Learn Tarot
The History of Tarot
Tarot's story spans six centuries — from Renaissance courts to apps.
Timeline
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1400s, Italy | Tarot (tarocchi) appears as a card game with trumps; famous hand-painted decks were made for noble families. |
| 1700s, France | Writers link tarot to esoteric traditions; tarot begins to be used for divination. |
| 1909 | The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is published, with illustrated Minor Arcana. |
| 1910 | Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot popularizes the Celtic Cross. |
| Today | Tarot is read in person, online, by chat and video, and in apps. |
Why It Matters
Knowing tarot's history helps separate myth from fact: tarot didn't come from ancient Egypt, as some 18th-century writers claimed — it grew from a European card game.
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