for it), nothing more, nothing less…