A Short History of Tarot: From Card Game to Reflection Tool
By Julie Zhu · Published · 3 min read
Tarot is often described as ancient and mysterious. Its real history is more down to earth, and just as interesting. It began as a card game in Renaissance Italy and only became associated with divination centuries later.
Short answer: Tarot began in fifteenth-century northern Italy as a card game, with decks such as those painted for the Visconti and Sforza families. In the late eighteenth century, French writers including Antoine Court de Gébelin claimed it held ancient Egyptian wisdom, a claim historians reject. The Golden Dawn developed its esoteric system in the 1890s, leading to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck of 1909.
Where did tarot come from?
Playing cards reached Europe in the late fourteenth century. In fifteenth-century northern Italy, players added a fifth series of picture cards, the trionfi or trumps, to the four suits. The game became known as tarocchi. Some of the oldest surviving cards are hand-painted decks associated with the Visconti and Sforza families of Milan. Tarot games are still played in parts of Europe today.
When did tarot become a divination tool?
In 1781, Antoine Court de Gébelin wrote in his work Le Monde primitif that tarot preserved the wisdom of ancient Egypt. There was no evidence for this, but the idea spread. Around the same time, a French occultist known as Etteilla published methods for reading the cards and later designed decks for divination.
How did the Golden Dawn shape modern tarot?
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in London in 1888, built a system linking tarot to astrology, Kabbalah and the elements. Members Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith created the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909. Aleister Crowley, also a former member, later designed the Thoth deck with Lady Frieda Harris.
How do historians know this?
The standard scholarly account comes from the philosopher and historian Michael Dummett, especially his book The Game of Tarot (1980), and later work with Ronald Decker and Thierry Depaulis. They traced tarot through surviving decks, rules and records rather than legends.
Which tarot cards often come up for the history of tarot?
- The Fool: once an unnumbered card in tarot games, now the start of the Major Arcana journey.
- The High Priestess: called the Papess in older decks.
- The Hierophant: called the Pope in older decks.
How can you use Astra for the history of tarot?
Astra uses the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition described above and treats tarot as a tool for reflection. Astra is on Android and the web app, with iOS coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Is tarot from ancient Egypt?
No. That idea dates to the eighteenth century and is not supported by historical evidence. Tarot began in Renaissance Italy.
Was tarot invented for fortune telling?
No. It began as a card game. Divinatory use developed in the eighteenth century.
What is the most influential tarot deck?
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck of 1909 is the basis for most modern decks.
Keep reading
- Major vs Minor Arcana
- How to read tarot for beginners
- Tarot court cards explained
- Rider-Waite-Smith vs Thoth vs Marseille
- Tarot vs oracle cards