Welcome to our intro to Tarot course! Before we pull a single card, we have to talk about where the cards originally came developed, and what Tarot truly is. You might have heard that Tarot was brought from ancient Egypt or hidden in the Great Pyramids. As much as I love a good mystery, the truth is actually more interesting:

Tarot cards were a luxury created for the Italian elite.

In the mid-1400s, Tarot wasn't used for divination. It was a card game called Tarocchi. Kind of like bridge or poker, but for the most wealthy dukes and duchesses of Milan and Florence. As time passed, Tarrocchi gained traction, and the game play progressed. You will sometimes hear it referred to “trionfi”, meaning “triumph”. This is the predecessor to the “trump” cards. Each card increasing numerically triumphs over the last one. That is how you win that hand.

The earliest decks, of true Tarrocchi were hand-painted with real gold leaf, and powders of precious jewels like lapis lazuli. (link to images) 

The oldest known, as well as the most pivotal and renouned ancient Tarot cards are called The Visconti-Sforza. These cards refer not just to a singular deck, but to a group of roughly 15 incomplete decks scattered across global museums and private collections. Dating back to the mid-1400s, these are the oldest tarot cards in existence. Some collections hold only a handful of face cards or even a solitary card, but their legacy is immense. They established the foundational visual style, numbering systems, and symbolic interpretations that still define modern tarot decks today. The decks were commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan, and later by his son-in-law and successor, Francesco Sforza.

For the next 300 years, the cards were strictly used for games. It was not until the late 1700s that French spiritualists saw something more inventive the cards could be used for. These psychics already used the art of divination, which has been around for nearly as long as civilization itself. Whether it is reading tea leaves, the stars, tossing runes, or reading palms, these mystics already had their own divination practices. The tarot deck just became another vessel that helped to uncover truths which were hidden.

Even though Tarot started as a game, it evolved into a spiritual tool. Over time, it’s been woven with threads of mysticism, Christianity, Judaism, the Kabbalah, alchemy, and even Jungian psychology. Today, it’s embraced as a personal practice for seekers of all paths. The most modern Tarot decks also involve varying representations of gender and sexuality, which has thoroughly broadened the discourse on genderized terms which are often used when referring to certain cards as "masculine" or "feminine energy."

Tarot cards can attract spirits or bad energy: False.While tarot can be a spiritual tool, it's not inherently dangerous.

You must be gifted your first tarot deck: False. Some believe it's bad
luck to buy your own deck—but many modern readers buy the one that resonates with them most.

Never let anyone else touch your cards: Up to you!
Clearing energy between readings is a common practice, this stems from a belief that others may disrupt the deck’s energy, this is simply per the preference of each reader.

Reversed cards are always negative: False.
Reversals are often misunderstood. They can mean blockages, inner processes, or subtleties, but the cards themselves are neutral.

The death card means someone will die: False.
Cards like The Tower or Death are symbolic. Though the imagery seems dark, they represent transformation, and upheaval—not literal death.