The Origins of Tarot
Tarot developed in northern Italy during the 15th century. Early tarot packs expanded existing four-suit playing-card decks by adding a group of illustrated trump cards and the Fool. These early cards were primarily created for games rather than fortune-telling, and tarot-based card games subsequently spread from Italy into other parts of Europe.
From Card Games to Divination
Tarot was not originally designed as a divination system. Historical evidence for using tarot cards specifically for cartomancy appears much later, with early documented divinatory meanings emerging around the middle of the 18th century. The use of tarot for esoteric and divinatory purposes became increasingly popular through French occult traditions during the late 18th century.
Tarot for Games and Tarot for Reflection
Historically, tarot developed along two distinct paths. In parts of Europe, tarot decks continued to be used for traditional trick-taking card games, while elsewhere—particularly in many English- and Spanish-speaking countries—tarot became more closely associated with cartomancy, symbolism and divination. Some historic decks originally created for games, including the Tarot de Marseille, later became widely used for cartomancy as well.
The Structure of a Tarot Deck
A standard esoteric tarot deck contains 78 cards divided into two principal groups: the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. The traditional structure combines 22 Major Arcana cards with 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, each containing numbered cards together with four court cards.
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, beginning with The Fool and continuing through cards such as The Magician, The High Priestess, The Lovers, The Hermit, The Tower, The Star, The Sun and The World. In modern tarot traditions, these cards are generally associated with larger symbolic themes and archetypal ideas rather than belonging to one of the four suits.
Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana contains 56 cards divided into four suits of 14 cards each. In modern occult tarot these suits are commonly known as Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit contains ten numbered cards together with the Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Different Tarot Traditions
Tarot has developed into many different deck traditions over its long history. Among the best-known decks used in esoteric tarot are the Tarot de Marseille, Rider–Waite–Smith Tarot and Thoth Tarot. Their artwork, symbolism and presentation can differ considerably, while still drawing from the broader historical structure of tarot.
Tarot Today
Today tarot exists both as a historical family of European card games and as a widely used symbolic system for cartomancy, reflection and personal exploration. Modern tarot users may work with individual cards or arrange several cards into spreads, using the symbolism and assigned meanings of the cards as a framework for interpreting a question, situation or theme.