Tarot Cards

Hi, just stumbled upon your post.

First of all, it's 78 cards not 72. =)

You're mostly right and I agree with most of what you wrote, although the history of Tarot cards is a lot murkier than you make it out to be. I tend to be in agreement with the theory that the Tarot originated in medieval Italy. It's only one historical theory, though. There really is no recorded historical timeline that one can strictly follow when it comes to this subject. I'm still researching it myself and so far, the Italian route seems to be the more plausible one. It does have a few holes and missing links that I'm still looking into.

Either way, yes, it was originally a game probably invented to keep the Italian nobility entertained. However, this does not take away from what it has become in modern times. Tarot is now used almost exclusively for divination and fortune telling purposes. It really matters very little where it comes from, what famous person(delusional or not) sang its praises or what its original use was. It doesn't change the fact that this fascinating deck of cards has become the most widely used divination tool in the Western world.

Whether it's taken seriously or not matters very little in the end. When people are lost and in need of help and advice, they often turn to the Tarot reader, like they would to their therapist or even their hairdresser. They don't care where the Tarot comes from or how many mysterious occultists have written about it. They just want someone to tell them what to do next. Hey, it's cheaper than going to a shrink and, when all is said and done, not any more or less damaging either way. Most psychologists in my opinion are nothing more than glorified fortune tellers anyway. ;-)

It is true that Tarot is widely perceived as something only used for divination among the English and Spanish speaking public. However, I do not think it should continue to be this way. The present state of affairs is due to the fact that most Occult/New Age publishers have kept most of us in the dark about Tarot's history as a card game. The mainstream press have failed their jobs as journalists by not exposing Tarot's origins in card playing. The common perception regarding Tarot in many countries is not due to any informed choice. We commonly see these cards as "occultic" or "paranormal" because we have been largely deprived of any other context in which to view them.

I would give this article 4 out of 5 stars because it gives a much needed perspective on the topic which one all to rarely encounters in mainstream news articles. The article is not perfect as there is that mistake regarding the number of cards in a Tarot deck, but it's a great attempt at exposing what's really behind Tarot.
Btw. I would recommend using these cards to play Tarocchi and related games as it is a fun pastime!

Yes as the others have said, the Tarot generally consists of 78 cards, although some "tarot-like" oracle decks have varying numbers.

Now that I've gotten the trivial out of the way I'd like to comment further upon the subject. It's generally known in the Tarot-reading community that Tarot evolved from your standard playing cards. In fact, the Minor Arcana contains the standard 52 cards, with the addition of the Knights (depending on the individual deck) to make it 56.

From a so-called "occultist" viewpoint I don't see a mystery here at all, nor should the cards be made "mysterious." I do know that they work, and that everybody has the ability to read them correctly, given the opportunity to open their minds. When I give readings I am always happy to explain the cards and the layout; unlike many Tarot readers I freely allow the subject to handle the cards and go through them, often times coming up with further insight on their own.

That's what the cards are for - insight, sometimes literal in the real world, and sometimes with more subconscious and spiritual meaning.