Theodoor Rombouts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A Brief History of Card Games
Card games have a long and rich history dating back to ancient civilizations. The first known card game was played in ancient China around the 9th century. It was more referred to as a dice or domino game but once printed on paper were called “sheet-dice”. From there card printing spread and evolved, and variations of games evolved depending on the region, and the people.
The advent of playing cards follows the advent of paper making. Prior to paper cards or dominos, games were played with stones, ivory, metal, bone, and other durable hard materials. The widespread invention of paper-making introduced wood-block printing, and allowed for what would be thought of as “mass-produced” cards and paper products that were easier to transport and share.
As games using paper cards spread into Egypt and Persia and other countries symbols or drawings representing “court” cards and “pips” began to appear. Court cards in modern decks represent political or religious hirearchy/status and pips we think of as numbered cards.
In the 14th century, card games became popular in Europe, with the first known “traditional” deck of cards being produced in Germany. These early decks had four suits, including hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs, which are still used in modern decks today.
These ‘sheet-dice,’ as they were called, began to appear according to Ou-yang Hsiu
(1007-72) before the end of the Tang dynasty, and if this is true, they were one of the earliest forms of block printing in China, as they were in the West” (Carter, Invention of Printing in China 2nd ed [1955] 184).
source: https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=17
The earliest unambiguous reference to playing cards is from a 1320 legal compilation, the Da Yuan shengzheng guochao dianzhang (大元聖政國朝典章 [zh]), during the Yuan dynasty. It refers to a 17 July 1294 case in which two gamblers, Yan Sengzhu and Zheng Pig-Dog, were arrested in Shandong along with nine of their paper playing cards and the woodblocks used to print them.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_playing_cards
How card games evolved into modern Tarot reading
The evolution of card games into the tarot is a complex process that involves the merging of various cultural influences, international travel, game theory, and esoteric traditions. While there isn’t a single game that directly evolved into tarot, there were several early card games that contributed to the development of tarot decks. Here are a few games and influences that played a role in the evolution of what we know to be modern tarot:
1. Triumphs (Trionfi) and Tarocchi: Triumphs, also known as Trionfi, were a type of card game that originated in Italy during the 15th century. These games involved a special set of trump cards, which eventually evolved into the Major Arcana of the tarot. Over time, the Trionfi deck transformed into the tarot deck, with additional cards beyond the trump suit.
2. Mamluk Playing Cards: Mamluk playing cards, which originated in Egypt and spread across the Middle East, featured a deck with four suits—coins, cups, swords, and polo sticks. These cards influenced the suits in early European tarot decks, and the allegorical and symbolic nature of the Mamluk cards might have contributed to the development of the tarot’s Major Arcana.
3. French Playing Cards and Tarot de Marseille: The tarot deck evolved in France from the 16th century onward. French playing cards, which included suits like hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, likely contributed to the structure of the Minor Arcana in tarot decks. The Tarot de Marseille, one of the earliest and most influential tarot decks, retains some visual elements from French playing cards.
Alongside the evolution of card games, there were cultural, social and mystical/occult influences that contributed to the tarot’s transformation from card games to “divination.” Concepts from astrology, alchemy, Kabbalah, and other esoteric traditions influenced the symbolic meanings attributed to the tarot cards, particularly the Major Arcana.
As card games evolved, extra cards were developed and adopted. Some people began to use the cards for divinatory purposes. The allegorical and symbolic imagery of the tarot cards lent itself to interpretation beyond the gaming context, and this shift led to the development of tarot reading and interpretation.
It’s important to note that the evolution of tarot is a complex process that occurred over centuries and involved contributions from different regions, cultures, and traditions. While specific games didn’t directly evolve into tarot, the blending of game elements, allegorical imagery, and mystical symbolism gave rise to the tarot deck as we know it today—a tool for both card games and insight into the subcouncious self.
It is interesting to note that initially the occult aspects and interpretation of Tarot were in the domain of men.
Jean-Baptiste Alliette, also known by his pseudonym “Etteilla”, is credited with developing the first tarot cards for divination. Around 1789, Etteilla created a tarot deck specifically for occult purposes. The deck included themes related to ancient Egypt, in keeping with the belief that tarot cards came from the egyptian Book of Thoth. While there is no historical evidence of this, the tarot decks began to display art and symbols related to ancient egypt. This was likely to demonstrate a connection or worse to manufacture a connection to “prove” the cards original origin.
