Lesson One:The History and Structure of Tarot Cards
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 began as a luxury art project for the Italian elite.
Lesson One: The History and Structure of Tarot Cards
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In the mid-1400s, Tarot wasn't used for divination. It was simply a card game called Tarocchi. Think of it like bridge or poker, but for dukes and duchesses. Tarrocchi morphed into other phrases like “trionfi”, meaning “triumph”. This is the predecessor to the “trump” cards. The earliest decks, like the Visconti-Sforza, were hand-painted with real gold leaf. (link to images)
The Visconti-Sforza tarot refers 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. At the time of their creation, they were known as Trionfi (meaning "triumphs" or "trumps") and were used for standard card games rather than divination. 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. The art of divination has been around for nearly as long as civilization itself.
“Though tarot started as a game, it evolved into
a spiritual tool. Over time, it’s been woven with threads of mysticism, Kabbalah, alchemy, and even Jungian psychology. Today, it’s embraced
as a personal practice for seekers of all paths.”
1450–1480 Italy, Milan
Visconti-Sforza Tarot Cardsca
"The Tarot Deck was created in fifteenth-century Italy as a card game to be enjoyed by the aristocracy. It was not until centuries later that it became associated with occult secrets, divination, and the power of fate.
Such cards were hand-painted by some of the finest artists of the day. The tarot cards at the Morgan were probably created by Bonifacio Bembo for the Visconti-Sforza family, and constitute one of the most complete decks to survive from the fifteenth century."
This original deck was purchased by Pierpont Morgan in 1911
You can see the deck in person at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City
WHAT IS TAROT NOT? Tarot Superstitions
Tarot cards can attract spirits or bad energy.
You must be gifted your first tarot deck. 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.
While tarot can be a spiritual tool, it's not inherently dangerous. Clearing energy between readings is a common practice, but the cards themselves are neutral.
Reversed cards are always negative.
This stems from a belief that others may disrupt the deck’s energy,
And it should be a preference of the reader. Reversals are often misunderstood. They can mean blockages, inner processes, or subtleties.
The death card means someone will die.
Cards like The Tower or Death are symbolic. They represent upheaval or transformation—not literal death.
Bonus in this lesson
• How to Shuffle
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