The Complete Tarot Guide

The History of Tarot: From Playing Cards to Divination Tool

Origins in 15th-Century Italy

The earliest known tarot decks appeared in northern Italy during the 1440s. These were not divination tools — they were playing cards for a game called “tarocchi,” popular among the Italian aristocracy. The earliest surviving decks, including the Visconti-Sforza cards, were hand-painted luxury items commissioned by noble families. They contained the same basic structure we know today: a set of trump cards (the future Major Arcana) added to a standard four-suit deck.

The 22 trump cards depicted allegorical figures familiar to medieval European culture: The Pope (later The Hierophant), The Empress, The Emperor, Justice, The Fool, and others drawn from religious, mythological, and philosophical traditions. Their original purpose was purely ludic — they were the highest-ranking cards in a trick-taking game, similar to how modern card games use trump suits.

The Occult Turn: 18th-Century France

Tarot's transformation from game to divination tool began in 1781 when Antoine Court de Gebelin, a French clergyman and Freemason, published a speculative essay claiming that the tarot was an ancient Egyptian book of wisdom, smuggled into Europe disguised as a card game. His theory was historically unfounded, but it captured the imagination of the French occult community.

Jean-Baptiste Alliette, writing under the pen name Etteilla, became the first known professional tarot diviner in the 1780s. He created a modified tarot deck specifically designed for fortune-telling and published instructions for card reading. Etteilla established many of the conventions that modern readers still use, including specific card meanings and spread layouts.

Throughout the 19th century, French occultists — particularly Eliphas Levi — deepened the mystical associations of tarot by connecting the 22 Major Arcana cards to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the paths on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, and astrological correspondences. These connections, while not historically original to tarot, became deeply embedded in the Western esoteric tradition and continue to influence how many practitioners understand the cards today.

The Golden Dawn and the Birth of Modern Tarot

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a British occult society active from the 1880s to the early 1900s, was perhaps the single most influential force in shaping modern tarot. Members including Arthur Edward Waite, Aleister Crowley, and Pamela Colman Smith drew on the accumulated occult correspondences of the previous century to create tarot systems that remain the foundation of most contemporary practice.

In 1909, Arthur Edward Waite commissioned artist Pamela Colman Smith to illustrate a new tarot deck published by the Rider Company. The resulting Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck was revolutionary: for the first time, every card — including the 40 Minor Arcana pip cards that had previously been shown as simple arrangements of suit symbols — received detailed, narrative illustrations. This pictorial approach made the cards dramatically more accessible and interpretable, and it established the visual language that most modern tarot decks follow.

Tarot in the 20th and 21st Centuries

The counterculture movements of the 1960s and 1970s brought tarot into mainstream awareness. New Age bookshops, feminist reinterpretations, and a growing interest in alternative spirituality created a massive expansion of both tarot practice and tarot publishing. Hundreds of new decks appeared, from traditional RWS clones to radical reimaginings.

The digital age has further democratized tarot. Online platforms (reviewed in our guide to the best tarot reading sites) have made professional readings accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Social media has created vibrant tarot communities where practitioners share interpretations, discuss techniques, and support each other's learning — much as we do here at The Tarot Academy.

Three Major Tarot Traditions

While hundreds of tarot decks exist, virtually all of them descend from one of three major traditions. Understanding these traditions helps you choose a deck that aligns with your learning goals and interpret cards from different systems when you encounter them.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tradition

The RWS tradition, based on the 1909 Waite-Smith deck, is the most widely used tarot system in the English-speaking world. Its defining feature is fully illustrated pip cards — every Minor Arcana card tells a visual story rather than simply showing an arrangement of suit symbols. This makes the deck highly intuitive and accessible for beginners.

The RWS system assigns specific esoteric correspondences to each card, drawing on Golden Dawn teachings. The Major Arcana follows the order familiar to most modern readers (Strength as VIII, Justice as XI). The imagery uses medieval European settings with occult symbolism woven into every detail — colors, flowers, animals, architectural elements, and celestial symbols all carry meaning.

Our entire course curriculum and Card Library use the RWS tradition as the primary reference. If you are beginning your studies, we recommend starting with an RWS-based deck.

The Tarot de Marseille Tradition

The Marseille tradition predates the RWS by several centuries. Originating in France and Italy, Marseille-style decks feature unillustrated pip cards — the Five of Cups, for example, simply shows five cup symbols arranged in a pattern, without a narrative scene. The Major Arcana features bold, woodblock-style imagery with a distinctive color palette of red, blue, yellow, and flesh tones.

Reading Marseille cards requires a different skill set than reading RWS cards. Without illustrated pips, the reader must rely more heavily on numerology, directional symbolism (which way figures face), color symbolism, and the relationships between card positions. Many readers find that Marseille decks develop stronger intuitive skills precisely because they provide less visual narrative to lean on.

The Marseille tradition reverses the numbering of Strength and Justice compared to RWS: Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. This reflects the original pre-Golden Dawn ordering and can cause confusion when switching between systems.

