The Complete History of Tarot: From Ancient Egypt to Modern Decks

By Nicole, Founder of Mystic Ryst

The tarot deck you hold in your hands carries centuries of mystery, wisdom, and transformation. From Renaissance Italy to modern spiritual practice, tarot has evolved from a simple card game into one of the most powerful divination tools in existence. But the story of how we got here—and the myths we've believed along the way—is far more fascinating than most people realize.

Let's separate historical fact from romantic fiction and trace the true lineage of these 78 cards that have captivated seekers, mystics, and spiritual entrepreneurs for generations.

The Ancient Egypt Myth: Beautiful but False

If you've been told that tarot originated in ancient Egypt, passed down from the mystery schools of Thoth or the temples of Isis—I hate to break it to you, but that's not historically accurate.

This romantic origin story was popularized in the late 18th century by French occultist Antoine Court de Gébelin, who claimed (without evidence) that tarot was the preserved wisdom of ancient Egypt, encoded in card form to survive the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.

It's a compelling narrative. It gives tarot ancient authority and mystical legitimacy. But it's simply not true.

The reality? Tarot is a European invention, born in 15th-century Italy. No Egyptian papyri feature tarot imagery. No hieroglyphics decode the Major Arcana. The connection to Egypt is a later addition—a layer of meaning added by occultists who wanted to give tarot deeper esoteric roots.

Why this matters: Understanding tarot's true history doesn't diminish its power. If anything, it makes it more remarkable. Tarot didn't need ancient Egyptian origins to become a profound tool for insight and transformation. Its power comes from centuries of use, interpretation, and the collective unconscious it taps into.

The Real Beginning: 15th Century Italy

Tarot's documented history begins in Northern Italy around 1440, in the courts of Milan, Ferrara, and Bologna. The earliest surviving decks—like the Visconti-Sforza tarot—were commissioned by wealthy Italian families as luxury items.

These weren't mystical tools. They were playing cards.

The game was called "tarocchi" (Italian) or "tarot" (French), and it was similar to bridge—a trick-taking game that required strategy and skill. The 78-card structure we know today (22 Major Arcana + 56 Minor Arcana) was established during this period, though the imagery and symbolism were far less standardized than modern decks.

The Original Structure

Minor Arcana (56 cards): Four suits—Cups, Coins, Swords, Staves—each with 14 cards (Ace through 10, plus four court cards). These were similar to regular playing cards and represented the four classes of medieval society.

Major Arcana (22 cards): The "trump" cards, featuring allegorical images like The Fool, The Magician, Death, The Tower, etc. These were the special cards that could trump the Minor Arcana suits—hence the name "trumps."

The imagery drew from medieval Christian symbolism, classical mythology, and Renaissance philosophy. The Virtues (Temperance, Strength, Justice), the Pope and Papess, the Emperor and Empress—these reflected the worldview of 15th-century Italian nobility.

From Game to Divination: The Occult Revival

For about 300 years, tarot remained primarily a card game. Wealthy Europeans played tarocchi. The cards spread across Europe—to France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany—but always as entertainment, not mysticism.

The shift happened in the late 18th century, during the Occult Revival.

Antoine Court de Gébelin (1781)

A French Protestant clergyman and Freemason, de Gébelin published "Le Monde Primitif," claiming tarot was an ancient Egyptian book of wisdom. He connected the 22 Major Arcana to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and proposed that tarot contained hidden esoteric knowledge.

He had zero evidence. But his ideas caught fire.

Jean-Baptiste Alliette "Etteilla" (1785)

A French occultist who took de Gébelin's ideas and ran with them, Etteilla created the first tarot deck explicitly designed for divination. He assigned specific divinatory meanings to each card and published the first guide to reading tarot for fortune-telling.

This was revolutionary. For the first time, tarot wasn't just a game—it was a tool for accessing hidden knowledge.

Éliphas Lévi (1850s)

French occultist Éliphas Lévi deepened the connection between tarot and Kabbalah, linking the 22 Major Arcana to the 22 paths on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. He wove tarot into the Western esoteric tradition, connecting it to astrology, alchemy, and ceremonial magic.

Lévi's work influenced every occultist who came after him, including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The Golden Dawn: Tarot's Esoteric Codification

In the late 19th century, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—a secret society of British occultists—systematized tarot's esoteric correspondences.

Members like Arthur Edward Waite, Aleister Crowley, and S.L. MacGregor Mathers created detailed systems linking tarot to:

• Kabbalah (Tree of Life paths)
• Astrology (zodiac signs and planets)
• Elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth)
• Hebrew letters
• Numerology
• Color symbolism
• Alchemical processes

This wasn't historical tarot—this was a new creation, a synthesis of Western esoteric traditions using tarot as the organizing framework.

