Category: Free Inquiry

Modern tarot is a symbol of the occult. It is associated with future-prediction, new age ideology, in so many words, a kind of magic. The history of tarot, however, strays from our modern definitions.

Despite its ancient practice, tarots beginnings lack the certain glamour that their modern presence conveys. Though its origins are not clear, tarot can be traced by to somewhere in the early fifteenth century in Northern Italy (Tarcher, 6). By many accounts, there is “Evidence [that] indicates that the first deck that we would call a tarot was created . . .  when a fifth suit, containing allegorical figures, was added to an already existing deck of cards”(15).

By 1507, we know that tarot had reached popularity in other regions including Marseilles and surrounding areas (7). In its earliest days, there is some indication of its use for divination but primarily, it was a simple card game (15). In fact, tarot is a likely ancestor of bridge (15).

Despite its humble beginnings, divination remains part of tarots earliest history. Examples of the use of tarot for divination can be traced back to at least, the early sixteenth century (25). When searching for these uses, we are able to differentiate between parlour game and divination based on whether or not the deck includes all 5 suits, including the major arcana (25). The best evidence for this use occurs in a Venician work titled Merlini Cocai Sonnets, published in 1527 (25). This publication includes 5 sonnets “in which trump cards are dealt and laid out then used to determine the fates of the story’s main characters”(25).

By the 18th and 19th centuries, occultists adopted and popularized tarot for use of divination (25). Our most modern understandings of tarot are dated from 1781 to present time (26).

 

For more information, check out this short video on the history of tarot.

 

I’m not sure what I was expecting when learning the origins of tarot. Maybe I was looking for some enlightened beginnings that brought this practice to modern-day. What I discovered was that its origins are similar to that of a simple card game. Perhaps its origins are not of the highest importance. Perhaps what allowed tarot to transform and last to its modern definition is what is truly impressive. Stay tuned.

 

Because a little self-investigation never hurt anybody. 

New age ideology is often beaten-down by the self-proclaimed “rational.” In this same way, tarot, crystals, astrology, have all been feminized. Some troubling parallels have been made between women’s’ interest in the occult and the snubbing of these practices. I have been told that tarot is self-centred. I have been told that these practices exist only for vain, self-obsessed women. Why else would they care what these glorified playing cards have to say about their lives, right?

Maybe the reason you don’t like these practices is that it forces you to have a deep empathy towards those around you; it forces you to examine your tiny cog in the universe, to reflect on your actions, to come to terms with yourself. Maybe when you look into yourself, you won’t like what you see.

Or maybe, some people are just natural sceptics: they fear the unknown, they don’t believe anything without deep investigation, or they just enjoy throwing their hands in the air and yelling “bullshit!”

For whatever reason, I’ve never had difficulty in enjoying tarot. I’m neither gullible nor self-obsessed. I’ve just used them as a tool for introspection. They allow me to have deep conversations with myself and to others that receive readings. Still, I feel I’ve been somewhat irresponsible.

I picked up my tarot deck in high school. I was young and desperately edgy. I gave them a good shuffle, cut the deck, had my subjects choose four cards from the eight I drew, and laid them out on a sheer blue kimono that I deemed mystical. It was a parody in every sense, and they loved it. Somewhere in this feigned bravado, they started to believe me. They started requesting readings after breakups, before breakups, in the midst of a breakup (people are stupidly obsessed with love hey?).

I’ve been giving readings for about seven years now. And over these years, I have never learned to properly give a reading. I know so little about the history of tarot, it is almost laughable, if I didn’t find it so deeply troubling. This inquiry acts as an open apology to those I’ve burned with my haphazard readings. It also acts as a deep exploration into tarots origins and modern uses. I just think it’s about time.