A Complete History of The Tarot
Tarot began in 15th-century Italy, specifically in the courts of Milan and Ferrara. The earliest decks, known as "tarocchi", were not originally designed for divination — it was a popular trick-taking card game among Italian nobility / artistocracy. The oldest surviving set of tarocchi, known as the Visconti-Sforza deck, was created for the Duke of Milan's family around 1440. That’s almost 600 years ago.
Despite it’s playful origins, tarocchi is where we begin to see the Major Arcana take shape (known as the “trionfi” or the triumph cards that outscored all the other suits ). We also see the beginning formation of all the suits: the cups, the wands, the pentacles, and the swords — as well as the Page, Knight, Queen and King. All of the symbolism carried on throughout the centuries and exists even to this day.
Fun fact: Il Matto (The Fool) was a special card in tarocchi: instead of winning “tricks,” it could be played at any time to avoid following suit or losing a valuable card. Everyone wanted Il Matto.
The Fool, The Juggler and The Popess Trionfi Cards (Visconti-Sforza Tarot Cards, c. 1450-1480) Permanent Collection of The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY
Esoteric Beginnings
Tarocchi eventually spread all across Europe — especially to France, where tarocchi the card game evolved into The French Marseilles Tarot. By 1650, all of the original Italian designs were refined and standardized. Mass printing of the time meant that the Marseille Tarot was now widely available for everyone — not just nobility. And it was very popular.
A century later in 1781, a French pastor and writer named Antoine Court de Gébelin published an article claiming that the ever-popular Tarot was actually derived from the Egyptian Book of Thoth — that it contained the hidden wisdom from Ancient Egypt. He provided no actual evidence of this, but nonetheless it made a significant impression on the people at the time. Tarot was becoming a curious tool for esoteric knowledge. Could a popular card game really contain secrets from the Ancient Egyptians?
A decade later a Frenchman named Etteilla (Jean-Baptiste Alliette) published the very first tarot deck explicitly designed for divination, incorporating astrology and alchemical symbolism. It included a guide of explicit meanings for each of the cards, and specific spreads to use for fortune-telling.
This deck would become known as the Etteilla or Le Jeu de Toth (Toth’s Game). Shoutout to Pierre-François Basan, who was the artist/engraver that worked with Etteilla to develop that first deck.
Well — from there tarot was seen as a fortune-telling tool that could predict a person’s future.
A selection of cards from The Original Etteilla Tarot - Le Jeu de Toth, c. 1791,
Secret Societies & The Occult
The 18th and 19th century witnessed the emergence of professional cartomancers, who used the tarot to offer insights into individuals' futures and personal circumstances — not just anyone, though. This was an area of interest for freemasons, alchemists, and occultists.
In 1856, a French author named Éliphas Lévi linked tarot to the Hebrew alphabet and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, further solidifying its mystical status. The rest of Europe began to take notice of these magical, fortune-telling cards — which inspired the establishment of influential occult societies, notably the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
(Note: Hermeticism is a philosophical and spiritual tradition based on the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, emphasizing alchemy, astrology, and the pursuit of divine wisdom through the study of universal laws and the interconnectedness of all things, by the way!)
Founded in 1888 in London, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was an esoteric society dedicated to the study and practice of the occult, alchemy, astrology, metaphysics, geomancy, and more.
Founding Golden Dawn member, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Matthews.
The Golden Dawn placed significant emphasis on the tarot, viewing it as a comprehensive symbolic system that encapsulated universal archetypes and esoteric knowledge. Members were encouraged to study and meditate upon the tarot's imagery to gain deeper spiritual insights.
Prominent figures within the Golden Dawn, such as Arthur Edward Waite, Aleister Crowley, and Pamela Colman Smith contributed to the development of tarot interpretation.
A.E. Waite: The Visionary Who Reimagined Tarot
A Portrait of A.E. Waite
Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) was a scholar of mysticism and alchemy, absolutely — yet unlike some of his Golden Dawn contemporaries, he was more cautious about ritual magic and divination, seeing tarot as a tool for spiritual enlightenment rather than fortune-telling.
This deviation from the Golden Dawn inspired Wait to create his own society: The Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, which emphasized that true wisdom came from spiritual contemplation, divine grace, and an internal connection to the higher self.
As a result, he sought to create a new tarot deck that aligned with the spiritual, mystical interpretations he imagined would benefit humanity.
This led him to commission Pamela Colman Smith to illustrate what would become the most famous tarot deck of all time.
(They, of course, weren’t the only ones — Aleister Crowley also went on to make his own deck as well, The Thoth Tarot.)
