What Is Tarot? What Are Tarot Cards?

The Tarot is a set of cars which feature 22 "Major Arcana" cards and 56 "Minor Arcana" cards used to divinate the current and possible future life settings.

Evidence indicates that the first Tarot decks were created sometime between 1410 and 1430 in either Milan, Ferrara or Bologna (northern Italy). At this time more cards (called carte da trionfi) were added to the deck of four-suited cards.

It is, however, not known when Tarot cards were first used for divination. But other types of cards used for divination were documented in a book entitled "The Oracles of Francesco Marcolino da Forli"around 1540.

There are also manuscripts from 1735 (The Square of Sevens) and 1750 (Pratesi Cartomancer) which put down some basic divinatory meanings for tarot cards.

Some people belief that Tarot originated in Egypt as it is sometimes considered that Gypsies originated there and the bond with Tarot and Gypsy-folk is strong.

Today there are 78 cards in a Tarot decl:

The Major Arcana, consists of 21 cards without suits, plus a 22nd card, The Fool, which is often given the value of zero: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World.

The Minor Arcan consist of 56 cards which are made up of 14 cards of which are numbered cards and four are court cards. These exist in 4 suits - swords, pentacles, cups and wands.

You may like to watch this video-clip about the origins of Tarot: