A Brief History of the Tarot & It’s Major Contributors
The history of the Tarot is complex. It involves the evolution of playing cards, the influence of various cultural and mystical traditions, and the development of Tarot as a tool for divination. Here's a brief history of the Tarot and some of the major contributers to the system of divination that we know of today.
Origins - Early Playing Cards
The roots of the Tarot can be traced back to playing cards that emerged in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). These cards spread to other parts of Asia and eventually reached Europe through trade routes. These early playing cards made their way to Europe in the late 14th century, likely through the Mamluks of Egypt. Some of these new European playing cards of the time resembled the suits we see in modern decks, including suits like Swords and Cups.
The first recorded Tarot cards appeared in northern Italy in the early 15th century. These early Tarot decks, known as the Visconti-Sforza decks, were created for noble families and featured elaborate hand-painted cards. In mots cases, it was a sign of privilege and prosperity to own a beautifully hand-painted deck.
The Renaissance era saw a surge of interest in mysticism, esotericism, and symbolism. Tarot cards, as a result, began to take on additional layers of meaning beyond their use in gaming. The Italian Tarot decks of the time included allegorical imagery and esoteric symbolism.
Later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Tarot experienced a revival with the rise of occultism. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an influential occult society, played a key role in assigning esoteric meanings to Tarot cards. Members such as A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith created the Rider-Waite Tarot deck in 1909, which became one of the most popular and widely used decks.
Although a small number of early decks have influenced the multitudes available today, the number of scholars and esoteric or occult figures that have contributed to the development of these modern divinatory decks is great!
Here are just a few.
The Ushers of Divinatory Decks
From the 1700s:
Antoine Court de Gebelin was an author and freemason who explored the intersection between religion and the occult and may have been among the first to suggest that tarot could be used as a divinatory tool, in the 1700s.
Eliphas Levi, a French occultist and highly influential esoteric figure in the 1800s, helped spread and celebrate the notion of self-determined destiny and influenced many future developers of tarot decks, including A.E. Waite and Aleister Crowley.
Oswald Wirth, a Swiss occultist, created the Arcanes du Tarot Kabbalistique deck in 1889, which consisted of solely 22 Major Arcana cards, rich with Kabbalistic and Christian influences.
Gerard Encausse, who went by the name Papus (meaning physician, a term taken from the writings of Eliphas Levi) wrote numerous books dedicated to the study of Tarot in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of these is titled Tarot of the Bohemians, which infuses astrology, alchemy, numerology and sacred geometry. Papus believed that through this work, and that of others who came before him, Tarot achieved a synthesis of all the ancient teachings and systems of symbolism.
The 1900s and Forward:
C.C. Zain, born Elbert Benjamine, authored of over 50 books on the occult, Tarot and herbalism, including The Sacred Tarot, illustrated in the Egyptian style and influencing thousands of students of Western Occultism.
Egyptian hieroglyphs had also influenced the works of Valcourt Vermont, or Comte de Saint-Germain, which includes Practical Astrology: A Simple Method of Casting Hororscopes. This was one of the first American books containing tarot imagery in 1901 and very likely a major inspiration for C.C. Zain.
As we move forward in time we see the influences of Pamela Coleman Smith, A.E. Waite and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which was founded by freemasons, Samuel Liddell Mathers, William Robert Woodman and William Wynn Wescott — and to which Pamela Coleman Smith was admitted.
The Rider Waite Smith Tarot:
Pamela Coleman Smith, the original illustrator of the Rider, Waite Smith Deck of Tarot, studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York City and became one of the first women to graduate from college in the United States. While working as an illustrator in London she was commissioned to create art for several members of the Order of the Golden Dawn – Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) being among them. She officially joined the organization in 1901.
A.E. Waite, who was a writer and scholar of the Kabbalah, mysticism and ceremonial magick became enthralled with the symbolism of the Tarot, as a member of the Golden Dawn, and decided to create a new deck based on his own studies. In the order, he was introduced to Coleman Smith and quickly thereafter commissioned her to create 78 original drawings for his deck.
This new Tarot deck, unlike many that proceeded it, was intended to be used solely as a divinatory tool, drawing on all of Waite’s studies of different systems of symbolism and infused with Coleman Smith’s own artistic vision. Smith completed the work in a mere 6 months and it was published in 1909 by William Rider & Son of England. An elaborate guide book, titled The Pictorial Key of the Tarot followed in 1911.
Smith’s illustrations drew from art deco influences, her and Waite’s shared interest in Greek and Roman myths, Arthurian legend, classic theater and mysticism of the time. The most incredible aspects of her illustrations, however, could be decisive choice to include every single element based on meaning and symbolism, up to and including color choices. Absolutely every detail was added intentionally and with meaning. This is one of the reasons why the Rider Waite Smith deck has been one of the biggest influence on the modern concepts of Tarot – even 115 years later.
More Notable Contributors:
In 1919, the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung contributed to the psychological interpretation of the Tarot by introducing the concept of archetypes. Jung saw Tarot cards as representations of universal symbols and themes within the collective unconscious.
The development of the tarot doesn’t stop here and, in fact, the creation of the Thoth deck came about in much the same way as the Rider Waite Smith deck. Similarly, Aleister Crowley, also a member of the Golden Dawn at the time, sought to create an updated deck based on his own studies and was introduced to an illustrator by the name of Lady Frida Harris in 1937. Together, they worked on the new Thoth deck for 5 years.
Modern Tarot & Popular Culture
The Tarot underwent further transformations in the latter half of the 20th century. New decks with diverse themes and artistic styles were created, expanding the range of interpretations and uses. Tarot became widely popular as a tool for self-reflection, divination, and spiritual exploration.
Reaching even further than the spiritual, the late 20th and early 21st centuries have seen Tarot become a prominent feature in literature, film, and television. Its symbolism is often used to convey mystery, magic, and spiritual insights. As a result, even more people have turned to the Tarot for guidance, personal growth, and creative inspiration.
It's important to note that the history of the Tarot is not a linear progression but rather a complex interplay of cultural influences, mysticism, and artistic expression. The Tarot continues to evolve, with new decks and interpretations emerging, making it a dynamic and enduring aspect of spiritual and cultural history.