Quick Specs
- Artist: Matt Hughes
- Publisher: U.S. Games Systems
- Cards: 80 (78 standard plus 2 bonus Major Arcana)
- Guidebook: 140-page full-color expanded booklet
- Best for: Collectors, beginners, daily reading practice
Art Nouveau Meets the Tarot
Matt Hughes is a self-taught artist based in Atlanta whose work sits at the intersection of Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelite painting, and Symbolist illustration, a style he calls Gothic Art Nouveau. For the Ethereal Visions deck he applied that aesthetic to all 80 cards, hand-drawing and hand-coloring each image before the gold foil stamping process that makes this deck visually unlike any standard tarot on the market. Every card carries foil across the design, not just the border, which gives the images a luminous quality that reads differently under candlelight than under fluorescent lighting.
Hughes also added two original Major Arcana cards, The Well and The Artist, drawn from his own creative and spiritual autobiography. These additions expand the traditional 78-card deck to 80 and give experienced readers new territory to work with, while the strong visual narrative of each card makes the deck accessible to someone picking up tarot for the first time.
What Makes This Deck Worth Owning
The 140-page full-color guidebook included with this edition is a meaningful departure from the typical thin pamphlet. It covers card meanings, reversed interpretations, and spread suggestions in enough depth to support independent study. The card stock is substantial and comfortable to shuffle, which matters more than it sounds after hundreds of readings. Cards measure 3.25 by 5.25 inches, a standard size that fits most card bags and storage boxes already in use.
How to Use the Ethereal Visions Tarot Deck
Three approaches for getting the most from this illuminated deck.
- Familiarize Before Reading
Spend a few sessions simply looking at each card before your first reading. The Art Nouveau imagery is rich with symbolism. Noticing which details catch your eye builds a personal vocabulary that makes interpretations more intuitive.
- Start with a Simple Spread
A three-card spread, past, present, future, is the best entry point with any new deck. Turn cards left to right, consult the 140-page guidebook, but note your visual impression of each card before checking the written meanings.
- Work with the Bonus Cards
The Well and The Artist are Hughes's two bonus Major Arcana. When either appears, treat it as significant. The Well signals depth or the subconscious; The Artist points to creative agency and originality. Use context to guide you.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry this deck because it earns its shelf space on multiple levels: it reads beautifully, photographs beautifully, and holds up to heavy use. The gold foil stamping is not gimmicky here; it genuinely enhances the Art Nouveau aesthetic and makes the cards feel like objects worth handling carefully. Hughes put serious craft into every image, and U.S. Games Systems produced it to match. If you’re looking for a deck that works as a daily reader and as a collector’s piece, this is one of the few that does both. Browse my full tarot deck collection to see what else I carry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The visual storytelling is clear enough for beginners to form impressions without memorizing meanings first. The included 140-page full-color guidebook supports self-study, and the deck follows standard Rider-Waite-Smith structure.
Matt Hughes added The Well and The Artist to the traditional Major Arcana. Both reflect his personal journey. The Well represents depth and the subconscious; The Artist speaks to originality and the act of creating something new.
The deck contains 80 cards: the standard 78-card structure plus two original bonus Major Arcana by artist Matt Hughes. All 80 cards feature hand-drawn illustration illuminated with gold foil stamping across the full design area.
Cards measure 3.25 by 5.25 inches, a standard tarot size. The box is 3.40 by 5.30 inches, fitting most tarot bags and pouches. The card stock is sturdy enough for frequent shuffling without feeling brittle or overly rigid.
Gorgeous amazing cards I wanted these for so long and they are perfect
Art is so pretty and they’re great cards!
I love, this deck resonates with me and have been wanting to get it for a long time it’s so beautiful
Such a gorgeous deck. I’m enjoying getting to know it.