Tarot, in Short

The tarot (/tærou/) is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot. From the late 18th century up till now the tarot has also been used for divination.

The tarot has four suits, like playing-cards. Each suit has pip cards ranging from one (or Ace) to ten, and four face cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Jack/Knave) - in all: 14 cards for each of the four suits. In addition, the tarot has a separate 21-card trump suit and a Fool card. We will look into these 22 cards here.

Tarot Decks

There are over 500 different tarot decks today. What is implied by that? [◦Source]

Tarot decks and authenticity

The historic tarot pictures are part of the cultural heritage of Europe. Tom Little: "The individual symbols on the [Tarot] cards (the virtues, the Devil, the Sun, the Wheel of Fortune, and so on) are all, almost without exception, found elsewhere in the art of the Italian renaissance." Most tarot subjects are distinctive to European Christendom. [Little a; Tarotpedia]

The earliest names for the tarot are all Italian, and there is no evidence that the tarot originating anywhere else than Northern Italy between 1420-1440. The earliest extant cards are lavish, hand-painted decks made for the nobility. The twenty-two cards depicted and commented on on the following pages, were and are trumf playing cards. The tarot was and is used to play a card game similar to Bridge.

The intentions of the early designer(s) of the tarot in selecting symbols for their trump cards are not all known: there are cabbalistic, astrological, and other correspondences to take into account, but there is no "definitive" tarot version.

The following consists of a series of pictures and sayings and comments to them. The sayings have been appended to the Marseille tarot deck. That deck differs in some respects from older and not uniform Italian tarot cards.

The Marseille tarot deck is supposedly the most popular deck in the Latin countries. Sallie Nichols writes of in Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey that it is

one of the oldest designs available today . . . and the old remnants of old decks still preserved in museums do not correspond exactly with any pack currently in print. Thus no present-day Tarot can be called in any sense authentic. But the Marseille version, in general, preserves the feeling tone and style of some of the earliest designs. [Nichols 1980, 5]

Tarot cards were introduced into southern France from northern Italy. The name tarot de Marseille refers to a variety of closely related designs that were being made in the city of Marseille, at the time a centre of playing card manufacture. Similar cards were also made in other cities in France.

The tarot de Marseille contains traditional religious images (such as the Pope, the Devil, the Grim Reaper and the Last Judgement) and controversial Christian images. Among the latter is La Papesse which portrays a female pope. Many variants have been used instead of her. Among them are Juno, The Spanish Captain and The High Priestess.

Among early attested decks in the Tarot of Marseille family of decks is the one by Jean Dodal from 1701-15. Starting on the next page, they are toned up, and their names and numbers are left out from the pictures, and some pictures are modified (mirrored) too. Why? Captions and numbers were not part of the cards originally.

Each card, whether in the major arcana or minor arcana, was originally printed from a woodcut; the cards were later coloured either by hand or by the use of stencils. It appears the cards were first use for play only. The use of tarot in divination is first attested in the 1700s in the journals of Giacomo Casanova.

Some things to take into account

Tarot cards were playing-cards originally, and are still used as such in many European countries. Later, subsumed meanings attached to the cards have been added by several writers. For further looks into the tarot history: [Link]

Nichols further writes that "the Marseille deck comes to us unaccompanied by an explanatory text." [Nichols 1980, 5].

As for the order of the twenty-two pictures, in some decks each picture is marked with one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet so as to connect the pictures with the Kabbalah, "But there exists no uniform agreement as to which Hebrew letters belongs to which Tarot . . . here also confusion reigns," writes Nichols [Ib., 6]

If tarot images are well aligned to signs of the zodiac, outcomes may not be proved to be true, or true in all respects, or in any case. It may still be interesting, for proof is one thing, what may be at work (there) is another. We should go for solid proof (evidence) and not lots of speculation. Karen Hamaker-Zondag. Tarot As a Way of Life: A Jungian Approach to the Tarot. (Newburyport, MA: Weiser, 2007) tells about using the pictures astrologically that "There is no agreement over how this should be done." [177, also 177-82] Further, "To translate these two systems (astrology and tarot) into one another's languages . . . usually does not work in practice [p. 189]." For all that, she presents one approach of alignment by a circular diagram in her Appendix F [p 179].

"We've got something for everyone"

It needs to be pointed out that actual alignment between tarot and astrology is not documented. One salient reason stems from the heading's quotation of the American showman Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-91): the Forer effect. It says that vague and general positive descriptions of other's personalities will be accepted and thought highly of by those in question, even though these descriptions may apply to a wide range of people. It is the same with many general Western astrology sayings: they are rarely very specific. Also, if we take into account that the individual is unique at heart. this take may not be so strange as it would seem at first glance.

