The History Of Tarot Cards |
Posted: December 13, 2017 |
No one likes uncertainty in life. No one likes to make the wrong decisions regarding their future. As such, people look for guidance. In some instances, they may look for guidance from traditional sources. In other scenarios, they may look for guidance from mystical ones. For many hundreds of years, people have been employing tarot cards as a source for learning about their future. While some may look at advertisements for tarot readers and assume such mystics have created a modern form of soothsaying, the history of tarot reveal they are far, far from a modern creation. The tarot cards are believed to have originated in Europe in the 14th century. However, the word tarot derives from an Arabic word and the concept of them can trace its roots to ancient Egypt. This leads historians to believe the cards may have developed their popularity in the western world in the 14th century, but the actual origination point of the cards can be traced back a great many centuries prior to that. Contrary to what many believe today, they were not originally conceived for divination. The history of tarot cards reveal they were commonly used in leisure and wagering games. The modern deck of cards can trace its origins to the early version of the tarot that were developed in Italy in the early 1400s. Crude versions of them existed prior to the Italian innovations but these Italian cards that truly caught people’s eyes. They were artistically crafted and this resonated with those interested in the gaming potential of the cards. Gaming? Well, to a certain extent, people enjoyed playing games with the cards. However, using the cards for divination and telling the future would become the centerpiece of their popularity. This did not happen that quickly, though. In fact, the cards usage for game playing still remained popular for a hundred years. But nowadays, you can ask for online tarot reading to know your future. Then, in the 1500s, the history of the cards took a major turn. They become used almost exclusively for divination. The reason for this is that belief in the occult hit all-time highs. This should come as no surprise since the Inquisition, witchcraft, and werewolf trials were all topics of the day. It is surprising that people did not fear being accused of witchcraft through dabbling with them. Perhaps this shows a innate bit of human nature: people want security in their future. They opened the doorway to understanding the future. As a result, tarot card readers became highly respected professionals. This was certainly true in 16th century France and England. One of the more interesting aspects about the growth of tarot cards was the fact that gambling related playing cards where essentially banned in much of Europe. Since they were considered mystical in purpose, they were not banned. This allowed the cards to remain in circulation for years. By the 1700s and the 1800s, the public grew more and more interested in the occult. This led to the tarot cards experiencing even further increases in popularity and acceptance. As a result, these cards are still popular to this day.
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