The History of Tarot: What Tarot Really Means and Why We Still Love the Cards
Quick Answer: What Is Tarot?
Tarot is a deck of 78 illustrated cards used for reflection, storytelling, symbolism and spiritual insight. A tarot deck is usually made up of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards across four suits: Cups, Pentacles, Swords and Wands.
Historically, tarot began as a card game in 15th-century Italy before becoming associated with divination, mysticism and self-discovery much later. So yes, tarot has history. It has drama. It has art. It has symbols. It has a little Renaissance gossip energy. Naturally, we are interested.
Today, tarot is often used as a reflective tool. It does not have to be about predicting every tiny detail of the future. Think of tarot as a mirror with better lighting. It helps you pause, ask better questions and notice what is already moving beneath the surface.
Cue the candles. Cue the journal. Cue the playlist.
So, What Does the Word Tarot Actually Mean?
The word tarot most likely comes from the Italian word tarocchi, which was used for tarot-style playing cards. The exact origin of the word is still uncertain, which feels very on brand for tarot. A little history, a little mystery, and everyone leaning in at the party saying, “Wait, tell me more.”
Some theories connect the word to old card games. Others have tried to link it to deeper symbolic meanings, hidden paths or ancient wisdom. But the most grounded answer is this: tarot comes from European playing-card history, especially Italian card traditions, and the word itself became attached to the deck over time.
So no, tarot does not have one perfectly neat meaning tied with a little gold bow.
And honestly? We respect that.
Tarot is not one thing. It is a card game, an artwork, a symbolic language, a spiritual tool, a journaling companion, a conversation starter and occasionally the reason you stare at The Tower and say, “Rude, but fair.”
A Brief History of Tarot: From Card Games to Cosmic Mirror
Tarot did not begin as a fortune-telling deck wrapped in velvet under a full moon.
The earliest tarot-style decks appeared in northern Italy in the 1400s. They were created as playing cards, often beautifully painted for wealthy families. Imagine Renaissance nobles sitting around with hand-painted cards, gold detail, dramatic clothing and probably someone taking the game far too seriously.
The early tarot decks included the four suits, much like regular playing cards, plus a set of special illustrated trump cards. These trump cards later became what many readers now call the Major Arcana.
At this point, tarot was more game night than mystical portal.
But over time, the imagery on the cards became irresistible to mystics, occultists, writers, artists and spiritual seekers. The cards were full of archetypes: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Lovers, Death, The Star, The Moon, The Sun.
You do not need to be a medieval scholar to look at those names and feel something.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, tarot had become strongly linked with divination, esoteric study and symbolic interpretation. Writers and occultists began exploring the cards as a map of the soul, a spiritual journey and a system of hidden wisdom.
Some claimed tarot came from ancient Egypt. It is a romantic idea, and it definitely has “secret temple with dramatic lighting” energy, but historians generally trace the actual tarot deck back to 15th-century Italy.
Still, the myth matters in another way. It shows how much people wanted tarot to mean something bigger. And that is the real heartbeat of tarot.
Humans have always looked for symbols to help explain the strange little disco of being alive.
What Is in a Tarot Deck?
A traditional tarot deck has 78 cards.
These are split into two main sections:
The Major Arcana
The Major Arcana has 22 cards. These are the big life-theme cards. The soul-growth cards. The “please sit down, we need to talk” cards.
They include cards such as:
The Fool
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
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
The World
The Major Arcana cards often represent major lessons, turning points, personal growth, spiritual shifts and archetypal energies. They are not always subtle. The Tower does not quietly knock. It kicks the door open with a glitter cannon and a lesson plan.
The Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana has 56 cards divided into four suits:
Cups are connected with emotions, relationships, intuition and the heart.
Pentacles are connected with work, money, health, home and the physical world.
Swords are connected with thoughts, truth, communication and mental clarity.
Wands are connected with creativity, passion, energy and action.
The Minor Arcana is where everyday life shows up. Your feelings. Your job. Your choices. Your overthinking. Your “should I send that message?” moment. Your “why am I like this before 7am?” moment.
The Major Arcana may be the headline act, but the Minor Arcana is the full playlist.
What Is Tarot Actually Used For?
Tarot is used in many different ways, depending on the reader and the person receiving the reading.
Some people use tarot for spiritual insight. Some use it for journaling. Some use it for creative inspiration. Some use it to understand relationship patterns, career choices or emotional blocks.
At Aquillian Tarot, we love tarot as a tool for reflection, clarity and everyday magic.
Not dramatic, fear-based fortune telling.
Not “the cards said it, so now I have no free will.”
No thank you. We are not handing over our life decisions to cardboard, no matter how beautifully illustrated.