But there is far more in this. Consider a general description of body parts: "You are a round, bulging pair, somewhat fatty, smooth to touch, you may awaken desires." If you are the buttocks, you may exclaim: "That's us!" And if you are the female breasts, you might say it too: "It's us!"

Both seem right on such a very general, descriptive level. However, if the description gets more detailed, specific or nuanced, one may find differences - and female breasts are not buttocks. Glands make a difference, and placement in the human body too. Breasts are in the front, buttocks on the back side. So some general descriptions may apply to many, but more specific descriptions narrow it down. Besides,s forms and functions are different. And parts relate to one another in some ways and thereby we may identify them.

As for star signs, is it true that every other sign is introvert and every other extrovert? This rather basic astrological claim was found to be unfounded. The problem? When descriptions fail, what then? Is a call for "further research" always in place? It would depend on which kinds of research. [More] Professor Hans Eysenck postulated what comes to this: If people go on thinking they are like this and that because their horoscope tells they are like that, they may be steering into patterns of behaviour and reciprocal interactions that influence their self-image or conduct in many ways. Overrating oneself is one danger here, but there are many others, such as "frozen deals".

There are many ways to link tarot cards and astrological signs; not just one way of doing it. Muriel Bruce Hasbrouck shows one kind of aligning in her Tarot and Astrology: The Pursuit of Destiny (Rochester, VM: Inner Traditions / Bear and Company, 1986). The topic may be explored.

Numbering the pictures is rather simple

To join basic astrological knowledge to pictures ina mediaeval deck of play-cards has been done. For example, the pictures in the Tarot of Marseilles have been numbered by Dr Sigurd Agrell. And numbers and star signs may also be coupled. Aries is the first sign, Taurus is number 2, and so on. By such standards, Dr Agrell's tarot renumbering of tarot pictures is basically rather simple. It may also be called elegant.

Tarot and Jung's archetypes

The Swiss psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung came to think that the twenty-two tarot pictures are related to archetypes. Dr Gerald Schueler says Jung "saw all of the Tarot images as "descended from the archetypes of transformation." However, in the light of the many and substantial changes of the images from rather crude tarot decks of playing-cards to later decks with added motifs and details, that may be a bad view. [Link]

Tom T. Little exposes many permutations of and additions to the oldest tarot pictures in Histories of the Trump Cards. [Little d]

Twelve Fields of Life

Life may be approached from many angles and sectors. Below, the pictures are sequenced and spiralling through sectors (figure 1). The first angle is that of the First Field, which is a synthesis of the so-called First House, Aries the Ram and the tarot pictures 1 (the Fool), and 13 (the Hanged Man), just as figure 1 shows. The second angle is the Field of the Second House, Taurus the Bull, and so on. Below Figure 1 is a list of the tarot pictures, their most common names today, and their order and sequencing as Dr Agrell would have it.

Tarot pictures as most commonly named

First spiral round:

The Fool, formerly Harlequin - of Aries
The Magician or The Juggler, or The Mountebank - of Taurus
The Papess or The Female Pope, or The High Priestess - of Gemini
The Empress - of Cancer
The Emperor - of Leo
The Pope or The Hierophant - of Virgo
The Lovers - of Libra
The Chariot - of Scorpio
Justice - of Sagittarius
The Hermit - of Capricorn
The Wheel of Fortune - of Aquarius
Strength or Fortitude - of Pisces

Second spiral turn:

The Hanged Man - of Aries
The Mystery/Trump without name or Death - of Taurus
Temperance - of Gemini
The Devil - of Cancer
The Tower or The House of God - of Leo
The Sun (switched) - of Virgo
The Moon - of Libra
The Star (switched) - of Scorpio
Judgement - of Sagittarius
The World - of Capricorn

Both of these lists are of the "Eastern" Order, whose main distinction is to put Justice between Judgment and the World, and Temperance between the Pope and Love. There are about eighteen 16th century Italian sources that list all or most of the Trumps, and most are arranged in the Eastern order.

Sigurd Agrell points out that the oldest known tarot card only contained pictures, and were not numbered. He also suggests that the twenty-two pictures illustrate the Latin alphabet. [Agrell 120, 121] And the Fool - which either goes unnumbered or is given zero as its number, is actually the first of the 22 pictures. Agrell therefore presents it as "number 1". The oldest display of the image shows a harlequin (buffoon) surrounded by laughing children, and not attacked by any animals at all. [Agrell 123] Agrell further links the Fool to be the first letter of the alphabet. Agrell also attaches gods, goddesses, Greek letters and runes to the cards [survey p. 157-58]

In the Marseille deck, the pictures 18 and 20 (the Sun and the Star) have swapped place. The reason is that the sun is a star anyway, and nearest to our globe.

