Tarot Decks

The tarot (first known as tarocchi, also tarock and similar names), pronounced /ˈtæːroʊ/, is a pack of cards (most commonly numbering seventy-eight), used from the mid fifteenth century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot. From the late 18th century until the present time the tarot has also found use by mystics and occultists in efforts at divination or as a map of mental and spiritual pathways.

The word 'tarot' is commonly believed to have originated from the Arab word 'turuq', meaning four ways. Tarot cards consist of twenty-one trump cards, the fool and an extra card per suit along with the usual suit of playing cards. Tarot cards are used in many parts of Europe to play card games and for purposes of divination. The earliest use of tarot cards can be traced back to the 14th century. The popularity of tarot cards for fortune-telling is as old as a few centuries ago. The history of Tarot cards describes the evolution of tarot cards from the decks of the olden days to the different types of decks of the present times.

The tarot has four suits corresponding to the suits of conventional playing cards. Each of these suits has pip cards numbering from ace to ten and four face cards for a total of fourteen cards. In addition, the tarot is distinguished by a separate 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool may act as the top trump or may be played to avoid following suit.

Deck-specific symbolism Many popular decks have modified the traditional symbolism to reflect the esoteric beliefs of their creators. Rider-Waite-Smith deck By the 18th and the 19th centuries, the mystics and occultists began using tarot cards. Their use started after a study on religious symbolism by a Swiss clergyman called Antoine Court de Gebelin was published. He proclaimed the name tarot to have originated from the Egyptian word, 'tar' that meant royal and 'ro' meaning road. He suggested that the word tarot signified a royal road to wisdom. The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot was published. It replaced the traditional designs with the portrayals of symbolic scenes. This deck remains popular in the English-speaking countries even today. The use of Tarot cards gave rise to the creation of the oracle card decks, which contain images of angels, goddesses and Power animals and are used for divination. Crowley-Harris Thoth deck Each card in the Thoth deck is intricately detailed with astrological, zodiacal, elemental and Qabalistic symbols related to each card. Colours are used symbolically, especially the cards related to the five elements of Spirit, Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Crowley wrote a book--The Book of Thoth to accompany, describe, and expand on his deck and the data regarding the pathways within. Unlike the popular Waite-Smith Tarot, the Thoth Tarot retains the traditional order of the trumps but uses alternative nomenclature for both the trumps and of the courts. Mythic Tarot The Mythic Tarot deck links tarot symbolism with the classical Greek myths. Hermetic Tarot Hermetic Tarot utilizes the tarot imagery to function as a textbook and mnemonic device for teaching and revealing the gnosis of alchemical symbolical language and its profound and philosophical meanings. An example of this practice is found in the rituals of the 19th Century Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In the 20th Century Hermetic use of the tarot imagery as a handbook and revealer of perennial wisdom was further developed in the work of Carl Gustav Jung and his exploration into the psyche and active imagination. A 21st century example of a Hermetic rooted tarot deck is that of Tarot ReVisioned, a black and white deck and book for the Major Arcana by Leigh J. McCloskey.

The Vertigo Tarot deck employs characters from titles of American publisher Vertigo Comics including such imagery as John Constantine from Hellblazer, in the role of The Fool zero card. The cards were illustrated by Dave McKean with text by Rachel Pollack and the accompanying book holds an introduction by Neil Gaiman. In France, where the tarot game is most popular, there have been tarot decks published depicting characters from Asterix, Disney, and Tex Avery cartoons.

Modern oracle cards

Recently, the use of tarot for divination, or as a store of symbolism, has inspired the creation of modern oracle card decks. These are card decks for inspiration or divination containing images of angels, faeries, goddesses, totems, etc. Although obviously influenced by divinatory tarot, they do not follow the traditional structure of Tarot; they often lack any suits of numbered cards, and the set of cards differs from the conventional major arcana.