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 ...