Surrealist Tarot

Surrealist Tarot - tarot through the lens of Dalí and Magritte

Surrealism is a movement that sidelines rationality. Logic, temporality and spatiality are secondary to what the unconscious brings up. The Surrealist Tarot applies that principle to tarot.

Illustrator Luigi Di Giammarino and tarot expert Massimiliano Filadoro have created a deck in which traditional tarot archetypes are translated into dream images. A figure floats through the air, an object stands upside down, shadows do not behave as you expect. The imagery raises questions rather than offering answers.

What you see on the cards

The illustrations are built from visual paradoxes. Do not expect straightforward symbolism. A window opens onto a landscape that does not exist, a body merges with an object, perspectives do not add up. Those choices are deliberate.

The colours are often muted, with a lot of grey, blue and ochre. Here and there a bright red patch or a golden detail lights up. The style recalls the painting of twentieth-century surrealists, especially Dalí and Magritte.

The cards are printed on flexible cardstock with a smooth finish. They sit comfortably in the hand and shuffle easily. The format is standard: 65 x 118 mm.

How you work with this deck

This deck asks for a different way of reading. No fixed meanings, no keywords on the cards. What you see, you decide yourself. That makes it suitable for readers who already have some experience and trust their own intuition.

The guidebook is multilingual and offers a brief commentary on the symbolism. The text supports but does not prescribe. Many users let a card sink in before consulting the guidebook.

Pull a card and notice what the first association is that comes to mind. Not the most logical one, but the first. That is what this deck responds to.

About Luigi Di Giammarino and Massimiliano Filadoro

Luigi Di Giammarino is an Italian illustrator with experience in animation and comics. His work has been shown at the Turin Biennale. His style is narrative and dynamic, with a focus on visual layers.

Massimiliano Filadoro is a tarot expert and writer. He translates esoteric concepts into texts that are accessible without losing depth.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78 (Major and Minor Arcana)
• Format: 65 x 118 mm
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
• Material: flexible cardstock with smooth finish
• Guidebook: multilingual (including English, Italian, French)
• Illustrator: Luigi Di Giammarino
• Author: Massimiliano Filadoro

Questions we often get

What languages is the guidebook in?
The guidebook is multilingual. English, Italian and French are included. Dutch is not.

How does this deck differ from a classic Rider-Waite deck?
The structure is the same: 78 cards, divided into Major and Minor Arcana. The imagery is completely different. Where Rider-Waite shows clear scenes, this deck works with abstract, dreamlike compositions. That asks more of your own interpretation.