And it worked. The Golden Dawn's system became the foundation for nearly every modern tarot deck and interpretation.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Deck: Tarot's Modern Standard

In 1909, Arthur Edward Waite (a Golden Dawn member) commissioned artist Pamela Colman Smith to create a new tarot deck. Published by the Rider Company, it became known as the Rider-Waite or Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck.

This deck revolutionized tarot in three ways:

1. Fully Illustrated Minor Arcana

Previous decks showed only the suit symbols (like playing cards). Smith created unique, narrative scenes for all 56 Minor Arcana cards, making them easier to read intuitively.

2. Accessible Symbolism

While deeply esoteric, the imagery was more approachable than earlier occult decks. The symbolism drew from Christian mysticism, Kabbalah, astrology, and alchemy, but in a way that invited interpretation rather than requiring secret knowledge.

3. Mass Production

The RWS deck was affordable and widely available. For the first time, ordinary people—not just wealthy occultists—could own and learn tarot.

Today, an estimated 80% of modern tarot decks are based on the RWS system. Even decks that look completely different often use the same card meanings and structure.

Aleister Crowley's Thoth Deck: The Esoteric Alternative

In the 1940s, infamous occultist Aleister Crowley collaborated with artist Lady Frieda Harris to create the Thoth Tarot. This deck took Golden Dawn symbolism to its most complex, incorporating:

• Advanced Kabbalistic correspondences
• Thelemic philosophy (Crowley's spiritual system)
• Egyptian mythology (the romantic connection finally made visual)
• Astrological and alchemical symbolism
• Geometric and color theory

The Thoth deck is stunning, complex, and intimidating. It's favored by serious occultists and those drawn to Crowley's work, but it's less accessible for beginners than the RWS.

The Tarot Explosion: 1970s to Present

The 1970s New Age movement brought tarot into mainstream spiritual culture. Suddenly, tarot wasn't just for occultists—it was for seekers, feminists, psychologists, artists, and anyone interested in self-discovery.

Key Developments:

Feminist Tarot (1970s-80s): Decks like the Motherpeace Tarot reimagined tarot through a feminist, goddess-centered lens, challenging patriarchal symbolism.

Psychological Tarot (1980s-90s): Influenced by Carl Jung's work on archetypes and the collective unconscious, tarot became a tool for psychological insight rather than fortune-telling.

Diverse Representation (2000s-present): Modern decks feature diverse bodies, cultures, and spiritual traditions. Tarot is no longer exclusively white, European, or Christian in its imagery.

Oracle Decks (2010s-present): While not technically tarot, oracle decks exploded in popularity, offering more flexible, intuitive systems without tarot's traditional structure.

Indie Deck Renaissance (2010s-present): Kickstarter and independent publishing allowed artists to create niche decks for every aesthetic and spiritual path imaginable—from cosmic to minimalist, from witchy to corporate.

Modern Tarot: A Living Tradition

Today, tarot is experiencing a renaissance. It's used by:

• Spiritual practitioners for divination and ritual
• Therapists and coaches as a tool for reflection and insight
• Artists and creatives for inspiration and creative blocks
• Business owners and entrepreneurs for strategic decision-making
• Everyday seekers for daily guidance and self-understanding

Tarot has evolved beyond its origins as a card game or even its occult revival. It's become a flexible, powerful tool for accessing intuition, exploring the unconscious, and navigating life's complexities.

What This History Teaches Us

Tarot's power isn't in its age—it's in its use. Whether tarot is 600 years old or 6,000 doesn't determine its effectiveness. What matters is that millions of people across centuries have found it meaningful.

Tarot is a living tradition. It wasn't handed down complete from ancient masters. It evolved, adapted, and continues to change. Every reader adds to its meaning. Every new deck expands its possibilities.

You don't need to be an occultist to use tarot. While understanding the esoteric correspondences can deepen your practice, tarot works through intuition, symbolism, and personal meaning. Your relationship with the cards is valid, regardless of how much history you know.

Tarot reflects its time. Medieval tarot showed Christian virtues and social hierarchy. Victorian tarot encoded occult knowledge. Modern tarot celebrates diversity, psychology, and personal empowerment. The cards mirror the consciousness of their era.

Honoring the Journey

When you shuffle your deck, you're participating in a tradition that spans continents and centuries. You're connecting with Renaissance nobles playing tarocchi, 18th-century occultists seeking hidden wisdom, Victorian mystics exploring consciousness, and modern seekers navigating the complexity of contemporary life.

Tarot didn't need to come from ancient Egypt to be profound. Its true magic is that it emerged from human creativity, evolved through human use, and continues to serve human needs for meaning, guidance, and connection to something greater.

The cards in your hands are both ancient and new—rooted in history but alive in this moment, ready to speak to your unique questions and circumstances.

That's the real magic of tarot.

What's your favorite tarot deck, and what drew you to it? I'd love to hear about your relationship with these powerful cards.