Pamela Colman Smith: The Artist Who Captivated The World
A Portrait of Pamela Colman Smith c.1912
Pamela Colman Smith (1878–1951) was a British-American artist, writer, and mystic. She was a fellow member of the Golden Dawn and had a background in theater design and symbolism, which heavily influenced her artistic approach.
While A.E. Waite provided the structure and esoteric meanings behind the cards, it was Smith’s artistic vision that made the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck iconic.
Previous decks such as The Etteilla Tarot and The Marseilles Tarot lacked Minor Arcana imagery. For example, the Five of Swords in the RWS shows a clear scene of conflict and defeat, instead of just five swords scattered across the card as in the Tarot of Marseille. Smith turned every card into a scene, making tarot more intuitive and accessible for readers. She incorporated expressive body language and symbolism, rich textures and scenery — effectively turning the tarot into a story that anyone could intuitively interpret the meanings of.
It is said that Smith had synesthesia — a neurological condition that caused her to see colors and shapes when she heard sounds. Maybe this is why her visual interpretations of White’s esoteric meanings were so elaborate and resonant with — well, the world!
The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Tarot Deck
The Original RWS Deck and “The Key to The Tarot” Guidebook, Published December 10, 1909
The first RWS Tarot Deck was published by William Rider & Son in London, 1909 (hence the name Rider-Waite-Smith).
As a publisher, he wanted to see the newly-minted tarot deck succeed — and so it was marketed as a deck not just for secret societies and occultists, but by anyone interested in personal growth and self-exploration. A.E. Waite himself wrote the guidebook, “The Key to The Tarot," that was included in every deck.
Suddenly, a complete tarot system was accessible for beginners. This democratization of tarot played a huge role in its popularization — anyone could learn how to interpret the cards.
Still, it took a little while for the RWS Tarot Deck to grow in popularity — the meanings, the images, it was all very new. And tarot itself was still niche.
A Spirituality Boom (1960s-1970s)
The 1960s and 1970s saw a massive surge in the popularity of modern day spirituality — astrology, meditation, and tarot were widely talked about and understood.
This was a period of countercultural exploration, where people sought alternative paths to spirituality and personal growth outside of traditional religions. Tarot became a mainstream phenomenon, and the Rider-Waite-Smith deck was at the forefront of this spiritual revolution.
With the counterculture movement in full swing and a publishing boom happening around the world, reproductions of the RWS deck (as well as other decks!) became cheaper to produce and even more accessible to the masses. More accessibility meant more people in the tarot space — making connections to the larger world.
And while influential psychologist Carl Jung never directly studied or wrote extensively about tarot, his theories on archetypes, the collective unconscious, and synchronicity became deeply influential in how tarot was interpreted in the 20th century and beyond.
Tarot’s Mainstream Popularization (1980s-1990s)
This is when tarot entered the mainstream in a big way — further moving from occult subcultures into broader public consciousness.
Self-improvement / self-help was a massive movement in the 80s. Prominent figures like Tony Robbins published books and help motivational seminars about personal power. The idea that positive thinking and visualization (manifestation, affirmations, mantras) could influence physical and emotional health was popularized by books like “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay. There were late-night informercials everywhere about improving your life.
Since tarot was viewed as a way to access the unconscious mind, reflect on personal growth, and navigate emotional blocks — it also saw a massive uptick in popularity. New decks were now being created all of the time.
Decks such as the Thoth Tarot (created by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris,) allowed tarot readers to engage with the cards through different lenses and philosophies. Deck creators began to make tarot decks that resonated with specific cultural, artistic, and spiritual tastes, which meant that there was now a tarot deck for everyone.
By the 1990s, tarot was everywhere! It started to appear more regularly in mass media, including TV shows, films, and magazine — personal shoutout to The Craft, a cult-classic that if you haven’t seen yet you absolutely should.
The Craft, 1996
Popular culture began to embrace tarot in a more visible way. The media’s portrayal of tarot shifted — there was absolutely a fortune-telling element, but the themes were more mystical and spiritual in nature.
The Internet & Online Tarot Communities
I don’t need to tell you how much the internet fueled the growth of tarot — we’re living that moment right now!
But with the rise of online forums initially — and social media now! — suddenly everyone had access to knowledge and community. The curious are now learning, every day, something that had once only been available in secret occult societies.
About The Author
Patrick is an evolutionary tarot reader specializing in deep, transformative tarot sessions that empower clients to gain clarity, break limiting patterns, and navigate life with confidence. As a lifelong believer that there are no coincidences, he knows firsthand the power of tarot and oracle cards as a north star for your personal growth.
Ready to experience a deeper tarot journey? Book a reading today or explore more articles and resources at: ThatOracleGuy.com
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