Who Created Reading Tarot Cards?

In the late 18th century, French occultists made unsubstantiated claims about the history and meaning of tarot cards, leading to the emergence of custom decks for divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy. Tarot decks were invented in Italy in the 1430s by adding to the existing four-suit pack. The origins of the Tarot de Marseille, one of the oldest and most influential tarot decks, are rooted in the historical development of playing cards in Europe during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette, also known as Etteilla, published the first definitive guide to tarot card reading, which laid the foundation for using tarot as a tool for spiritual and personal growth. By the turn of the 20th century, tarot cards, particularly the Tarot of Marseilles, were so entwined with the occult that the Tarot Nouveau, a deck used solely for playing rather than predicting, was created.

Tarot card reading was invented in northern Italy between 1440 and 1450, with additional cards featuring allegorical illustrations being added to the existing four-suit pack. Éliphas Lévi Lévi was the first to suggest that the Magus (Bagatto) was to be depicted in conjunction with the symbols of the four suits. In the late 1700s, French pastor Alliette became the first documented professional tarot reader using tarot for divination.

The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, first created in 1909, was a collaboration between Arthur Waite and Pamela Colman Smith. Tarot decks were invented in Italy in the 1430s by adding a fifth suit of 21 specially illustrated cards called trionfi.

Did tarot originate in Egypt?

The popular belief that tarot originated in ancient Egypt is, in fact, a myth. Tarot decks were utilized for card games for centuries prior to the late 1700s, when French pastor Antoine Court de Gebelin became the first documented professional tarot reader. He employed the cards for divination purposes.

What is the science behind tarot cards?

Tarot cards have been found to have psychological influences, but they can still have beneficial effects on a person’s mental health when used in a therapeutic context. A 2009 study found that regular users of Tarot cards used them as a tool for self-reflection, providing insight into their current life situations and providing comfort during difficult times. They also used Tarot cards as a tool for positive reinforcement, drawing cards intentionally and randomly to provide insights about their own lives.

Some co-researchers kept a card with them until their goals were resolved, claiming that Tarot does not reveal new information but can provide a new perspective on an issue that can influence a plan for a possible course of action.

This study highlights the potential of Tarot as an effective therapeutic tool, despite the foundational psychological effects behind its mainstream use. Further research on the beneficial impacts of Tarot in a therapeutic setting would involve examining a larger number of participants from a wider variety of backgrounds. Regardless of the reason behind a person’s use of Tarot cards, they have maintained a strong presence in society and have the potential to do more than just predict the future.

Is tarot ok for Christians?

The notion that tarot cards can exert control over one’s life is a pervasive one, yet there is a paucity of empirical evidence to substantiate this claim.

Can anyone read tarot cards?

Tarot is a popular and accessible tool for anyone, according to author Michelle Tea. She believes that learning tarot involves becoming comfortable with the imagery, learning them by heart, and understanding how the cards interact. Tea’s book, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards, provides a beginner’s guide to tarot, guiding readers through each card in a deck, sharing reading tips, and ways to incorporate tarot into self-care practices. Tea emphasizes that anyone can learn tarot, as long as they are comfortable with the imagery and understand how they flow into a story.

What culture is tarot from?

Tarot cards originated in Europe during the mid-15th century, with the earliest known decks being created in Italy for a game called tarocchi. These decks, like the Visconti-Sforza deck, were hand-painted and commissioned by wealthy families as symbols of their status. The Major Arcana, consisting of 22 cards, represents life lessons, spiritual themes, and archetypal energies, with each card having its own unique symbolism.

The Minor Arcana, consisting of four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles) corresponds to the elements of fire, water, air, and earth, focusing on everyday matters, personal experiences, and challenges and opportunities encountered in life.

Do tarot cards really work?

Tarot readings can be an empowering and insightful tool for self-discovery and future direction. A professional tarot reader can help you understand your goals and desires, providing insight into your situation and guiding you towards the best actions for your love life, career, or other questions. They can also reveal the motivations of others and predict potential outcomes of decisions. A good tarot reading can provide clarity and help heal anxiety.

