A brief history of Tarot

Tarot has been growing in popularity yet remains a mystery for many.

For many, Tarot may come across as being quite abstract, obscure, or somewhat strange. Fair enough! I never thought I’d be reading Tarot and had a misconception that held me back from exploring this fascinating method for personal and spiritual development. Tarot is growing in popularity and demand. If you’ve ever wondered where it came from and how it can benefit you, now is the time!

History

Tarot comes with a remarkable history, although no one knows exactly where the cards or symbols originated. Some historians date back to an age-old prophecy when Ancient Egypt was at threat of being destroyed. The destruction of ancient wisdom was looming. The sages of Ancient Egypt worked together to encode this knowledge in a set of universal symbols. This set was then turned into early playing cards known as Tarot.

Early Tarot was used as playing cards rather than for divinity and found dating back to the mid-1400s predominately between Italy and France. At this time, cards held basic meanings and were quite popular within wealthier societies. Aristocrats would often commission artists to custom design cards for their pleasure.

It wasn’t until 1781 when a French Freemason, Antonie Court de Gebelin, published a comprehensive analysis of the Tarot stating that the symbolism was originally derived from the esoteric secrets of Egyptian priests. These secrets traveled to Rome and were kept secret by the Catholic Priests. Although his research lacked historical evidence, public interest in the Tarot grew, eventually evolving from playing cards to a form of divination. The Tarot was also associated with the Kabbalah and the secrets of hermetic mysticism.

By 1909, the Tarot gained in popularity with the collaborative effort of British occultist Rider-Waite and artist Pamala Smith weighing heavily on the Kabbalistic symbolism. The progression of life lessons from the Tarot closely aligns with the Tree of Life, an ancient chart used in various mystical traditions to depict man’s journey towards spiritual ascension.

The Rider-Waite Smith Tarot deck remains the best selling deck of all time and the basis of endless modern design influences of today’s Tarot.

So, how does Tarot work?

The Tarot cards align with your energy to reveal the messages that you need to know. In essence, we are all energy. Everything we think, do, and feel emits particular frequencies. When you’re deep within a situation or placement in life, both the reader and the cards pick up on that energy to reveal the hidden truths for clarity and guidance. The reader can translate the message using their intuition and understanding of the cards.

The deck of 78 cards includes the following sections:

Major Arcana / 22 Cards: Significant points within the cycles of our lives that have great impact and meaning.

Minor Arcana / 4 Suits / 56 Cards: The life lessons and interactions that we encounter throughout our daily lives.

Most cards are assigned to zodiac signs and hold similar traits and characteristics of that particular zodiac. Suits within the minor arcana represent four main elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Depending on how the cards are positioned and related to one another will determine the final message.

Anyone can be a tarot reader. Although there is a steep learning curve with literal meanings, letting energy and intuition bring forth impactful messages that resonate is essential. Every reader brings their unique style and flares to the readings.

How Tarot can help you

When it comes to esoteric practices, it’s common to question the basis of the practice and how it can help improve one’s life. The symbolism and meaning of each card within the Tarot depicts the basis of growth and development, offering valuable wisdom and knowledge to move forward with understanding and flow.

Throughout history, our society has made things more complicated while building unnatural and rigid structures and systems. Certain practices of higher learning were shunned and deemed inappropriate and unacceptable in societal standards.

However, we are starting to see an incredible shift and acceptance with exploring deeper truth and wisdom in search of answers to the meaning of life. The ‘failing to fit in’ model is slowly deteriorating. From Tarot, in particular, historically being an underground practice to now having a place with how we understand the world and the role we play.

Aside from peering into the future or understanding the past, the basis of the Tarot is to help us evolve and develop empowerment for personal and spiritual evolution. Once we change ourselves, we change the world around us and live within a higher state of flow and well-being.

From gaining clarity to even healing and transformation, the Tarot is an incredible method for growth and empowerment.

Interested in more? Contact me and let’s chat!