Tarot

:This article is about the structure, card imagery, and history and origin of tarot decks, which are used for spiritual, esoteric, psychological, occult and/or divinatory purposes. See Tarot (game) for information about the traditional European card game.

Related Topics:
Divinatory - Tarot (game)

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As discussed in more detail below, the Tarot is usually a deck of 78 cards composed of:

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• the major arcana, consisting of 21 trump cards and the Fool card;
• the minor arcana consisting of 56 cards:
• ten cards numbered from Ace to 10 in four different suits; traditionally batons (wands), cups, swords and coins (pentacles) (40 cards in total); and
• four court cards, page, knight, queen and king in the same four suits (4 per suit, thus 16 court cards in total).

The earliest extant specimens of Tarot decks are of North Italian origin and date to the early to mid-15th century. These were called carte da trionfi or "cards of the triumphs". Soon afterwards, the cards were used for the games called Tarocchi. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the cards became popular in occult studies, initiated by occultists such as Etteilla and Antoine Court de Gebelin.

Related Topics:
Italian - 15th century - Tarocchi - Occult - Etteilla - Antoine Court de Gebelin

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Tarot: The Tarot Deck ►