A Brief History of Tarot
Where It All Began …
To celebrate Halloween, when things get just a bit more mystical, we decided to dive into the history of Tarot card readings. Not to be confused with astrology readings, Tarot readings are a very personal approach in terms of predictions, whereas astrology provides more generic prognostications.
Still one of the most popular tools of divination in the world today, the Tarot can be traced to the late fourteenth century. Although the cards themselves haven’t changed much since then, different methods of reading and interpreting them have developed over the years and many readers adopt their own unique style. Let’s take a look at this evolution.
The first recorded Tarot cards showed up in Europe with the oldest surviving set, known as the Visconti-Sforza deck, created for a wealthy duke’s family around 1440. Originally the cards were used to play a bridge-like game known as tarocchi, by the very rich. Since the printing press had yet to arrive, each card was hand-painted, which cost a considerable amount, making it a lavish purchase. The game of tarocchi eventually spread to other European countries, including southern France, where it was renamed Tarot.
Tarot cards were not always regarded as mystical — it wasn’t until the late 18th century, when the occult came into vogue, that they began to be interpreted for spiritual divination. A French occultist, Jean-Baptise Alliette, is credited for creating the first definitive guide to Tarot card reading, and alongside it a study on how to use Tarot as a divination tool. While also giving meaning to each of the cards, incorporating beliefs about astronomy and the four elements. In addition, he assigned a specific order and spread to the cards, both forwards and backwards — a system still used today. Mystical groups such as the Theosophical Society and the Rosicrucians turned Tarot into an American fad during the early 1900s, where it evolved into what it is today.
Today Tarot cards aren’t just used by fortune tellers in the small store around the corner but also by everyday people. Social media has been a blessing for those practicing Tarot readings, allowing them to connect and share their talents and insights with the world, allowing many to build substantial followings. Particularly during the pandemic, the online environment became crucial in the growth of their businesses and communities.
Many tarot practitioners, professional and amateur alike, now manage their own online sites offering live, scheduled readings. Or they subscribe to platforms that help them offer their services, such as Wisio, which specialize in helping creators of all kinds interact offline with their communities. On Wisio, tarot readers can conveniently manage recorded readings and focus on giving users what they need while someone else takes care of the product, finance and administration. Perhaps not surprisingly, hundreds of tarot readers, like Ten of Cups, or the Italian Cartomantique, consider the platform a part of their strategy today.
Tarot readers have always sought to create a deeper level of connection between themselves and their audience. Platforms like Wisio maintain that intimacy despite the physical distance. An example of a recent review a Tarot reader named Twintuitive 717 received: “Woke up feeling empowered and whole again… your reading is the perfect confirmation, thank you for all that you do!”
Millions more people around the world have been exposed to tarot in recent years and huge communities are growing. It seems the cards point to a bright future for this profession!