Oldest Known Italian Titles

Although no surviving tarot cards from the 1400s and 1500s have titles written on them, there are several written references to tarot cards from this period. The early titles show what tarot was meant to depict at that time.

Below, the tarot trumps are listed mainly in the Marseille order, and numbered as Dr Agrell has done. But no early documents list the trumps in this order.

There were variant titles even then. In the list, the earliest recorded variants of titles are to the left (first). It is the earliest list of trumps there is the "Steele Sermon", Sermones de Ludo cum Aliis from ca. 1480, by an anonymous Franciscan friar. He uses the variant terms of Gobbo, Impiccato, Sagitta in particular (list below).

Another popular list is from Tommaso Garzoni, "Piazza Universale" (1587). He uses Vecchio, Impiccato, Fuoco as titles of the same problematic images.

Agrell's titles are included in the list too.

El matto, Il matto
El bagatella, Il gabbatella
La papessa
Imperatrix, La imperatrice
Imperator, L'imperatore
El papa, Il papa
L'amore, L'innamorato (Agrell)
Lo caro triumphale, Il carro
La iusticia, La giustizia
L'eremita (Agrell) carrying a timeglass. El gobbo, Il vecchio - Hunchback, Old Man, Time
La rotta, La ruotta della fortuna (Agrell) of defeat and breaches
La fortezza
Lo impichato, L'impiccato, Traditore L'Appicato (Agrell) - Hanged Man, Traitor
La morte (In one of the oldest known pictures he sits on a horse - Agrell)
La temperantia, La temperanza
El diavolo, Il diavolo
Il fuoco (fire), La casa de dio (Agrell) La sagitta (arrow, lightning), Casa, etc. House, Fire
El sole, Il sole
La luna
La stella
Lo angelo, L'angelo, Il Giudizio
El mondo, Il mondo

Tarot author Tom T. Little tells that thirteen of these titles match the picture titles in the Tarot de Marseille They are: Fool, Papess, Empress, Emperor, Pope, Justice, Death, Temperance, Devil, Star, Moon, Sun, and World. In addition, two more are essentially the same: The French Bateleur is translated from the Italian Bagatella. Bagatella could mean someone using a wand, like a conjurer or parade performer. Further, Wheel is an abbreviation of Wheel of Fortune. Chariot is probably an abbreviation of Triumphal Chariot, a picture of triumph processions.

More titles differ in meanings: Love (Amore) talks of the oldest way of viewing the Lovers (Amoreux): the focus probably is on love itself more than love between persons. Moreover, Fortitude (Fortezza) is not just Strength (Force), but has more to do with bravery than power. That is also the oldest focus. The Last Judgement is invariably termed the Angel in the oldest references. "Angel" indicates what the focal point of the scene was.

Three titles vary in the early Italian sources:

The Hermit is referred to as Hunchback, Old Man, or Time, The figure is frequently depicted with an hourglass, suggesting Time, and a full-blown image of a winged man on crutches persists in some tarot traditions still. So the association with Time was early and strong. The card represents old age.
The Hanged Man is more frequently called the Traitor. As in shame paintings he is depicted hung upside down. Someone is being executed.
The Tower (House of God or Maison Dieu) in the Tarot of Marseille) is most frequently called Fire, but also The Arrow, which refers to the lightning strike that hits the tower. Other titles refer to the building itself. The scene does not appear to be a picture of the underworld. The fire seems more likely to be "fire from Heaven", a divine punishment. The original title was simply Fire, referring to the tongue of flame that strikes and destroys the building. [Main sources, Agrell; Little c]

More on the picture arrangement and accompanying sayings

Sayings that are coupled to a picture on the following pages, first and foremost relate to that picture, and beneath the surface also to the proposed Life Field (Area) in question - perhaps. Thus, our picture no. 18, the Sun, pertains to the same sector as the Pope (our card no. 6). In this alignment the Pope and Sun are quite relatable, it is implied, but far from proved in any way, even though the pope traditionally has striven to be the centre of the Church, by papal bulls, the Great Inquisitions, warfare and much else. One should not recommend such means, for they are far from shining . . . and if shining, not shining in a decent way.

Further, the sayings are arranged by a sorting-scheme [See the tick tack tao layout]. The scheme helps one to gather and assemble points, much as the structure and interrelatedness of signs of the zodiak brings understanding of what is meant by basic concepts of each sign and house, for example.

