Pick a Card, Any Card

A Journey Through the History of Tarot

The Fortune Teller c.1860–1862 by John Phillip (1817–1867)

Before we begin this week’s foray into the dark arts, I have a big thank you to give to all of you for your readership and support over the last year of this newsletter. Tomorrow (September 2nd) marks one whole year of Are You Scared Yet?, and I’ve loved having a special little weirdo corner of Substack to write about my niche interests (that’s here, if you were confused). Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy what’s yet to come!

Greetings, my mystically-minded mavens!

In today’s edition, we’ll embark on a journey not through haunted halls or celestial spheres, but through the shuffling, cutting, and dealing of one of the most misunderstood, yet enduring, tools of introspection and prognostication: the Tarot. Forget the crystal balls and the misty visions for a moment; the history of Tarot is a surprisingly down-to-earth tale, evolving from parlor games to profound spiritual tools.

From Gaming Tables to Grand Oracles: The Early Days of Tarot (15th-18th Centuries)

When you hear "Tarot," your mind probably conjures images of cloaked figures, flickering candlelight, and pronouncements of doom or destiny. But here’s an intriguing twist: the earliest known Tarot decks weren't mystical tools at all. They were, in fact, just fancy playing cards.¹ Shocking, I know! It’s like discovering the grim reaper started out as a Boy Scout.

The first Tarot decks, or "Tarocchi" as they were called in Italy, emerged in 15th-century Italy, primarily in the courts of Milan, Venice, and Ferrara.² These were not your average deck of 52; they consisted of four suits (swords, batons, cups, and coins—precursors to our modern spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds), plus a set of 21 trump cards (the trionfi), and a single unnumbered card called il matto (the Fool).³ These trump cards, depicting allegorical figures like the Emperor, the High Priestess, Justice, and Death, were used to determine the winner in trick-taking games, much like the trump suit in bridge or euchre today.

The earliest surviving decks, exquisitely hand-painted, were luxury items commissioned by wealthy noble families. The most famous of these is the Visconti-Sforza deck, dating back to around 1440 and commissioned by the Duke of Milan.⁴ These weren't mass-produced; they were individual works of art, reflecting the Renaissance's fascination with allegory, symbolism, and classical themes. Imagine playing a card game with cards so beautiful you'd be afraid to shuffle them too vigorously!

So, for about three centuries, Tarot remained largely what it started as: a game. It spread from Italy to France and other parts of Europe, evolving in design and local names (e.g., Tarot de Marseille became a popular standard design). There was no widespread association with divination, prophecy, or spiritual enlightenment. It was simply an elaborate, often beautiful, way to pass the time amongst the aristocracy and, eventually, the general populace. The idea of using them to predict whether you'd finally get that promotion or meet your soulmate was still centuries away.

The Esoteric Awakening: Tarot and the Occult Revival (18th-19th Centuries)

And then, dear readers, things took a turn for the mystical. The late 18th century saw a dramatic shift in how Tarot was perceived, largely thanks to a surge of interest in esotericism, mysticism, and secret societies. It was the Age of Enlightenment, yes, but also a time when people started looking for hidden wisdom beyond the purely rational. This was an era of intense intellectual ferment, where new ideas challenged old orthodoxies, and secret societies like the Freemasons and Rosicrucians sought to find and preserve ancient truths. The Tarot, with its mysterious, allegorical images, became the perfect blank slate for these new philosophies.

The first person credited with linking Tarot to ancient Egyptian wisdom and occult knowledge was a French Protestant pastor and Freemason named Antoine Court de Gébelin.⁵ In his multi-volume work, Le Monde Primitif (1781), de Gébelin proposed that the Tarot was not merely a game, but a book of ancient Egyptian wisdom, preserved through time, containing the secrets of the universe.⁶ He suggested the images on the cards were hieroglyphics encoding profound truths. Never mind that there’s absolutely no historical evidence linking Tarot to ancient Egypt; de Gébelin's enthusiasm was infectious and perfectly timed for a public eager for ancient mysteries.

Following de Gébelin’s sensational claims, other occultists jumped on board. Jean-Baptiste Alliette, better known as Etteilla (his name spelled backward, naturally), was the first professional fortune-teller to specifically use and popularize Tarot for divination.⁷ He published his own deck in 1789, explicitly designed for occult purposes, and wrote books detailing how to interpret the cards for fortune-telling. Etteilla even claimed to have learned the secrets of Tarot from an ancient Egyptian book, further cementing the spurious Egyptian connection in the public's mind. His influence was immense, transforming Tarot from a parlor game to a tool of prophecy, almost overnight.

The 19th century saw this trend accelerate. Prominent French occultists like Eliphas Lévi further codified the esoteric meanings of the Tarot, linking the cards to Cabalistic symbolism, astrology, and alchemy.⁸ Lévi’s writings, particularly Dogma and Ritual of High Magic (1856), were hugely influential, reinterpreting the Tarot as a profound system of mystical knowledge rather than just a set of images. He didn't just see pictures; he saw a complete philosophical system, a "book of Thoth" containing the keys to the universe.

By the end of the 19th century, the transformation was complete. Tarot was firmly established in the public imagination not as a game, but as a potent divinatory and esoteric tool, brimming with ancient secrets (even if those secrets were only a couple of centuries old and more Italian than Egyptian).

The Golden Dawn and Beyond: Modern Tarot Takes Shape (Late 19th-20th Centuries)

The turn of the 20th century brought us to the doorstep of what most people recognize today as modern Tarot. This period was dominated by one of the most influential magical orders in Western esotericism: the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.⁹ This secret society, founded in London in 1888, attracted many prominent figures interested in occult studies, including writers, artists, and scholars.