However, it is crucial to prepare thoroughly for your first reading to fully benefit from the experience. A good tarot reading can provide valuable insights into your future and help you make informed decisions.

What country is tarot from?

Tarot decks were invented in Italy in the 1430s, adding a fifth suit of 21 specially illustrated cards called trionfi (“triumphs”) and an odd card called il matto (“the fool”). These cards bore Italian suitmarks and belonged to an experimental period of card design when queens were often added to the series of court cards previously consisting of only a king and two male figures. In standard cards, the four figures were subsequently reduced to three again by suppressing the queen, except in French cards, which suppressed the cavalier (knight).

The trionfi each bore a different allegorical illustration instead of a common suitmark, possibly representing characters in medieval reenactments of Roman triumphal processions. They were originally unnumbered, so it was necessary to remember their order. When added to the pack, trionfi functioned as a suit superior in power to the other four, acting as a suit of triumphs or “trumps”.

Do tarot cards predict the future?

Tarot can help make big decisions, but it cannot predict the future. Michelle Tea suggests beginners start with a three-card reading from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck. Growing up, her family often relied on tarot for tough decisions, such as discussing a brother’s breakup or deciding whether to drop out of school. The deck’s iconic Rider-Waite-Smith cards can be used to guide readers through these situations.

Who first read tarot cards?

Tarot card reading is a form of cartomancy where practitioners use tarot cards to gain insight into the past, present, or future. The first to assign divinatory meanings to tarot cards was cartomancer Jean-Baptiste Alliette (also known as Etteilla) in 1783. A traditional tarot deck consists of 78 cards, divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. French-suited playing cards can also be used. The first written references to tarot packs occurred between 1440 and 1450 in northern Italy, where additional cards with allegorical illustrations were added to the common four-suit pack.

These new packs were called carte da trionfi, triumph packs, and the additional cards known simply as trionfi, which became “trumps” in English. One of the earliest references to tarot triumphs is given c. 1450–1470 by a Dominican preacher in a sermon against dice, playing cards, and ‘triumphs’. References to the tarot as a social plague or exempt from bans that affected other games continue throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, but there are no indications that the cards were used for anything but games.

Where did tarot card reading come from?

In English-speaking countries, cartomantic tarot cards are available for novelty and divination. Early French occultists claimed tarot cards had esoteric links to ancient Egypt, Kabbalah, the Indic Tantra, or I Ching. However, scholarly research shows that tarot cards were invented in northern Italy in the mid-15th century and no significant use of tarot cards for divination until the late 18th century. Historians describe western views of the Tarot pack as a “successful propaganda campaign”.

The earliest evidence of a tarot deck used for cartomancy comes from an anonymous manuscript from around 1750. The popularization of esoteric tarot started with Antoine Court and Jean-Baptiste Alliette (Etteilla) in Paris during the 1780s, using the Tarot of Marseilles. French tarot players abandoned the Marseilles tarot in favor of the Tarot Nouveau around 1900, and the Marseilles pattern is now mostly used by cartomancers. Etteilla was the first to produce a bespoke tarot deck specifically designed for occult purposes around 1789, containing themes related to ancient Egypt.

What is the luckiest card in the tarot?

The Wheel of Fortune card, part of the Major Arcana, is a symbol of destiny, fortune, success, elevation, luck, and felicity. It is often depicted in a six- or eight-spoked wheel, often attended by an individual dressed in an Egyptian-style headdress. In some decks, such as the AG Müller, the wheel is also attended by an individual wearing a blindfold. The wheel is not always inscribed with any lettering, but the letters T-A-R-O (clockwise) or T-O-R-A (counter clockwise) can be found aligned against four of the spokes, which can also be interpreted as R-O-T-A, the Latin word meaning “wheel”.

In some decks, such as the Waite, the wheel is inscribed with additional alchemical symbols representing the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These emblems can also be seen on the Magician’s table in the Magician card (Card I).