Tarot History

When exploring the Tarot’s history, one may find many different versions. Like the cards themselves, which hold many truths, the deeper one digs may only result in more possibilities rather than solid evidence. 

I am not a Tarot historian, nor is this space about the history of the Tarot, but since you are curious, let me share a few historical details that seem to be agreed upon by those who have studied its history. 

• The earliest mention of these cards has been linked to the 1200 century.
• No one knows who created them.
• No one knows where the name Tarot came from 
• In 1500 the cards started to circulate throughout Europe. 
• During the 1500 century, they were used as playing cards, divination tools, fortune-telling, and a way to spread political information.
• The most widespread Tarot deck used in the 15th century was the Tarot de Marseille.  

Some believe that the Tarot originated in Europe. Still, I would not repeat that narrative considering that there are images on the earliest cards that hold many Egyptian markings and the region of China was responsible for initially printing any type of playing cards.

See, I told you it was hard to provide exact details of the history of this tool. If you want to explore this topic further and would like to share what you learned, please do so in a comment.