Tarot: 110-Year-Old Secrets And 5 Classic Reading Steps

Tarot cards, with their evocative imagery and profound symbolism, have captivated people for centuries. Emerging from humble beginnings as a Renaissance-era game in Italy, tarot transformed into a powerful tool for introspection and foresight. This article delves into secrets preserved for over 110 years, drawing from historical records and scholarly insights to reveal how these cards evolved and what they continue to offer today.

The Birth of Tarot in Renaissance Europe

Tarot’s story begins in the 15th century in northern Italy, where decks were crafted for playing games rather than divination. Cities like Milan, Venice, Florence, and Urbino became hotspots for these early creations around the 1440s and 1450s. A standard deck featured four suits—similar to modern playing cards—with numbered cards from 1 to 10, plus court cards: king, queen, knight, and knave, totaling 56 cards. What set tarot apart were the 21 trump cards, or major arcana, plus the Fool, a wild card that could shift the game’s dynamics.

These trumps depicted vivid scenes like The Magician, The Lovers, and Death, pulling from classical mythology, biblical tales, and everyday life. Far from mystical tools, they served entertainment for nobles and merchants during long voyages or gatherings. The game’s trick-taking rules, where trumps outranked suits, echoed earlier German games like Karnöffel from the 1420s, but tarot quickly became its own phenomenon. Hand-painted decks by artists such as Bonifacio Bembo turned them into luxury items, blending art with play.

• Key Early Features: 78 cards total, Italian suits (cups, swords, batons, coins), allegorical trumps inspired by humanism.
• Spread Across Europe: French troops brought it home post-Italian Wars, leading to mass production in Marseille and the iconic Tarot de Marseille style.
• Cultural Exchange: Likely influenced by Mamluk playing cards from Egypt via trade routes.

From Game to Gateway: The Shift to Divination

For nearly 300 years, tarot remained a secular pastime. The pivot to fortune-telling occurred in the late 18th century amid Europe’s occult revival. French cleric Antoine Court de Gébelin, in 1781, claimed tarot encoded ancient Egyptian wisdom from the mythical Book of Thoth—a theory now debunked but influential. This sparked a wave of esoteric interest.

Jean-Baptiste Alliette, known as Etteilla, was the first to design a divination-specific deck in the 1770s. A former print seller and cartomancer, he integrated tarot into his teachings, marking the birth of tarot reading as we know it. By the 1780s, mysticism enveloped the cards, with writers fabricating Egyptian origins to lend authority. Eliphas Lévi, in his 1856 book Dogma et Ritual of High Magic, elevated tarot further, linking it to Kabbalah, astrology, and alchemy, transforming it from parlor trick to serious occult study.

19th-Century Occult Boom and Iconic Decks

The 19th century saw tarot explode in popularity alongside spiritualism and secret societies. In Britain, Arthur Edward Waite translated Lévi’s works in 1886, introducing tarot widely. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in 1888, became a crucible for innovation. Members like Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith collaborated on the Rider-Waite-Smith deck in 1909, featuring detailed, intuitive illustrations that remain the gold standard.

This deck’s pips (minor arcana) showed full scenes, unlike the minimalist Marseille style, making it accessible for beginners. Meanwhile, Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris crafted the Thoth Tarot in the 1940s, blending Egyptian motifs with Golden Dawn teachings—first exhibited publicly decades later. These decks preserved ‘secrets’ from over 110 years ago, including symbolic correspondences to planets, elements, and Hebrew letters.

Scholarly collections, like Aby Warburg’s from 1909, highlighted tarot’s role in cultural revival, bridging ancient icons with modernity. By the early 20th century, tarot had mainstream appeal, used for self-reflection amid world upheavals.

Decoding Forgotten Symbols and Spreads

Over 110 years ago, early 20th-century readers unlocked layered meanings in trumps. The Fool symbolized infinite potential, unburdened by convention; The Magician harnessed will and elements. Major arcana mapped life’s journey: from youthful innocence (The Sun) to transcendent wisdom (The World). Minors reflected daily energies—wands for creativity, cups for emotions, swords for intellect, pentacles for material realms.

Classic spreads from this era included the Celtic Cross: ten cards revealing past influences, obstacles, hopes, and outcomes. A three-card draw offered past-present-future simplicity. Advanced techniques involved reversals (upside-down cards for blocked energy) and significators (a card representing the querent). These methods, rooted in Golden Dawn practices, emphasized intuition over rigid rules.

• Elemental Associations:
• Wands: Fire – passion, action
• Cups: Water – intuition, relationships
• Swords: Air – thoughts, conflict
• Pentacles: Earth – prosperity, body

Hidden ‘secrets’ involved numerology: aces as pure potential, tens as completions. Court cards personified archetypes— the Queen of Cups as nurturing empath, King of Swords as decisive authority.

Tarot’s Enduring Legacy in Modern Times

Today, tarot thrives beyond occult niches, aiding therapy, creativity, and decision-making. Exhibitions like the Warburg Institute’s “Tarot: Origins and Afterlives” showcase its 500-year arc, from elite art to global phenomenon. Decks evolve—Barrow Tarot fosters community dialogue—yet core humanism persists: mediating life’s complexities through play-like reflection.

Digital apps and diverse artists ensure accessibility, but vintage secrets remind us of tarot’s depth. Studies link it to psychological tools like Jungian archetypes, fostering subconscious dialogue. Whether for guidance or art, tarot invites timeless exploration.

Practical Guide: Reading Tarot Like 110 Years Ago

To channel early 20th-century methods:

1. Prepare: Cleanse deck with smoke or moonlight. Focus query.
2. Shuffle: Infuse intent; cut deck thrice.
3. Layout: Use Celtic Cross—position 1: heart of matter; 2: crossing challenge; up to 10: outcome.
4. Interpret: Blend card meanings, positions, intuition. Note reversals.
5. Reflect: Journal insights; revisit after events unfold.

Avoid yes/no questions; favor open ones like “What energies surround my career?” Practice builds attunement to these ancient-yet-fresh secrets.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the oldest known tarot decks?

References date to 1440s Italy, like Visconti-Sforza decks, hand-painted for nobility.

Did tarot originate in Egypt?

No—18th-century myths by de Gébelin; true roots are European.

Is tarot only for fortune-telling?

Originally a game; now used for meditation, creativity, and personal growth.

Which deck should beginners use?

Rider-Waite-Smith for its clear, pictorial minors.

Can tarot predict the future accurately?

It highlights potentials and patterns, not fixed fates—empowering choice.

Mastering Advanced Techniques from the Past

Delve deeper into 110-year-old practices: the Golden Dawn’s Tree of Life mapping aligned majors to Kabbalistic paths. The Emperor (Aries) evoked structure; The Star (Aquarius) hope. Elemental dignities assessed card interactions—fire strengthens fire, water quenches it.

Timing methods used suits: wands for days, cups for weeks. These layered systems rewarded study, turning readings into profound consultations. Modern adaptations simplify, but originals offer unmatched nuance.

Tarot’s resilience stems from adaptability—from Marseille’s stark lines to Smith’s vibrant visions. Collecting historic decks preserves this heritage, as seen in institutions like the Victoria & Albert Museum.