History of the Tarot
What is the History of the Tarot?
If you mentally create a picture Tarot cards in use, you likely imagine a mystic in a dimly lit room, unveiling secrets of the future from a deck of ornate, symbolic cards. This popular image, however, obscures a far more fascinating and complex history.
The true story of the Tarot is one of Renaissance art, occult revival, and the enduring human desire to find patterns and meaning in the world. It’s a journey from the gambling tables of Italy to the philosophical salons of France, where it was transformed into the esoteric tool we know today.
A Game of Kings and Commoners
The documented history of Tarot begins not in ancient Egypt, as many early occultists claimed, but in the wealthy courts of 15th-century Italy. The oldest surviving cards, hand-painted decks like the Visconti-Sforza Tarot, were created around the 1440s for the ruling families of Milan. They were known as carte da trionfior “cards of triumph.”
These early decks were not used for divination but for a trick-taking game similar to bridge, called Tarocchi. The 22 special cards we now call the Major Arcana were simply permanent trumps, depicting archetypal figures and concepts familiar to medieval and Renaissance society: The Pope, The Emperor, The Lovers, Death, and The World. The four suits (now Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins/Pentacles) were standard playing cards used across Europe.
For centuries, Tarot remained a game. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that the cards took on a mystical mantle. In 1781, a French Protestant clergyman named Antoine Court de Gébelin published a volume of his encyclopedic work Le Monde Primitif (“The Primitive World”). In it, he asserted—with no historical evidence—that the Tarot was actually the surviving Book of Thoth, a repository of ancient Egyptian wisdom disguised as a card game to escape destruction by the Christian church. This captivating myth, caught the imagination of Europe’s elite occult explorers.
This idea was cemented by Jean-Baptiste Alliette, writing under the pseudonym Etteilla, who became the first professional Tarot diviner. He published guides on using the cards for fortune-telling and designed the first deck explicitly created for occult purposes. From this point on, the history of Tarot splits in two: its continued use as a game in parts of Europe, and its new life as a tool for esoteric exploration in the hands of secret societies and mystics.
History of the Tarot: a Mystery School Tracing Board
History now delves into the depths of more modern occultism with the 19th-century Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This was a highly influential Western esoteric group, saw the Tarot not just as a divination tool, but as a complete pictorial textbook of occult philosophy—a series of “Tracing Boards” of the mysteries. It seems that the hierarchical structure of The Golden Dawn was based on that of Freemasonry.
In Freemasonry, a Tracing Board is a painted cloth or board filled with symbols used to teach moral and philosophical lessons to initiates. Each symbol is a door to a deeper truth, and the board as a whole represents a map of the universe and the human soul’s journey through it. Here is the second degree Masonic tracing board.
The Tarot, particularly the 22 cards of the Major Arcana, functions in precisely the same way. This sequence, often called “The Fool’s Journey,” is a allegorical map of the soul’s path from innocence (The Fool) to enlightenment (The World). Each card is a lesson, a challenge, or an archetypal force to be understood and integrated.
The Golden Dawn, and later artists like A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith (creators of the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith deck in 1909), meticulously designed the cards to be a complete symbolic system. Every color, number, gesture, and elemental attribute was chosen to align with Kabbalah, astrology, and alchemy. To “read” the Tarot in its deepest sense is not to predict fate, but to meditate on these symbols, using them as a mirror to understand one’s own place on the Fool’s Journey and to reflect on timeless spiritual principles.
Conclusion
The history of Tarot is a story of transformation. It is a testament to how a simple game of cards can be re-envisioned as a profound tool for introspection, a portable mystery school that continues to guide, challenge, and inspire seekers on their path to self-knowledge.
Enjoy every moment of your “Fools Journey”
History of the Tarot – FAQ
Are Tarot cards inherently religious or associated with Satanism?
No. Tarot cards originated as a secular game. Their symbolism is drawn from a wide range of philosophical, cultural, and spiritual sources (Christianity, Kabbalah, Astrology, Neo-Platonism). They are a tool for reflection and are used by people of many faiths and none. Modern Satanism does not typically use Tarot.
Do I need to be “psychic” to read Tarot?
Not at all. While some psychics use them, many approach Tarot as a psychological tool. The cards act as a Rorschach test, projecting your subconscious thoughts and feelings onto the symbols, allowing you to analyze a situation from a new perspective. It’s less about predicting a fixed future and more about exploring possibilities.
What’s the best deck for a beginner?
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the gold standard for beginners. Its images are rich, narrative, and full of accessible symbolism. Most modern guidebooks and resources are based on its imagery, making it the easiest deck to learn from.