It was within the Golden Dawn that two of the most iconic and enduring Tarot decks were conceived:

The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Deck, published in 1909, is arguably the most famous and widely used Tarot deck in the world.¹⁰ It was conceived by Arthur Edward Waite, a prominent member of the Golden Dawn, and brilliantly illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, also a member of the Order. What made the RWS deck revolutionary was that, for the first time, all 78 cards (including the pip cards, or Minor Arcana, which previously just showed arrangements of suit symbols) were depicted with evocative scenes and rich symbolism.¹¹ This meant even a beginner could "read" the cards intuitively, looking at the images rather than just relying on rote memorization. Pamela Colman Smith’s artistry brought the deck to life, making it an accessible and visually rich tool for divination and self-exploration. If you've ever seen a Tarot card, chances are it's from this deck or heavily inspired by it.

The Thoth Tarot Deck, developed by the infamous occultist Aleister Crowley (another former Golden Dawn member, known for his "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" philosophy) and artist Lady Frieda Harris, was completed between 1938 and 1943 but not published until 1969.¹² The Thoth deck is highly complex and deeply intertwined with Crowley's Thelema philosophy, Cabala, and astrological symbolism. It's renowned for its stunning, intricate artwork and rich esoteric detail, though it’s generally considered more challenging to learn and interpret than the RWS deck.

These two decks, born from the fertile ground of late 19th and early 20th-century occultism, firmly cemented Tarot’s place in the spiritual and self-help landscape. After the mid-20th century, particularly with the rise of the New Age movement and a broader interest in spirituality, self-discovery, and alternative practices, Tarot experienced a massive resurgence in popularity. It shed some of its more shadowy, sensationalized associations and began to be embraced as a tool for psychological insight, creative inspiration, and personal guidance, moving beyond mere fortune-telling. It became less about predicting an immutable future and more about exploring possibilities, understanding oneself, and navigating life’s challenges with greater awareness.

Why Tarot’s History Matters Today: More Than Just Fortune-Telling

So, why is this intricate history important to know? Beyond being a fascinating tale of cultural evolution, understanding the journey of the Tarot offers profound insights.

Myth Debunking

Knowing that Tarot originated as a game and was only later imbued with mystical meaning corrects popular misconceptions. It allows us to appreciate the cards for what they are: a powerful symbolic system developed by European artists and thinkers, not a direct descendant of ancient Egyptian priests. This intellectual honesty makes our engagement with the cards more grounded and authentic.

A Mirror of Intellectual and Spiritual Shifts

The history of Tarot is a microcosm of Western cultural history itself. The cards' transformation from a game to a tool of divination perfectly reflects the shift from an era of rigid religious and social structures to one of individual exploration and questioning. It shows how people, over centuries, have consistently sought alternative ways to understand their world and their place in it.

A Living, Evolving Art Form

The history of Tarot is a story of continuous innovation and reinterpretation. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which is the foundation for countless modern decks, was a radical departure from its predecessors. Understanding this evolution helps us appreciate the creative and spiritual work that has gone into creating the hundreds of new, artist-driven decks available today. It’s a testament to the enduring power of symbolic storytelling.

A Tool for Self-Discovery

By tracing the cards from simple game pieces to complex psychological tools, we can fully appreciate their modern use. The rich symbolism added by figures like Waite and Smith was intended to help people tap into their intuition and subconscious. The cards don't tell you what will happen; they offer a mirror to your own thoughts, fears, and aspirations, helping you frame questions and find clarity. Knowing this history helps us use the cards as they were truly intended: for personal growth and empowerment.

So, as our journey through the history of this remarkable deck concludes, we see that the Tarot is much more than a tool for predicting the future. It’s a vibrant, ever-changing cultural artifact that mirrors our deepest human desires for meaning, connection, and self-understanding. It’s a testament to the power of symbols and a reminder that even the most mundane objects can be transformed into profound tools for a life-long journey of discovery.

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This article is only the first in a series about tarot, mysticism, numerology, and divination.

Next week we’ll dive into more of the meanings of the Rider-Waite tarot’s Major Arcana cards, with the following article focusing on the Minor Arcana.

There’s a lot of information about tarot out there, and a lot of misconceptions, but the biggest thing to know is that it’s a personal connection with your own intuition. Not a magical force or an evil spirit, but your own self working through your questions. Give it a try some time! I promise that it isn’t too scary.

Thanks for reading!

1. "Tarot." Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., britannica.com/topic/Tarot.

2. Dummett, Michael. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City. Gerald Duckworth and Company, 1980.

3. Husband, Timothy. "The Tarot: A Brief History." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/drawings-and-prints/tarot-a-brief-history.

4. Kaplan, Stuart R. The Encyclopedia of Tarot. US Games Systems, 1978.

5. Gilbert, Robert A. A.E. Waite: A Man of the Occult. Aquarian Press, 1987.

6. de Gébelin, Antoine Court. Le Monde Primitif, Analysé et Comparé avec le Monde Moderne. Vol. 8, Paris, 1781.

7. Papus. The Tarot of the Bohemians: The Most Ancient Book in the World for the Use of Initiates. 1889.

8. Lévi, Eliphas. Dogma and Ritual of The Pictorial Key to the Tarot.High Magic. 1856.

9. Howe, Ellic. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn: A Documentary History of a Modern Magical Order. Samuel Weiser, 1972.

10. Waite, Arthur Edward. William Rider & Son, 1911.

11. "Pamela Colman Smith." The Art Story, theartstory.org/artist/smith-pamela-colman.

12. Crowley, Aleister. The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians. O.T.O., 1944.