These comments are not meant to diminish the usefulness of tarot in helping us to dig into our motives and thoughts surrounding events in our lives. It is my belief that the symbols and numbers of the cards are very useful in helping interpret our sub and uncoucious thoughts and feelings.
Can the cards tell the future? Only in as much as they help bring to light our own true motivations, fears, hopes and aspirations. Of course we can debate destiny vs individual choice, for years or even lifetimes, however that answer is up to us as individuals to decide, or not what we choose to believe.
The tarot challenges us to look at our beliefs, feelings, fears, and our reactions to the imagery on each card, and to ask ourselves why we react or believe what we do. We can ask these questions in the context of our current life challenges or questions, but ultimately we are the deciders of what we believe or put our faith in.
Tarot, as we know it now, was invented sometime in the middle 15th century in Italy. It closely mirrored the playing cards of the day. Some believe that people had started using playing cards for divination purposes and the tarot was just a refined version of these cards.
It is believed that card and domino games originated in China.
These basic playing cards had four suits of ten cards each. They were brought to Europe from the Islamic world. It is thought that tarot transitioned to a more esoteric use when occultists and astrologers started using ordinary playing cards to tell fortunes in the late 1700’s and on.
During the 15th century, special cards were added to the playing cards, and called the “Trumps” or “Triumphs”. Later, these became known as the Major Arcana cards.
The Major Arcana cards consist of 22 cards with titles rather than numbers and suits. Each one has a strong symbolic meaning and they are considered to be the ‘leaders’ of the tarot deck. The remaining 56 cards are referred to as the Minor Arcana. Usually, these cards are split into four suits: cups, wands, swords and coins. Though there are many variations on this.
Tarot has evolved many times over since its original form, becoming more complex and rich in symbolism. The cards themselves have gained meaning over the years from the cultures that adopted their use. Some cards have come and gone, like The Pope, The Juggler, The Arrow etc. However, around the 17th century, tarot evolved into the form we now know it as having. Many famous alchemists and prophets have used tarot, including Nostradamus and Aristotle.
Tarot cards align with the energies projected onto them. As you shuffle the deck, you and your energies place the cards where they will be most beneficial for you. I always shuffle the deck until the cards feel right. Some people shuffle the cards three times then cut. it is really up to the user. Tarot taps into the spirit realm, or the energies of the user to give their readings.
For centuries, people have been using symbols as a type of divination. Tarot is no different. Each of the 78 cards has an individual meaning. Tarot is an interactive Divination art. The cards interact with each other, giving them new and more complex meaning.
You place the cards into various spreads where the placement of each card gives it even further meaning. Where cards fall in the spread has a lot to do with how they interact with each other. A card representing the past will influence a card representing the present and the future. There are many different spreads including the celtic cross, the three card spread, the spread of fates, the single card reading, the circle and cross, and the ancestors, to name a few.
Chronological History of Card Games
The history of card games is a fascinating journey that spans centuries and cultures. While the precise origins are often difficult to trace due to the perishable nature of early playing cards, historical records and archaeological findings offer...
Seven of the worlds oldest card games
The exact origins of playing cards are somewhat shrouded in mystery, but we do have records and evidence that point to some of the oldest known card games and their characteristics. It’s important to note that these games were often played with different variations and rules in different cultures and regions. Here are a few examples:
The Grand Etteilla Tarot
The Grand Etteilla Tarot deck is a historically significant tarot deck created by Jean-Baptiste Alliette, a French occultist who used the pseudonym Etteilla. Ettellia is simply his surname Alliette, reversed! And thus the name the Ettellia tarot. Jean-Baptiste claimed at the time, he had learned the method of reading the cards meanings in Italy or from an itallian.
Tarot de Marseille
The origins of the Tarot de Marseille, one of the oldest and most influential tarot decks, are rooted in the historical development of playing cards in Europe during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. While the exact origins are not definitively documented, there are several theories and historical clues that provide insights into the creation and evolution of the Tarot de Marseille.