The Chronological History of Tarot

Tarot Gone Viral reveals the chronological history of the Tarot, dating back to the 11th century.

The 1200s

 

  • The very first paper mills were built in Italy.

 

 

The 1300s

 

  • 1356-74. Several written accounts refer to cards being played in Europe.
  • Petrarch writes the poem "Trionfi".
  • Winning a game of Trionfidepends upon "triumphing" over the preceding card that was played.
  • Germany begins printing on paper.
  • Arab cards are changed to reflect Italian suits, swords, batons, cups, and coins.
  • Spain refers to cards in Europe as "Naip", which are typically Saracen or Moorish cards. It is thought they were called "Naip" because there was a French card maker named Rodrigo Borges, who was called a "Naipero", meaning "playing card". Much later, the cards are called "Carte da Trionfi". 

 

 

The 1400s

 

  • Sagramoro of Florence, a painter, was commissioned to create and repair luxurious decks for the Marchesa Parisina of Ferrara. Ferrara's account book mentions painted batons (wands), swords, cups, coins, and figures for four decks.
  • Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan, mentioned earlier, commissioned a card game with extra trump cards.
  • The Marchese of Ferrara purchased two decks for his younger brothers. Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, requests two decks by Sunday within the same week. Meaning, packs were readily available.
  • A large mural of Tarocchi players is painted on a wall of Borromeo Castle (Milan). Presses owned by Count Borso of Ferrara mass-produce cheap playing cards. He also loaned out his printing blocks. Count Borso also commissions the artist da Vicenza to create two luxurious decks of Carte Grande da Trionfi containing 70 cards.
  • An uncut sheet of playing cards was found containing fragments of suits and court cards.
  • The Sermones de Ludo Cum Aliis was written by a priest preaching against gambling. The priest listed the major arcana cards (the trumps) with the same names and the same order used today.
  • There are written accounts of the manufacture of "Trionfi" and playing cards in Spain. French symbols begin to appear.
  • Regular card games were converted to the suits we know today. The Sola Buscadeck is created with minor arcana images. Gambling is prohibited, but Tarot is not due to the ruling classes. Card manufacturing switched over to France after Italy was conquered. 

 

 

The 1500s

 

  • Printed wood-block cards survive with the typical Tarot de Marseilles
  • Decks begin to appear that depict the 12 astrological signs and the four elements.
  • Trionfi and Tarot are now two separate games.
  • In Venice, the cards are related to interpreting fate.
  • Giulio Bertoni wrote an essay, "Tarocchi Verification", which includes the names and order of the tarot trumps.
  • The first printed account of a game of Tarot comes about.

 

 

The 1600s

 

  • The Parisian block-printed deck survives.
  • The first printed rules of the game are seen in a pamphlet.
  • A Belgian pattern appears.
  • A deck by Jean Noblet closely resembles the Tarot de Marseille
  • Tarocchi is introduced to Sicily with fewer cards and different images.
  • Mitelli Tarotis was produced in copper engraving.

 

 

The 1700s

 

  • Various decks are created all over the world.
  • Tarot is at its height of popularity.
  • Decks and rules are regulated and standardized.
  • Divinatory meanings of some of the cards were discovered in Bologna.
  • The manuscript instructs the reader to separate the cards into piles, but fails to specify what to do afterward.
  • Double-headed trumps are invented.
  • Much more is printed concerning how to play the "game" with various decks.
  • Etteilla (Paris) writes How to Entertain Oneself with a Pack of Cards and mentions the Tarot for divination.
  • Antoine Court de Gebelin links Tarot with the Hebrew alphabet in print.

 

 

The 1800s

 

  • D'Odoucet publishes a book on Etteilla's teachings, which is the basis for many Rider-Waite minor arcana meanings.
  • The term "arcana" is first used in reference to the cards.
  • Arthur Waite uses the reading techniques used by British soldiers' wives to give meaning to the minor arcana.
  • Mathers (London) writes and publishes The Tarot: Its Occult Signification, Use in Fortune Telling, and Method of Play.

 

 

The 1900s

 

  • Numerous writers in the 20th century made the teachings of Tarot accessible to everyone.
  • Arthur Waite's Rider-Waite deck, illustrated by Pamela Coleman, and his book, The Pictorial Key to Tarot, show illustrations for all 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Justice card (#8) becomes the 11th card, and the Strength card (#11) becomes #8. 
  • The Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus (1889) is translated into English.
  • Aleister Crowley publishes a magazine, The Equinox.
  • Paul Marteau publishes Le Tarot de Marseille, which teaches one to pay attention to imagery, numbers, and colors rather than esoteric correspondences.
  • The Witchcraft Act was repealed in Britain, and tarot decks can be printed and sold freely.
  • The Rider-Waite deck gains worldwide distribution, Eden Gray publishes The Tarot Revealed, and S. Games Systems begins issuing tarot cards. It also purchases rights to the Rider-Waite deck.
  • Llewellyn, a publishing house founded in 1901, becomes one of the world's major tarot deck publishers and partners with Lo Scarabeo, an Italian publisher.
  • By the mid-1990s, Tarot had become global through the internet.

 

Also, see The Origin of Tarot.

 

 

So, How is a Deck of Tarot Used Today?

 

While you can still find theatrical fortune tellers at psychic fairs, Tarot is primarily utilized today as a healing tool that enhances one's intuition by exploring the images and placements of the cards. How does this work? Each card in a Tarot deck corresponds to various aspects of life, including life lessons, daily activities, health matters, and natural healing remedies. Therefore, viewing the cards is akin to holding up a mirror that reflects your current challenges, strengths, and potential opportunities. 

 

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