The Thoth Tradition

Created by Aleister Crowley with artist Lady Frieda Harris between 1938 and 1943, the Thoth deck is the most esoterically dense of the three major traditions. It incorporates extensive astrological, Kabbalistic, I Ching, and alchemical correspondences into every card. Some cards are renamed: Strength becomes Lust, Judgement becomes The Aeon, The World becomes The Universe.

The Thoth deck's artwork is abstract and psychedelic, reflecting Harris's background in geometric art and Crowley's mystical philosophy. The pip cards are illustrated but in a more symbolic, less narrative way than RWS pips. Each pip card includes a title (like “Dominion” for the Two of Wands or “Futility” for the Seven of Swords) that provides an interpretive keyword.

The Thoth tradition is best suited for experienced readers who have a grounding in Western esotericism. Its complexity makes it less accessible for beginners, but deeply rewarding for those willing to study its multilayered symbolism.

Choosing Your Tarot Deck

With hundreds of decks available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Here is a practical framework:

For Complete Beginners

Start with a deck in the RWS tradition. The fully illustrated pip cards and widely-available study resources make learning significantly easier. Recommended options include the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Morgan-Greer Tarot, the Modern Witch Tarot, or the Everyday Tarot. All of these follow the RWS system closely while offering different artistic interpretations.

For Intermediate Students

Once you are comfortable with one deck, consider adding a second in a different style. This develops flexibility and deepens your understanding of how symbolism works across artistic interpretations. A Marseille deck is an excellent second deck — it challenges you to read without narrative imagery, strengthening your numerological and intuitive skills.

For Advanced Practitioners

Explore decks from diverse cultural traditions, independent artists, and alternative systems. The Thoth deck rewards deep study. The Sakki-Sakki Tarot, the Tarot of the Cat People, the Wild Unknown, and countless independent decks offer unique perspectives that enrich your practice. Many advanced readers maintain a collection of decks and intuitively select which one to use for each reading.

Practical Considerations

• Card size:Standard tarot cards are larger than playing cards. If you have small hands, look for decks in “mini” or “pocket” editions.
• Card stock: Thicker cardstock is more durable but harder to shuffle. Linen or smooth finishes shuffle more easily. Consider whether you prefer a tactile or smooth feel.
• Guidebook quality: Many decks include a companion book. Some are superficial; others are comprehensive study guides. For beginners, a deck with a solid guidebook is valuable. For advanced readers, our Card Library serves as a universal reference regardless of which deck you use.

Essential Reading Techniques

Our nine-lesson curriculum covers reading techniques in depth. Here is a summary of the essential methods every reader should know:

Question Formulation

Open-ended questions produce the richest readings. Begin questions with “What,” “How,” or “What do I need to know about...” Avoid yes/no framing unless you are specifically using a yes/no spread. The quality of the question determines the quality of the reading — this principle holds true whether you are reading for yourself or receiving a professional reading on one of our recommended platforms.

Spread Selection

Match the spread complexity to the question complexity. Daily guidance calls for a single card pull. Focused questions benefit from a three-card spread. Complex situations with multiple dimensions require advanced spreads like the Celtic Cross. Custom spreads can be designed for any specific need. Our Advanced Spreads lesson teaches spread selection and custom design in detail.

The Three-Layer Interpretation

For each card in a reading, consider three layers of meaning:

1. Traditional meaning: What does the card mean based on established interpretation? (Reference: our Card Library)
2. Positional meaning:How does the spread position modify the card's meaning? A card in the “challenge” position is interpreted differently than the same card in the “outcome” position.
3. Intuitive meaning: What personal impression does the card evoke in this specific reading? This is where the skills from our Intuitive Reading lesson become essential.

Synthesis and Narrative

The final step in any reading is stepping back and seeing the spread as a whole. What story does it tell? What overarching message emerges? The synthesis often reveals insights that no individual card could provide on its own. This skill — reading the spaces between cards — is covered in our Card Combinations lesson and is the hallmark of experienced, professional-level reading.

Journaling

Record every reading in a tarot journal. Note the date, question, cards drawn, your interpretation, and follow-up observations as events unfold. Over months and years, your journal becomes your most valuable learning tool — a personalized reference that reveals your patterns, growth areas, and unique interpretive strengths.

The Ethics of Tarot Reading

Ethical practice is the foundation of trustworthy tarot reading. Whether you read for yourself or for others, these principles should guide your practice. For a comprehensive treatment of reading ethics, see our Reading for Others lesson.

Empowerment Over Dependency

Readings should help people make better decisions, not create reliance on the reader. Use language that empowers. Present possibilities rather than certainties. Remind querents that they have agency over their own lives.

Honesty With Compassion

Difficult messages can be delivered with kindness. Every challenging card contains wisdom. Frame challenges as opportunities for growth, not as doom. Never use fear to manipulate.

Scope of Practice

Tarot readers are not therapists, doctors, or lawyers. Encourage professional help for issues beyond your expertise. Be transparent about what tarot can and cannot do.

Confidentiality

What happens in a reading stays in the reading. Honor the trust people place in you by keeping their personal revelations private.

Continuous Learning

The ethical reader is a perpetual student. Read widely from multiple authors and traditions. Practice regularly. Seek feedback. The tarot has been studied for centuries, and no one masters it completely — humility and curiosity are essential professional qualities.

Frequently Asked Questions