Tarot works best when it helps you ask better questions.
Instead of asking, “Will everything be perfect?” tarot may ask, “What pattern is asking for your attention?”
Instead of asking, “What is going to happen?” tarot may ask, “What energy am I bringing into this situation?”
Instead of asking, “Is this person my destiny?” tarot may ask, “Am I choosing from truth, fear, habit or hope?”
That is where tarot gets powerful.
It does not remove your agency. It brings it back into the room.
How Does a Tarot Reading Work?
In a tarot reading, the reader shuffles the cards and lays them out in a spread. A spread is simply a structure that gives each card a position and purpose.
For example, a simple three-card spread might be:
Past
Present
Future
Or:
What is helping me?
What is blocking me?
What do I need to know?
Or:
Mind
Body
Spirit
Each card is then interpreted based on its traditional meaning, its imagery, its position in the spread and the question being asked.
But here is the part people sometimes miss: tarot is not just about memorising meanings.
It is about connection.
You look at the card. You notice what stands out. You ask what the symbol is showing you. You connect it back to real life. You let the meaning land somewhere useful.
A card is not just a card.
It is a prompt. A mirror. A conversation.
Sometimes it is gentle.
Sometimes it gives you The Devil when you said you were “totally over it” and the card quietly raises one eyebrow.
Is Tarot About Predicting the Future?
Tarot can be used for predictive readings, but that is not the only way to use it.
A more grounded way to understand tarot is this: tarot shows energy, patterns, possibilities and perspectives. It helps you reflect on what is happening now and what may unfold if the current pattern continues.
That is very different from saying the future is fixed.
Tarot is less “this will absolutely happen” and more “this is the rhythm playing right now, so how do you want to move?”
And because this is Aquillian Tarot, we obviously believe the rhythm matters.
Some cards feel like slow jazz. Some feel like a power ballad. Some feel like Kylie at full volume while you make a life decision with a cup of coffee in one hand and a journal in the other.
Which brings us to something fun.
If you like pairing your readings with music, our Sonic Tarot Spotify playlist was created for exactly that mood: a little pop, a little rock, a little classic, a little spiritual disco reflection. Every card has a song. Some cards even demanded two, because apparently The Devil has range.
It is tarot with a soundtrack.
Why Has Tarot Stayed Popular for So Long?
Tarot has lasted because people still need symbols.
We still need stories.
We still need ways to understand change, heartbreak, ambition, intuition, uncertainty, love, endings, beginnings and the weird middle bit where you are not who you were, but not quite who you are becoming.
Tarot gives shape to things we feel but cannot always explain.
The Fool is the beginning.
The Magician is potential.
The High Priestess is intuition.
The Lovers is choice.
The Chariot is direction.
Death is transformation.
The Tower is disruption.
The Star is hope.
The World is completion.
These cards are old, but the experiences are not.
We still begin again.
We still get stuck.
We still fall in love.
We still outgrow things.
We still rebuild after chaos.
We still need hope after the lights go out.
Tarot remains popular because it speaks in archetypes, and archetypes do not really expire.
They just change outfits.
Tarot and Self-Reflection: The Real Magic
The real magic of tarot is not that the cards know everything.
The real magic is that the cards help you hear yourself.
A good tarot reading gives you space to pause and ask:
What am I feeling?
What am I avoiding?
What do I already know?
Where am I giving my power away?
What would I choose if I trusted myself more?
This is why tarot pairs so beautifully with journaling.
When you pull a card and write about it, you slow the moment down. You stop scrolling. You stop performing. You stop pretending you are “fine” when your nervous system is tap dancing in the corner.
You create a little pocket of honesty.
That is where clarity often enters.
Not with thunder. Not always with fireworks.
Sometimes clarity arrives quietly, wearing slippers, holding tea, saying, “You already knew this.”
How to Start Learning Tarot
You do not need to know every card perfectly before you begin.
Please release that pressure immediately.
Learning tarot is a relationship. You build it slowly. Card by card. Reading by reading. Journal entry by journal entry.
Start with a simple daily card pull.
Ask: “What energy should I notice today?”
Pull one card. Look at the image. Write down what you see before checking the meaning.
Then ask: What does this remind me of?
Where is this showing up in my life?
What is one practical thing I can do with this insight today?
That is enough.
You do not need a dramatic velvet tablecloth, although we support the aesthetic. You do not need to become a mystical librarian overnight. You do not need to know every symbol in every deck by Tuesday.
Begin with curiosity. Curiosity is the doorway.
A Simple 3-Card Tarot Spread for Beginners
Try this spread when you want clarity without making things too complicated.
Card 1: What is the current energy?
