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From Italian Playing Cards to Modern Mysticism
Contrary to popular belief, tarot cards were not invented by ancient Egyptians, Romani travelers, or medieval mystics. Tarot cards originated in northern Italy during the early 15th century, created as playing cards for trick-taking games enjoyed by the nobility. The earliest documented tarot decks appeared around 1440 in Milan, Ferrara, and Bologna—hand-painted luxury items commissioned by wealthy Italian families like the Visconti and Sforza dynasties.
The tarot deck evolved from standard playing cards that arrived in Europe from the Islamic world in the late 14th century. These cards featured four suits—coins, cups, swords, and polo sticks (which became wands in Europe). What distinguished tarot was the addition of the trionfi or "triumphs" (later called Major Arcana)—22 special cards depicting allegorical figures like The Fool, The Magician, Death, and The Devil, drawn from Christian iconography and medieval morality plays.
For over 350 years, tarot cards served one primary purpose: playing games. The original game, Tarocchi, was a trick-taking game similar to modern bridge or spades. These games spread throughout Europe—French Tarot remains popular in France today, while Tarock variants are still played in Austria, Hungary, and Central Europe. In these regions, tarot never acquired mystical associations.
The mystical associations began in the late 18th century in France. In 1781, Antoine Court de Gébelin claimed—without evidence—that tarot cards were remnants of ancient Egyptian wisdom. This romantic notion captured imaginations. Jean-Baptiste Alliette ("Etteilla") soon published divination methods, and the 19th century saw figures like Éliphas Lévi connect tarot to Kabbalah and ceremonial magic.
The most influential modern deck emerged in 1909: the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, created by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. This deck introduced illustrated scenes on all 78 cards, making the imagery more accessible. Today, thousands of artistic variations exist, and people use tarot for divination, self-reflection, creative inspiration, or simply as the entertaining card games they were originally designed to be.
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