What is the Tarot: A brief history and introduction to the cards

The Tarot of Jacques Viéville (Paris 1650) Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1249445

The Tarot of Jacques Viéville (Paris 1650)
Public Domain

When I wrote about the Tarot last month, I didn’t expect so many of you to be interested in both a reading and in knowing more about the cards! Since so many of you asked, here’s some information on the Tarot.

A brief history of Tarot

The origin of the Tarot is a bit of a mystery. Some sources say the cards originated in Italy in the 15th century, others that they’ve been around since the mid-18th century. But what is largely undisputed is that the cards were discovered by scholars of the occult in the later part of the 18th and 19th centuries. They connected the cards to Egyptian philosophy, the Kabbalah, alchemy and other systems.

However, Arthur Edward Waite is largely viewed as the father of modern Tarot. In the 20th century, he commissioned artist Pamela Coleman Smith to create what he called the “rectified” Tarot. His version of the cards has been widely accepted as the standard, and is by far the most popular deck – and the easiest for those looking to learn the Tarot given its rich symbolism and the simple artwork.Continue reading→

My friend and I

I’m curled up on the sofa, looking out at the rain falling steadily down. The weather outside – rainy, overcast, ominous – reflect the thoughts swirling around my head.


There’s an inner turmoil that’s been brewing within me since a long, long time. A problem that seems to have no solutions. No matter how much I try, or how often I upbraid myself for failing, it just doesn’t seem to work out.

And now I’m convinced there’s more to the problem than meets the eye. It’s not a simple case of do X to achieve Y. There’s something buried deep within; this problem has spiritual roots.

Continue reading→