The origins of tarot cards are steeped in mystery and debate. Most scholars believe early versions of the tarot first appeared in Italy in the 14th century. The oldest surviving tarot cards date back to the mid-15th century. Early tarot decks consisted of four suits depicting cups, swords, coins, and batons, similar to a regular playing card deck. The suits are thought to represent the four social classes - clergy, nobility, merchants, and peasants.
The first documented tarot decks were created in Milan, Ferrara, and Bologna when the courts of northern Italy used them for card games. However, the use and meaning of tarot expanded over the centuries. In the late 18th century, tarot began to take on more occult and mystical significance. Tarot became associated with Egyptian lore, Hermeticism, the Kabbalah, and other esoteric spiritual practices.
One influential figure was Antoine Court de Gébelin, who published a treatise in 1781 claiming the symbolism in tarot carried secret, eternal spiritual wisdom. Other occultists like Etteilla and Jean-Baptiste Alliette reinforced tarot's mystical and divine origins. They associated tarot with ancient Egyptian priests, Jewish mystics, or the Book of Thoth. This mythology gave tarot greater spiritual authority and appeal.
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck created in 1909 became the most well-known and reproduced tarot deck of the 20th century. Occultist A.E. Waite and illustrator Pamela Colman Smith designed it based on the occult and mystical symbolism developed over earlier centuries. Their deck established the standard 78-card tarot structure still used today - 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards.
Today tarot remains popular for divination, meditation, and self-reflection. While its origins are still debated, tarot has taken on a rich mythology and significance that continues to captivate people interested in spiritual insight and meaning. The evocative cards and archetypes lend themselves to intuitive interpretations and guidance.
Antoine Court de Gébelin’s theory on tarot cards
Antoine Court de Gébelin was a French clergyman, writer, and occultist who lived from 1725-1784. In 1781, de Gébelin published an essay in volume VIII of his work Le Monde Primitif analyzing the symbolism and mythology within tarot cards. This treatise was pivotal in cementing tarot's association with ancient esoteric wisdom.
In his essay, de Gébelin argued that the origin of tarot cards stretched back to ancient Egypt. He claimed the cards contained mystical knowledge passed down by Egyptian priests and encoded into the symbolism across the deck. De Gébelin believed the name "tarot" came from the Egyptian words "tar" meaning "royal," and "ro," meaning "road," - indicating the royal road to wisdom.
De Gébelin went card by card, analyzing the supposed Egyptian symbolism woven into the imagery. For example, he linked The High Priestess card to Isis, the Egyptian goddess of fertility. The Emperor card represented Osiris, the Egyptian god of agriculture. The Wheel of Fortune embodied the Egyptians' belief in cyclicity and metempsychosis (reincarnation).
Overall, de Gébelin asserted that the cards encoded profound ancient teachings about science, religion, and philosophy that could only be unlocked through studying tarot. He claimed tarot offered a glimpse into divine truths and eternal wisdom passed down from Egyptian priests to the modern day. His ideas had an enormous influence on the development of tarot as a tool for divination and occult knowledge.
While most of de Gébelin's conjectures about Egypt have been disproven, his treatise succeeded in grafting an aura of esoteric mysticism and hidden knowledge onto tarot that fascinated occultists and still lingers in popular culture today.
Were tarot cards ever used in ancient Egypt?
No, there is no solid evidence that tarot cards originated in ancient Egypt or were used by Egyptian priests, despite many mystical claims. Here is a summary of the issues with tracing tarot to ancient Egypt:
• The first documented tarot decks appeared in 15th-century Italy, over a millennium after the end of ancient Egypt. There are no records of tarot in Egypt.
• The etymology of "tarot" is unclear, but most experts believe it comes from the Italian word "tarocchi" referring to the Taro River in northern Italy. The idea that it has Egyptian roots is unsubstantiated.
• No tarot symbols actually resemble credible ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics or iconography. The imagery is much more influenced by Medieval and Renaissance Christian symbolism.
• There is no credible evidence tarot originated with the Egyptian Book of Thoth. The Book of Thoth was not a book at all but an idea created in the 20th century.
• Tarot cards do not appear in texts about ancient Egypt written by scholars like Herodotus or Plutarch when they discuss Egyptian religious practices.
• The earliest tarot decks from the 15th century contain only the suits, court cards, and Fool - the occult symbolism and "Major Arcana" were developed much later.
• The cards were originally used for popular card games in Italy and France, not spiritual practices. Their esoteric associations developed over centuries.
So, in summary, the claims about ancient Egyptian origins of tarot first arose in the late 18th century as occultists sought to give tarot greater mystique and authority. However, there is no evidence to substantiate these mythic origins before tarot's actual documented appearance in Renaissance Italy. Tarot's ancient Egyptian connections appear to be romanticized fiction.
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