| Most of what I'm going to lecture from come | | | | Gypsies were exotic, feared and looked down |
| from Cynthia Giles' book: The Tarot, History, | | | | on, but there was an aura of romance about |
| Mystery and Lore and some other resources. | | | | them that caught the imagination of Europeans |
| | | | in the 1800's. A book was published towards |
| The origins of the Tarot have been attributed | | | | the end of the century called "The Tarot of |
| a wide range of wacky sources - paleolithic | | | | the Bohemians," attributing the Tarot to the |
| cave paintings, gypsy folk lore, Moroccan | | | | Gypsies (who Europeans commonly believed came |
| mystics and even gifts from space aliens to | | | | from Egypt). Interestingly, Gypsies used |
| Egyptian priests!. Most of these stories are, | | | | regular playing cards for divination - not |
| of course, speculation of the wildest, most | | | | the Tarot. |
| ridiculous kind, and only serve to muddy the | | | | |
| waters when it comes to understanding the | | | | In the 19th century, the famed mystic Eliphas |
| Tarot. If you're going to use the cards, it's | | | | Levi Zahed (whose real name was Alphonse |
| important to understand where they come from | | | | Louis Constant) connected the Taror with |
| - so that you know their rich history, their | | | | Hebrew mysticism - the Kabbalah. He saw the |
| potential and their value - and not put faith | | | | Tarot as a key to life, a tool that man can |
| in silly urban legends. | | | | use to develop himself as a human being, as a |
| | | | way to grow so that he might find heaven. His |
| Tarot on parade | | | | work outlined 22 connections to the tarot |
| | | | major arcana, making it a tool to be used on |
| The first mention of the cards was in Italy | | | | the path to enlightenment. |
| in the 14th century, called "Tarocco" and | | | | |
| used for games - and already, authorities | | | | The modern Tarot deck was most influenced by |
| were lecturing against its use. The first | | | | the cards used in the late 1800's by the |
| known deck was made for the Vicsconzi-Sforza | | | | Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The order |
| family of Milan, designed by the artist | | | | was founded in England by three men who, |
| Bembo. According to Tarot expert Gertrude | | | | according to lore, found an old secret |
| Moakley, the various characters illustrated | | | | manuscript written in code, deciphered it as |
| in the major arcana represented the triomfi, | | | | the by-laws of a secret German society, and |
| or parade, that accompanied Italian | | | | received permission to start their own group |
| celebrations. | | | | in England. Years later, the woman who gave |
| | | | them permission died, and the German members |
| Historians believe that there may have been | | | | disavowed the British branch, saying they |
| other cards that existed to represent other | | | | never got permission after all. |
| characters but have disappeared over time. | | | | |
| Few decks of Tarot cards exist for those | | | | The modern Tarot is born |
| early days, but there's enough similarity in | | | | |
| artwork to make it clear that the deck was in | | | | Despite its contentious beginnings, the |
| common use in that time. Some historians | | | | Golden Dawn became a very influential group, |
| believe that the Tarot was originally only | | | | with two members in particular doing a great |
| used as a gaming deck - to play a game called | | | | deal to spread the popularity of occultism - |
| tarocchi - until occultists began using them | | | | Aleister Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite. |
| for divination. | | | | Crowley, a protégé of the Golden Dawn |
| | | | founders in England, created a Tarot called |
| Taking Europe by storm | | | | the Book of Thoth. Waite created the Tarot |
| | | | deck that's most familiar to modern users. |
| The next big milestone in Tarot's history | | | | Working with an American artist named Pamela |
| came in the late 1700's when Court de | | | | Coleman Smith, Waite used a storytelling |
| Gebelen, a member of a secret society of | | | | theme, utilizing characters from myth, legend |
| occultists, came across the a game of | | | | and religion, allocating a group of symbols |
| tarocchi and became obsessed with the cards. | | | | to each card that gives them unique meaning. |
| He believed them to be imbued with important | | | | His Tarot formed the foundation on which most |
| symbolism which he attributed to ancient | | | | decks that followed were based. |
| Egyptian lore. De Geblen wrote a nine-volume | | | | |
| treatise titled "Le Monde Primitif" in which | | | | The next milestone in the Tarot's history |
| he discussed the meanings of the Tarot. That | | | | came in the 1920's, when a Golden Dawn member |
| he attributed the Tarot's symbolism to the | | | | named Paul Foster Case started a group in Los |
| Egyptian's was based less on any real fact | | | | Angeles called Builders of the Adytum (BOTA). |
| than on the fascination that Europeans had | | | | The BOTA deck is in black and white, created |
| with Egypt at that time, believing it to be | | | | so that the owner could color the drawings |
| the center of all of man's early wisdom. Use | | | | themselves (it was a tradition in the Golden |
| of the cards for divination spread during | | | | Dawn that each member had to make their own |
| that time, with a book by a man named | | | | deck as part of their training). The group |
| Etteilla in 1783, in which he offered his | | | | offers Tarot training to this day, although |
| interpretations of the cards. In fact, | | | | their interpretations of the cards are |
| professional mystics began using the Tarot | | | | disputed by many divination experts. |
| throughout Europe, although there was no | | | | |
| consensus of what the cards actually meant. | | | | Today, there are countless versions of the |
| | | | Crowley/Waite Tarot available, some with |
| The mystical background of the Tarot | | | | magnificent artwork, others less impressive. |
| | | | Whatever your choice of deck, using the Tarot |
| Card readings have long been associated with | | | | as a divination tool is a personal |
| Gypsies, although they certainly weren't | | | | experience, one that's origins reach far back |
| responsible for their creation. For hundreds | | | | in history. Hopefully, knowing the background |
| of years, Gypsies made their way across the | | | | of this ancient art will enhance your |
| world, living by their wits and earning a | | | | connection to the cards, and to your own |
| living by any skills that they could market. | | | | readings. |