One may try to profit from the general sayings by relating tentatively them in one's mind to the tarot pictore or better, and spend over seven seconds on each saying down the page. Such a method of learning is what Tibetan lojong is all about, In still older Patanjali Yoga, selected thoughts are used for gaining secret powers, magical powers.

Switch a little back and forth between text and picture go get a general idea, and you may get some notions or ideas as you go along. To compare old pictures can in itself be useful too.

Since 51 percent of the inhabitants on earth are female, "she" or "he" or "you" are interchangeable in many places.

Self-Help Matters

As you study tarot cards it might we wise to consider clues given by the mediaeval and other very early card makers. The clues are related to sayings like, "A persons is surveyed and often categorised by what he wears." So when someone wears a carpenter's clothes, it is easy to assume it is a carpenter, and if his or her gear conforms to what carpenters are expected to carry with them as gear, your initial surmising gets confirmed - it is very often like that. But then you also try to see the person in relation to such as what he or she does, the surroundings, and so on.

"When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck," said Richard James Cardinal Cushing (1895-1970). Translated to personages that resemble some on old tarot cards, "If she walks and dresses like a princess and is found in settings and surroundings that pertain to princesses, it might as well be a princess - or perhaps a duchess, and so on." And if you have not misinterpreted things you could be right.

Thus, in studying old tarot cards, and starting from top and centre of them somehow, we could profit from looking into such as:

What is that person as judged by the whole picture?
What could she (or they) do and be up to?
The stance, posture and grimaces can be suggestive, but allow for the fact that pictures from old woodcuts, as in the tarot of Marseille, may be difficult to ascertain due to coarseness.
Does what she wears from head and downwards (her vestments), signal anything significant to you?
Her insignias, gear, coat of arms and other equipment, what do they suggest to you, if anything?
The setting or surroundings are designed to carry some information too - granted that these too differ with different card-makers, and are altered too.

It may help a lot to know how to interpret iconic art from the Renaissance and the history of how tarot cards were formed as allegorical items: they were changed over the centuries, with altered motifs and details added by occultists and others.

Parts of it may not be worse than identifying the apostle Peter in medieval art by the colour of his clothes - blue and yellow - his particular hairline, and a key he usually has too. Such a person in a church painting that is unknown to you and has no text along with it, may be identified as the apostle Peter by his key tokens. It can more fun to look at art if we have good clues.

Studying details

After some initial surveying, perhaps you want to look closer into things, for example:

The "head-gear", if such a word exists. The prowess or hardest might could be represented through it. And prowess can make fit.
The kind of collar or pendant (neck jewellery) is shown? Is it big, functional or impressive? What does it represent, in case?
The shoulders. How are they? Are they fine, impressive or worse? What are they covered with, and how? Do they represent anything in particular, in your opinion?
The breast(s), sides and the front part (biceps area) of the upper arms. The arms that carry something in them, show things through it. A shield suggests a need for coverage, unless it is representational.
The broad chest, the arms or hands and what they carry. The items that are held or carried, represent steady influence. The Emperor (no. 5) carries a sceptre, which is a club, basically, and holds on to his belt. A shield is beside his throne. If good coverage or shielding is attained, one may focus on going for gold, which is shown by the items, and represents real, good value. Hence, see what items are held in the hands, if there are any such items, note how the hands are held, and what occupies or covers the chest.
The thighs and hips and what is covering them, and what they suggest, all in all.

Allow for differences

Even though such detail exploration may be of some help, historical studies of tarot is fraught with difficulties. This can be easily seen by comparing the pictures from two tarot decks with one another, as there are three main divisions here:

The early tarot trumps were hand-painted, elaborate and Italian. The tarot trumps originate in Northern Italy. They were first made between 1420-40, approximately. Such tarot cards are unnamed, unnumbered, and are varied, also when it comes to themes depicted.
The Marseille cards (drawn in the early 1700s) originated in the 1400s in Italy, but many pictures were simplified and changed, and names that were added, are unlike the older and more authentic Italian names.
The still later Rider-Waite deck has changed the pictures further still. Motifs are altered, details are added to conform to esoteric speculation as to what were in the originals, and so on.

Tom T. Little has sought to date some decks. Before the modern printing press, each town would have its own woodblock printer. It is said that "Each deck was made by hand from that printer's carved wood block designs. Everyone in a given town would have the same designs, however, another town would have a slightly different version." The process allowed errors or alterations to creep in.

Waite, who designed his own deviant tarot variant and had it drawn and coloured by Miss Pamela Colman Smith, says about the cards of his own making or tallying, is not to be trusted as true for tarot in general, due to his many meddling, unauthentic additions.

Tarot Pictures and Summaries