This card shows the main theme, mood or situation around you right now.
Card 2: What do I need to understand?
This card reveals the lesson, pattern, block or deeper truth asking for attention.
Card 3: What is my next step?
This card gives you a grounded action, mindset or direction.
Before you pull your cards, take a breath and ask:
“What do I need to see clearly today?”
Then pull the cards, write down your first thoughts and let the reading unfold.
No panic. No overthinking. No demanding the cards explain your entire life before breakfast.
Just one honest moment at a time.
Tarot, Technology and Everyday Magic
Tarot may be old, but how we use it keeps evolving.
That is part of the beauty.
Once, tarot cards were hand-painted treasures for Italian courts. Later, they became printed decks, occult study tools, spiritual companions and works of art. Now, tarot can live in your daily routine through apps, digital journals, saved readings and guided meanings.
Aquillian Tarot was created for modern seekers who want tarot to feel beautiful, useful and easy to return to.
You can pull cards, read meanings, save your readings and reflect over time. That reflection matters because patterns become clearer when you can look back and see what kept appearing.
Maybe The Hermit kept showing up when you needed rest.
Maybe The Chariot appeared every time you were ready to make a decision.
Maybe The Devil kept arriving when your “just one more episode” habit became a lifestyle.
No judgement. Just data with candles.
Why Tarot Is More Than a Deck of Cards
Tarot is art.
Tarot is history.
Tarot is symbolism.
Tarot is reflection.
Tarot is storytelling.
Tarot is a mirror for the human experience.
It has moved from Italian game tables to occult salons, from painted court cards to modern apps, from whispered readings to everyday journaling rituals.
And through all of that, tarot has kept its strange, beautiful power: it helps us make meaning. Not because the cards control us. Because they invite us to look. Really look. At the choice. The pattern. The fear. The hope. The next small step. And maybe that is why tarot still feels so alive. It gives us a way to sit with uncertainty without being swallowed by it.
It gives us symbols when words are too flat. It gives us a ritual when life feels noisy. And if there happens to be a playlist in the background while you pull your cards and have a deep-and-meaningful disco moment with your own soul? Even better.
Journal Prompts: Begin Your Tarot Story
Use these prompts after your next reading:
What card did I pull, and what was my first reaction?
What symbol, colour or detail stood out to me?
Where does this card connect with my current life?
What truth am I avoiding, softening or finally ready to admit?
What would this card tell me if it were being kind but honest?
What is one small action I can take from this reading?
If this card had a song, what would be playing?
FAQ: The History and Meaning of Tarot
What does tarot mean?
The word tarot most likely comes from the Italian word tarocchi, connected with tarot-style playing cards. Its exact origin is uncertain, but today tarot refers to a 78-card deck used for games, reflection, symbolism and divination.
Where did tarot cards come from?
Tarot cards originated in 15th-century northern Italy as playing cards. They later became associated with divination, occult study and spiritual reflection.
Was tarot originally used for fortune telling?
No. Tarot began as a card game. Its strong association with fortune telling and divination developed later, especially from the 18th century onward.
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
A traditional tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards.
What are the four suits in tarot?
The four suits are Cups, Pentacles, Swords and Wands. Cups relate to emotions and relationships, Pentacles to the material world, Swords to thoughts and communication, and Wands to creativity, passion and action.
Is tarot spiritual?
Tarot can be spiritual, but it does not have to be used in only one way. Some people use tarot for divination, while others use it for journaling, reflection, creativity, mindfulness or personal growth.
Can beginners read tarot?
Absolutely. Beginners can start with one-card pulls, simple three-card spreads and journaling. You do not need to memorise everything before you begin. Tarot is learned through practice, reflection and connection with the cards.
Final Thought: Tarot Is a Conversation
Tarot has travelled a long way. From Renaissance card tables to modern spiritual practice. From hand-painted decks to phone screens. From game night to soul mirror. And still, after all this time, the cards keep asking the same beautiful thing: Are you paying attention?
So pull a card. Pour the coffee. Light the candle. Open the journal. Put on the playlist. Let the symbols speak. And when the message lands, do not just ask, “What does this card mean?”
Ask the better question: “What is this card helping me remember about myself?” That is where the magic begins.
A Little Thank You
A big thank you to my beautiful friend Chantal for inspiring me to finally write this article this morning.
The funny thing is, I actually started writing a book about the history of tarot about a year ago, then life got busy and I quietly tucked the research away for “one day.” So I’m really glad this article gave that work somewhere to live.
Who knows, maybe one day I’ll even finish the book.
But for now, thank you Chantal for the nudge, the spark and the reminder that sometimes the thing we started ages ago is still waiting for us to come back to it.
