The Fragmented Origins of Tarot

Tarot can be traced back to the 1400’s, though only in fragments. Much historical knowledge has been lost; when empires fell, libraries often burned. In ancient times, paper was scarce, and there was often only a single written record of information. When that record was destroyed, the knowledge it contained disappeared with it.

Suppression, Censorship, and the Rise of Fear

By the 1460s, during the rise of Catholicism, knowledge that did not directly serve the Church was frequently destroyed or suppressed. This era played a major role in shaping the modern stigma surrounding occult practices. While many texts were burned, others were confiscated and hidden. This period of censorship is a primary reason occult knowledge is still viewed as dangerous or immoral today.

The Vatican Library holds over 1.1 million books and 75,000 codices, some dating back to the 8th century. This suggests that some knowledge believed to be lost may instead be deliberately concealed. While these teachings may still hold relevance, Tarot as a system has required reinterpretation to survive into the modern era.

Paper, Class, and the Survival of Records

To understand why much Tarot history appears fragmented, it helps to look at the invention of paper mills, which emerged around the 11th century. Historical records prior to this point are sparse, which is why most documented Tarot history appears after the 1400s. Before paper mills, decks were made from wood or leather—materials that were costly and labor-intensive. As a result, Tarot was largely reserved for nobility. Decks had to be commissioned, and each card was hand-painted by local artists.

Early Playing Cards and the Game of Trumps

When playing cards arrived in Italy in the 1200s, they closely resembled modern decks. A standard deck contained four suits, ten pip cards per suit, and three court cards. Around this time, a game known as Trionfi, or “Trump,” became popular. Much like modern bridge, one suit ranked above the others and could override any card in play. Court cards also functioned as trumps within their own suits.

The Birth of the Major Arcana

The Major Arcana emerged around 1420, when Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan commissioned a new game based on “Virtues and Temptations,” now recognized as the seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues. His assistant, astrologer Maurizio da Tortona, expanded existing decks by adding four additional trump cards per suit, each depicting a classical god.

Tortona also wrote a book explaining their symbolism. While the deck itself has been lost, the book still exists today at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris.

Lost Decks and Missing Cards

Of all historically commissioned Tarot decks, only fifteen survive, and none are complete. Out of a possible 1,170 cards, only 270 remain. The most intact example, the Pierpont Morgan–Bergamo deck, is missing only The Devil, The Tower, and Death. These cards were often considered offensive and intentionally removed.

Condemnation and the Underground Era

During the height of Catholic influence, Franciscan friars publicly condemned these trump cards, claiming The Devil, Death, and The Tower were created in the name of Satan. They warned that anyone who played Tarot risked losing their soul. This rhetoric forced Tarot—and many occult practices—underground.

At the time, owning a deck or studying astrology, medicine, or early science carried serious risk. At best, one faced torture; at worst, execution for witchcraft. As fear spread, these traditions vanished from public life for nearly three centuries.

Tarot’s Return Through Divination

In 1770, Tarot resurfaced when Jean-Baptiste Alliette, known as Etteilla, published the first book on card divination. He assigned meanings to thirty-six cards of a Piquet deck, a standard deck with the two through six removed.

In 1781, Tarot’s divinatory identity deepened further when Antoine Court de Gébelin proposed that Tarot originated in ancient Egypt. He claimed the cards preserved lost mystical knowledge from the god Thoth. Etteilla later expanded on these ideas, publishing interpretations of the Major Arcana rooted in Egyptian symbolism.

Mysticism, Kabbalah, and a Unified System

The 19th century introduced Eliphas Levi, who connected Tarot to the Kabbalah, the Hebrew mystical tradition. This framework unified the deck into a cohesive symbolic system, offering new insight into its structure and purpose.

Levi’s work broadened Tarot’s reach, revealing it as a flexible system capable of integrating with many spiritual and philosophical traditions.