Since the beginning of civilization humans have developed methods to gain insight into the future; today the art of reading Tarot cards is one of the most universal forms of divination. One would think the origins of these mystical cards would be seeped in mysterious and ancient knowledge. In the case of the Tarot…it began as a rather mundane and unassuming parlor game played by the wealthy throughout Italy and France. In the late 14th century wealthy aristocrats would commission artists to paint custom cards to play a game at times called Tarocho meaning Foolishness.
In the early development of the cards there were four suits not unlike modern decks: Staves/Wands, Disc/Coins, Cups, and Swords. It wasn’t until later years that Italian artists created additional cards along with the suits to expand the game and they were called Triumph Cards. These cards each had their own names – Death, Empress, and more…all early versions of the Triumph Cards later would be known as the Major Arcana in the modern Tarot card decks. On a side note, with the advent of the printing press, these decks became more widely available.
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