What is Tarot? From Game to Divination Tool
Tarot is a 78-card deck divided into the 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. While today it is widely used for divination and self-reflection, for centuries it was simply a card game for the Italian elite.
Origins in Renaissance Italy
Playing cards arrived in Europe through Italian ports in the late 14th century, but their exact origin remains unclear. The oldest surviving tarot decks were commissioned by Milanese dukes Filippo Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza in the mid-15th century. These hand-painted, gold-leafed cards were luxurious items for the aristocracy.
Variants emerged across regions. In Bologna, Giuseppe Maria Mitelli designed the simplified Tarocchino Bolognese, while France developed the Tarot de Marseille in the 17th century, printed with woodcuts and stenciled colors. The imagery depicted familiar allegories and Catholic symbols, not cryptic occult meanings.
The Shift to Occultism
It was not until the mid-18th century that tarot began to be used for divination in Italy. Ironically, during the Age of Enlightenment, French occultists gave tarot a mystical aura. In 1781, Antoine Court de Gébelin claimed tarot originated from ancient Egyptian sacred books, brought by Gypsies. Ten years later, Jean-Baptiste Alliette (Etteilla) linked it to the legendary Book of Thoth and created one of the first decks designed for fortune-telling in 1789.
Modern Decks and Global Popularity
A major turning point came in 1909 with the Rider-Waite deck, designed by Pamela Colman Smith under Arthur Edward Waite. It revolutionized tarot by illustrating the pip cards with full scenes, making the deck intuitive and accessible. It became the most popular deck of the 20th century.
In contrast, Aleister Crowley's Thoth deck (1943), painted by Lady Frieda Harris, is known for its complex blend of scientific and mystical symbols, requiring deep study. Tarot also became an art form, with Salvador Dalí creating his own deck in the 1970s.
The Major Arcana: A Spiritual Journey
The 22 Major Arcana cards, numbered 0-21, represent major life themes and archetypal forces. Their sequence is often seen as the Fool's journey from innocence to enlightenment.
- 0 The Fool: beginnings, spontaneity, potential.
- I The Magician: willpower, manifestation, skill.
- II The High Priestess: intuition, hidden knowledge, mystery.
- III The Empress: abundance, nurturing, creativity.
- IV The Emperor: structure, authority, stability.
- V The Hierophant: tradition, spiritual guidance, institutions.
- VI The Lovers: love, choices, union.
- VII The Chariot: victory, willpower, determination.
- VIII Strength: courage, inner power, patience.
- IX The Hermit: introspection, soul-searching, guidance.
- X Wheel of Fortune: change, cycles, fate.
- XI Justice: fairness, truth, cause and effect.
- XII The Hanged Man: surrender, new perspective, sacrifice.
- XIII Death: endings, transformation, rebirth.
- XIV Temperance: balance, moderation, harmony.
- XV The Devil: bondage, temptation, shadow self.
- XVI The Tower: sudden upheaval, revelation, liberation.
- XVII The Star: hope, healing, inspiration.
- XVIII The Moon: illusion, subconscious, anxiety.
- XIX The Sun: joy, success, clarity.
- XX Judgement: awakening, renewal, forgiveness.
- XXI The World: completion, wholeness, fulfillment.
Why Major Arcana Matter
When Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, they often signal significant life events or deep karmic lessons. They do not rigidly predict the future but reflect underlying energies and patterns, offering insight and self-awareness.
Tarot Today
Modern tarot has expanded beyond fortune-telling into art, psychology, and personal growth. Contemporary artists create diverse decks that reflect various cultures and perspectives, such as Courtney Alexander's Dust II Onyx featuring Black characters. Tarot has evolved into a rich symbolic language connecting people to the depths of the psyche.
