The History of Tarot
The evolution of the Moon Card, from left to right: ancient Egyptian papyrus, Tarot de Marseille, Rider-Waite, contemporary designs.
lthough several theories exist on the origin of the Tarot, there is no concrete historical evidence to support any of them. The true history of the Tarot is permanently shrouded in the fog of time. Experts date much of the themes and symbolism found in Tarot to ancient mythologies, especially originating in ancient Egypt. According to a popular legend, the original inspiration for the Tarot was a series of 22 clay tablets rich with hieroglyphic symbols known collectively as "The Book of Thoth". Thoth was the ibis-headed god of wisdom and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians. After the fall of the Egyptian Empire, the tablets found their way into the hands of roving people later known as "Gypsies" or the Romany people. The Romany copied the symbols of the tablets, which, over the centuries, became the major arcana of the Tarot deck. Tarot is thought to have been introduced to the "West" from the Romany, who travelled throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Other theories on the Origin of the Tarot abound. Whatever the actual origin of the Tarot may be, it is known that esoteric playing cards were first mentioned by Swiss monks in the 1320's.
Playing cards with mythical imagery also surfaced in Medieval France and Italy in the 1300's. Their rise in popularity was kept in check by the church, the first recorded ban on their use was in 1367, in Bern, Switzerland. The church used the Latin Bible and Mass which only the clergy understood to maintain control over the only official channel to the divine. Those without access to the Bible had no mystical channel without the official authority and interpretation of the clergy. This religious vacuum opened the door for spiritual pathways among the commoners, a niche Tarot was able to fill.
The English and French word Tarot might have been derived from the Italian "tarocchi", a type of card game. The word may have also emerged from the Taro River in northern Italy, near Parma; card games were popular in northern Italy, especially in Milan and Bologna, where royal families would commission the painting and printing of playing card decks to commemorate events. Other theorists point to the Arabic word طرق "turuq", which means 'pathways'. Alternatively, it may be from the Arabic ترك "taraka", 'to leave, abandon, omit, leave behind'. According to a French etymology, the Italian "tarocco" derived from Arabic طرح "ṭarḥ", 'rejection; subtraction, deduction, discount'.
There is also the theory the word tarot is related to the story of Harut and Marut, who were mentioned in the Quran. According to this account, a group of Israelites were learning magic. Two angels called Harut and Marut appeared to test them, and it adds this knowledge of magic would be passed on to others by the devil. The striking simmilarities here is the phonetic resemblance of tarot تاروت to Harut هاروت and Marut ماروت; this resemblance, which is most evident when all three words are transcribed to Arabic, is open for research to confirm whether it is coincidental or etymologically significant. The Tarot also shares ancient commonalities with the Hebrew Kabbalah, the 22 cards of the major arcana could be shown to correspond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
The evolution of the Sun Card, from left to right: ancient Egyptian clay tablet, Tarot de Marseille, Rider-Waite, contemporary designs.
The Tarot de Marseille is the most popular deck in the French, Spanish and Portugese speaking world. Scholars point to a medieval origin for this popular Tarot deck. These cards were introduced into southern France from northern Italy when the French conquered Milan and the Piedmont in 1499. Many popluar Italian card games were introduced into southern France at that time. The game of Tarot died out in Italy but survived in France and Switzerland. When the game was reintroduced into northern Italy, the Marseille designs of the cards were also reintroduced to that region, with the addition of French designs.
The Papess card (left) from Tarot de Marseille sparked controversy because of its portrayal of a female Pope. There is no solid historical evidence of a female Pope, but this card may be based around the mythical Pope Joan. Many variant names have been used to avoid such controversy, including Juno, The Spanish Captain and The High Priestess, (right) from the Rider-Waite deck.
This is but one of the many reasons the Church sought to suppress Tarot. These efforts where in vain as Tarot gained steady popularity among the commoners, the rich as well as in the royal courts.
The Tarot deck evolved to contain 78 cards divided into two sets: a major arcana and a minor arcana. The Major Arcana (greater secrets), or trump cards, consists of 22 cards without suits: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World. The minor arcana are fifty-six cards divided into court and suits. The sixteen court cards are comprised of a King, a Queen, a Knight, and a Knave (or Page) for each of the four suits of the deck. The remaining forty cards are divided into the four suits called: Pentacles, Cups, Swords, and Wands. The suit cards are numbered from 1 (ace) to 10 for each of the four suits. The suit cards represent specific opportunities and lessons. The minor arcana cards are used to represent people, relationships, finances, action, energies, and forces. During a Tarot reading, the major arcana and minor arcana interact to bring about different variations and combinations, and therefore thousands of unique readings.
During the nineteenth century, a resurgence began when many British, French and American occultists rediscovered Tarot for divination. Tarot moved from the Gypsy caravan to the highest of society. The largest of such movements was a secret occult group in England known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Golden Dawn member Aleister Crowley, an influential English occultist, mystic and ceremonial magician, orchestrated the creation of the Thoth Deck, painted by Lady Frieda Harris. It became the third most popular Tarot deck after the Rider-Waite and Tarot de Marseille. This enthusiam for a divinatory usage of the Tarot spread throughout Europe and America
The Rider-Waite Tarot deck, originally published in December 1909, is the most popular Tarot deck in use today in the English-speaking world. Rider-Waite cards were first painted by British occultist Pamela Colman Smith, and has been influential in the development of later Tarot decks. Many modern Tarot decks are called "Rider-Waite inspired". Examples include the Universal Waite Tarot deck, Golden Tarot, Aquarian Tarot deck, Nigel Jackson Tarot, Gilded Tarot, Golden Rider, and many more. This deck has also influenced the terminology used by English-speaking Tarot users such that English translations of traditional French or Italian decks often use the terms of the Rider-Waite deck even when traditional decks often pre-date the Rider-Waite by great number of years.
The last hundred years we have seen a wave of alternative spirituality in the west, and with it a proliferation of new Tarot decks. These contemporary decks have been created to represent many cultural and philosophical points of view. A myriad of new Tarot decks are available now, with a myriad of variations. The majority share core images or themes that are part of a "mental structure" that is fairly consistent across the different deck designs.
The strength of the Tarot is that its symbolism is subject to constant redefinition and evolution. In short, the Tarot images can change or evolve over time, but otherwise the primary manifestation of Tarot is quite consistent. This is in agreement with Jung's concept of the archetypes of the collective unconscious which are consistent across humanity while slowly evolving with the mind over time. This is a very fortunate time for the spiritual seeker, who now has a huge variety to discover to find that one Tarot deck resonates with them. Please take some time to peruse our Tarot Boutique, where you will find an incomparable selection of Tarot decks selected specifically for their high quality and importance by Tell-All Tarot. There you can read descriptions, compare independent reviews and ratings, see pictures and compare unbeatable prices.
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