The Fascinating History of Tarot Cards Through Time
Taken for granted in the gadgetized world, tarot cards have a rich, multilayered history. In sum, tarot is type of guidance that is based on a deck of 78 cards, each used to peep into the future, comprehend the present, and gain insight into the past. You can either ask an expert to do the reading for you or do it yourself. The history of tarot cards begins with their origins as playing cards, evolving into tools for reflection and guidance.
How It All Started
According to the existing data, the first deck was invented before the 14th century. It is known as the Egyptian Mamluk, which served as the predecessor for the early European cards. Scholarship has found out that Europeans were creating their own cards by the late 1300’s. They were similar to the Egyptian deck mentioned above yet had variants of the court cards and suit symbols.
How It Went
15th-century Europe brought tarot into the modern world in the form of a deck of playing cards. In Italy, people called them ‘tarocchi’ and used the decks to play various games like Triumphs. Today, we know it as a bridge. They used a deck that comprised 4 suits (like those in modern playing cards) and added a set of trump cards, each with a different illustration. Sometime later, the cards began to be called ‘Major Arcana.’ As for the oldest preserved deck – the Visconti-Sforza Tarot – it was created for rich families from the noble circles. Each card was hand-painted and adorned with various mythological and philosophical themes from the Renaissance. Every suit had 6 court cards with a female and male of all ranks. Plus, it had Charity, Hope, and Faith – 3 theological virtues.
Tarot Gaining Momentum
As mentioned above, the first tarot cards were hand-painted. The process of creation was time-consuming and challenging. So, it is not a surprise that the number of cards created for each deck was quite limited. However, as the printing press kicked in, it was possible to produce tarot in large numbers. As a result of the progress in the early printing methods, the tarot cards successfully crossed Italian borders and expanded to the territories of Switzerland and France. This was during the Italian Wars. It was the time when the ‘Tarot of Marseilles’ deck was the most popular among the tarot fans.
Mysticism and Divination
At the beginning of the 18th century, tarot took on a new meaning. Both divination and mysticism appeared on stage. Among those who infused the esoteric meaning into the nature of tarot was a French writer, Antoine Court de Gébelin. The writer published the work known as ‘Le Monde Primitif’, which was full of theories that a lot of his contemporaries (and the reps of the next generations as well) debunked. However, the seed of mysticism was successfully planted by the author of ‘Le Monde Primitif,’ and many people got incredibly interested in the mystical side of the matter. The trick here is that even though the evidence behind his words was insufficient, the works of Antoine Court de Gébelin were quite significant and still influence today’s divination of tarot.
Then there was Etteilla (the real name – Jean-Baptiste Alliette), who was an occultist focused in his studies on tarot. It is important to mention that Jean-Baptiste Alliette was someone who created the very first tarot society. What’s more, he stood behind a range of theories about tarot. For example, Jean-Baptiste Alliette saw the tarot cards as a detailed description of how the universe was created.
During the same period (18th – 19th centuries), his supporter and like-minded person, Eliphas Levi, also worked on the ideas given in the ‘Le Monde Primitif.’ Levi was sure that tarot cards were old – older than Moses! In his works, Eliphas Levi mentioned that it was the four-letter name of God that stood behind the 4 suits. That’s when the world saw the very first deck of tarot cards created to do divination sessions. Everyone had an opportunity to purchase the deck together with a detailed guide on the meanings that stood behind each card. And then interestingly, the author of the guide linked tarot with things like alchemy, Kabbalah, astrology, and so on. That was the moment when followers of tarot practices began to use the decks of symbols for spiritual needs.
The Rider-Waite-Smith Era
The tarot that people use all over the world today is something that derives from the well-known Rider-Waite-Smith. It was created in 1909 as a result of the fruitful teamwork of Pamela Colman Smith (a truly talented artist!) and a real mysticism scholar, Arthur Edward Wait. They collaborated to create the Rider-Waite-Smith, which is still popular at the moment (even more than it was before). Taking into account the fact that Rider-Waite-Smith includes cards with very accurate and detailed illustrations, the moment when the deck was created was just a hit in the world of tarot. Users could use it for reading, interpretation, and divination at a much deeper level due to the symbolic scenes and visually striking storytelling. If there are the most popular and widely used cards for deeper introspection, the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is on the list. Just like before, it inspires tarot readers (both beginners and advanced users) with dozens of variations that are suitable for modern life.
To cut a long story short, a lot of different mystical theories exist on how tarot was created and why. But the reality is that all of these theories are united by the same (or almost the same) interpretations of the cards. When it comes to the most common interpretations, let’s mention the well-known reading of the Major Arcana. It includes the Trump cards and the fool that may also be referred to as ‘Fool’s Journey.’ What do we see here? Based on the interpretation, we can confidently say that the whole of Major Arcana tells the story of the fool. The latter is a clear representation of ‘the everyman’ on his path to enlightenment (‘The World’). In this case, the rest of the cards are about the events that may happen on his path, together with the people he encounters.
How About Today?
Just like in pre-historic times, tarot cards keep on transforming and advancing to meet the needs of the most diverse cultures, requests, concerns, and so on. It’s evolving non-stop while creators exert every effort to provide people with an opportunity to do tarot readings in fields like LGBTQ+, feminism, philosophy of environment, etc. Thus, the symbols and narratives become quite flexible and universal for all aspects of life.
A lot of reps of the global tarot community still use the decks to tell the future. However, many view it as a tool to reflect on their inner selves and grow in all possible ways. While reality makes us absolutely unsure about the future, present, and even past, sometimes, tarot becomes a magic wand used to explore what remains unconscious, get a better idea of why tough times come, as well has become connected to the time-tested art of symbolism and storytelling.
Wrapping Up the History of Tarot
With the variety of tarot decks that are available today, a lot of fans of this practice try to find what works best for them. But the trick is that no such thing as the best tarot cards exists. For example, the most popular deck is the Rider-Waite. Created in the early 1900s, the Rider-Waite is now just one of a lot of options. Tons of decks with the most unexpected themes have emerged ever since ancient times! Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings, My Little Pony, and Hollywood (and even Kamasutra!) themes are available in stores for those looking for intricate designs. In other words, choosing ‘the best’ deck is all about your expectations, desires, and intuition, which should be the guiding light in browsing and picking the tarot pack that speaks best to you. Each deck reflects the origins of tarot cards and has its own unique style, helping readers choose what feels right for them. The evolution of tarot offers unique decks for every reader.
