Tarot Fellow
Alchemical Visions Tarot Arthur Taussig Deck and Book Set
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$49.95 - Regular price
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$49.95
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Alchemical Visions Tarot deck and book by Arthur Taussig — a visionary tarot system from a physicist, philosopher, and artist that plumbs the depths of the soul through alchemical and mythological imagery. This deck and accompanying book is designed for deep self-realization, confronting powerful aspects of the human psyche, and cultivating inner wisdom through archetypal symbolism. For serious tarot students and collectors drawn to psychologically rich decks.
Description:Quick Specs
- Type: Tarot deck and companion book set
- Size: 5" x 7"
- Size/Quantity: Complete 78-card deck with full-length companion book
- Best for: Shadow work, depth psychology, serious tarot students, collectors
Alchemy, Mythology, and the Depth Psychology of the Tarot
Arthur Taussig brings an unusual combination of credentials to this deck: he is a physicist, a philosopher, and a visual artist, and those three disciplines converge in the Alchemical Visions Tarot to produce something genuinely different from the standard Rider-Waite-Smith derivative tradition. The imagery draws on alchemical symbolism from the Western esoteric tradition, Jungian archetypes, mythological figures from multiple world traditions, and Taussig's own visionary artistic process. The result is a deck that rewards slow, deep engagement rather than quick surface readings.
Alchemical symbolism in the tarot has a long lineage, connecting to the Hermetic tradition's understanding of transformation as both a material and a spiritual process. The Great Work of alchemy, the transmutation of base matter into gold, has been read since the Renaissance as a metaphor for psychological and spiritual development, the process of refining the self through awareness of shadow, projection, and integration of opposites. Taussig's deck works explicitly within this framework, using tarot as a map of the alchemical stages of nigredo, albedo, citrinitas, and rubedo applied to inner development.
What the Companion Book Adds
The accompanying book is not a standard LWB but a full companion volume that explains the philosophical and symbolic framework Taussig developed for the deck. Serious tarot students will find it essential for understanding imagery that departs significantly from standard iconographic conventions and cannot be read purely intuitively on first encounter. The book explains the alchemical stage each card represents, the mythological figures depicted, and the specific transformation process illustrated. For practitioners doing shadow work, this depth transforms individual card draws into entry points for extended self-inquiry.
This is not a deck for casual use or for readings with clients unfamiliar with esoteric symbolism. It is designed for the practitioner who wants a rigorous psychological and philosophical framework for their tarot work, who is comfortable with complex imagery, and who is willing to invest in learning the system. For those practitioners, it offers a depth and coherence that few commercially available decks provide. I stock it because it fills a genuine gap for advanced practitioners who have outgrown more conventional decks.
How to Use the Alchemical Visions Tarot
Three approaches for engaging deeply with the Alchemical Visions Tarot as a system of inner transformation.
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Read the Companion Book Before Reading the Cards
Unlike most decks where intuitive reading is encouraged from the first draw, the Alchemical Visions system rewards prior engagement with the book. Spend time understanding the alchemical framework before using the deck for full readings.
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Use for Single-Card Shadow Work Pulls
Draw a single card as a daily or weekly shadow work prompt. Rather than asking what will happen, ask what in you is being asked to transform. The alchemical stage of the drawn card points to the type of transformation currently active.
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Build a Personal Symbol Glossary
As you work with the deck, note which mythological figures and alchemical symbols recur in your pulls and what personal associations they carry. Over time this glossary deepens the system beyond the book's explanations into lived personal practice.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry the Alchemical Visions Tarot because it represents a serious intellectual contribution to the tarot tradition from a creator who brought his full academic and artistic background to the work. It is not decorative tarot; it is working tarot at a level of philosophical depth that most decks do not attempt. The companion book is genuinely necessary and genuinely rewarding. For practitioners looking for more psychologically rigorous or esoterically complex decks, browse my tarot deck and book sets. For books that complement deep tarot study, explore my tarot and divination books.
Frequently Asked Questions
Arthur Taussig is a physicist, philosopher, and visual artist who created the Alchemical Visions Tarot as a synthesis of Western esotericism, Jungian depth psychology, and visionary art. His background makes this an unusually rigorous deck.
This deck suits advanced practitioners comfortable with alchemical symbolism, Jungian archetypes, and complex mythology. Beginners will find it difficult to read intuitively. A standard Rider-Waite-Smith deck is a better starting point first.
The deck maps four classical alchemical stages: nigredo, the dissolution phase; albedo, the purification phase; citrinitas, the dawning awareness phase; and rubedo, the full integration of the self. Each card maps to one of these stages.
The deck departs significantly from Rider-Waite-Smith iconography and meanings. The imagery and interpretive framework are based on alchemical symbolism rather than traditional tarot conventions, making the companion book essential for readings.
