Tarot reading guide for beginners All the secrets of the most beloved deck of cards of the esoteric world

Before becoming a method of divination, Tarot cards had a very long history, which according to some experts began in Ancient Egypt; for others the origins are lost in the mysteries of the Kabbalah, then shaping in the medieval courts and moving forward, allegory after allegory, to the present day, passing through France, through the libraries of the nineteenth century occultists, and through countless philosophy schools.

Born as a card game, over the centuries they have assumed a leading role in esoteric salons and in the popular culture, not only in Italy. How many times have you heard "my grandmother can read the cards", "let's go to see my aunt, she can read us the tarots"? Perhaps you will be surprised to know that one of the first decks was made in northern Italy, in Milan, but we will talk about this in a moment. Today these cards are no longer just a game, but a fascinating way to discover yourself. This is why it is important to better understand their story, their meaning and the right way to approach them.

Cartomancy is a very sophisticated art. With this beginners guide by nss G-Club we will just explain the very initial and basic notions of Tarot reading. In fact, the study of cartomancy requires in-depth studies, as well as a lot of practice to master their many facets. Follow the content of @nssgclub and @catterina_fortuneteller for further information.

The history of Tarot cards

The origins are a mystery: according to some expert, the cards arrived in Europe through Egyptian merchants traveling between Italy and North Africa during the Middle Ages, according to others they came from China, through the Silk Road. Legends aside, history has handed down a series of decks that are historically considered the first ones, dating back to the 15th century and made in northern Italy. Very popular in the late Middle Ages, Tarot became a popular game throughout the ages, to the point that some of these cards are still used today for example for card games. The traditional Tarot deck is composed of 22 cards called Major Arcana (or Triumphs) and 56 Minor Arcana (similar to trump cards, in short). 

The oldest decks are the ones from the Visconti-Sforza court of Milan, still existing today in about fifteen variants all over the world. Most likely, it was from these images that the famous Marseillaise deck, traditionally the most common and used deck, took shape. The cards were so successful that they were also used for the games in other Italian courts and throughout Europe. However, it will take many centuries to use them with new objectives: among the first to use a deck to "read the future" we mention Antoine Court de Gébelin and Jean-Baptiste Alliette, active towards the end of the 18th century in Paris. Alliette in particular was the first to mention a connection between tarot cards and Ancient Egypt. The first occultists saw the origin of the deck in the ancient Book of Thot and the Egyptian mystery; in the twentieth century, the famous esotericist Aleisteir Crowley was fascinated by the studies of the Hebrew Kabbalah to create new overlaps of meaning between this and the 78 cards, stating that "The only interesting theory on Tarot is that they are a symbolic picture of the Universe". An idea shared by another of the greatest tarologists of the 20th century, Alejandro Jodorowsky, father of a method that moves away from the search for a "prediction of the future" but investigates the reasons for a question, going to find the answers in the inner self of each consultant.

A last tip: Tarot reading is often based on precise visual elements present in each card and which many modern decks lack altogether. So choose the deck you prefer but consider that if the cards you buy are devoid of the traditional iconography of the tarot it will be more complicated, during the readings, remember the symbolic meanings of each card coming from the traditional Marseille deck. This doesn't have to be a deterrent, it's okay to find your own reading style. Do not approach Tarot with the will to find out what tomorrow will be, but with creative curiosity, which will lead you to express yourself, and others, through wonderful images.