The History of Tarot: Origins, Artwork, Symbolism, and Myth

Tarot today is recognised as one of the most enduring tools for divination, self-reflection, and spiritual exploration. With its archetypal imagery and layered symbolism, it feels timeless — as though it must have carried mystical wisdom for thousands of years.

In reality, the history of tarot is a blend of documented fact, artistic evolution, and centuries of myth-making. From Renaissance courts to modern spiritual circles, tarot has journeyed through cultures, philosophies, and imaginations.

The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

The Documented Origins: Renaissance Italy

The earliest known tarot decks date to the 15th century in northern Italy, where they were used as playing cards in a game called tarocchi or trionfi (triumphs). Wealthy noble families, such as the Visconti-Sforza dynasty of Milan, commissioned elaborate, hand-painted decks, often gilded and decorated by master artists.

These decks were not mystical tools but part of courtly leisure, like modern bridge or rummy. The artwork reflected the society of the time:

• Major Arcana: allegorical figures such as The Fool, Justice, Death, and The World, echoing themes of morality, fate, and human experience.

• Minor Arcana: four suits (Cups, Swords, Wands, and Coins) that mirrored traditional playing cards.

At this stage, the symbolism was allegorical and cultural, not yet linked to fortune-telling.

Allegory and Archetype in Early Artwork

Even as a card game, tarot imagery carried universal archetypes that lent themselves to deeper interpretation:

• The Fool as innocence and folly.

• Death as inevitable transformation.

• The Wheel of Fortune as fate’s unpredictability.

These archetypes, familiar in Renaissance art and theatre, later became the backbone of tarot’s symbolic language.

Myths and Mystical Theories

By the 18th century, tarot began to be reimagined as more than a game. French occultists such as Antoine Court de Gébelin argued that tarot contained the hidden wisdom of ancient Egypt, supposedly carried into Europe by Romani travellers or secret societies.

One of the most enduring legends links tarot to the Knights Templar. Some theorists claimed that when the Templars returned from the Holy Land, they smuggled sacred tablets from Solomon’s Temple into Europe, disguising them as a deck of cards. According to this theory, tarot was not a game but a portable, coded record of mystical knowledge — preserved in imagery to avoid persecution.

While historians agree there is no evidence to support these claims, such myths reveal the power of tarot’s imagery to inspire mystery and speculation.

The Occult Revival

In the 18th and 19th centuries, tarot was adopted into Western esotericism. Mystics and secret societies layered the cards with new symbolic associations:

• Kabbalah: linking the 22 Major Arcana to the Hebrew Tree of Life.

• Astrology: assigning planets and zodiac signs to cards.

• Alchemy and Hermeticism: embedding tarot in the broader language of spiritual transformation.

What had started as entertainment became a symbolic map of the universe and the soul.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Revolution

The biggest shift in tarot’s artwork came in 1909, when mystic A.E. Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith created the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. It is also knkown as the Waite-Smith, Rider-Waite, or Rider Tarot.

• Smith illustrated every card, including the Minor Arcana, with full symbolic scenes.

• The imagery was intuitive, layered, and rich in esoteric references.

• Her style became the template for modern tarot, making the deck accessible to both beginners and seasoned readers.

The Rider-Waite-Smith remains the most influential tarot deck of all time, inspiring countless reinterpretations.

Tarot in Modern Times

In the 20th and 21st centuries, tarot has become more than a fortune-telling tool. Its imagery is now used for:

• Personal growth and reflection – as a mirror for inner wisdom.

• Psychology – Carl Jung saw tarot as a representation of archetypes and the unconscious mind.

• Creative inspiration – writers and artists use tarot to spark ideas.

• Spiritual practice – tarot is integrated into meditation, rituals, and intuitive development.

Modern decks also reflect diversity and inclusivity, reimagining archetypes through different cultures, mythologies, and contemporary artistic styles.

The Enduring Power of Symbolism

Whether seen as historical playing cards, mystical keys, or mirrors of the soul, tarot’s enduring power lies in its artwork and symbolism. The images speak in metaphors that transcend time and culture: The Lovers invite reflection on choice, The Tower warns of sudden upheaval, The Star offers hope and renewal.

From Renaissance allegory to modern reinvention — and even through myths of Templars and Egyptian mysteries — tarot has always been more than paper and ink. It is a living symbolic language, continually reshaped by those who use it, yet always pointing to the universal human journey.