Origins of the Tarot Deck
If you are interested in tarot cards, you might wonder how they came to be and what they mean. Tarot cards are more than just a tool for fortune-telling or divination. They are also a rich source of symbolism, art, and history that reflect the cultures and beliefs of different times and places.
The origins of tarot cards are not very clear, but there are several theories and myths about them. Some people believe that tarot cards originated in ancient Egypt, where they were used as a secret code to preserve the wisdom of the priests. Others claim that tarot cards were brought to Europe by the gypsies, who used them for entertainment and magic. However, there is not much historical evidence to support these claims.
The most likely origin of tarot cards is in 15th-century Italy, where they were first used as playing cards for a game called tarocchi. This game involved four suits of 14 cards each (coins, cups, swords, and batons), plus 22 special cards called trionfi or triumphs. These cards had images of allegorical figures, such as the emperor, the pope, the lovers, the chariot, the wheel of fortune, and so on. The trionfi were the highest-ranking cards in the game, and they could trump or beat any other card.
The tarocchi game was very popular among the nobility and the wealthy, who commissioned artists to create elaborate and customized decks for them. Some of these decks have survived until today, such as the Visconti-Sforza deck, which was made for the rulers of Milan in the mid-1400s. The images on these cards reflect the political, religious, and artistic influences of their time and place.
The use of tarot cards for divination or fortune-telling began in the late 18th century, when some occultists and mystics started to associate them with esoteric knowledge and ancient mysteries. One of the pioneers of this movement was Antoine Court de Gébelin, a French Freemason who published a book in 1781 called Le Monde Primitif, in which he claimed that tarot cards were derived from the ancient Egyptian Book of Thoth, a mythical source of wisdom and magic. He also linked the tarot cards with the Kabbalah, a Jewish mystical tradition that involves numerology and symbolism.
Another influential figure in the history of tarot was Jean-Baptiste Alliette, also known as Etteilla, who was a professional card reader and astrologer. He created his own system of tarot interpretation based on astrology and reversed meanings. He also designed his own deck of tarot cards, which featured Egyptian motifs and keywords on each card.
In the 19th century, tarot cards became more widely available and accessible to the public, thanks to the invention of the printing press and the rise of mass production. Many new decks were created during this period, such as the Marseilles deck, which became the standard for French tarot; the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which was created by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith in 1909 and introduced many innovations such as scenic illustrations for all 78 cards; and the Thoth deck, which was designed by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris in the 1940s and incorporated elements of astrology, alchemy, mythology, and psychology.
Today, there are hundreds of different tarot decks to choose from, each with its own style, theme, and interpretation. Some of them are based on traditional systems such as the Marseilles or the Rider-Waite-Smith; others are inspired by various cultures, religions, art forms, or genres; and others are completely original and creative. Tarot cards can be used for various purposes, such as self-discovery, guidance, meditation, creativity, or entertainment. They can also be seen as a form of art that expresses the collective unconscious and archetypal images that resonate with people across time and space.
© Colin Lawson Books