Tarot Cards: History and Uses to Explore in 2026
· 3 min read
Tarot cards began as trump cards, special cards that beat the rest of the deck, added to playing-card games mainly in Italy during the Medieval and Renaissance eras.7 Today the same deck is best known for divination, which means seeking guidance through symbols, and for fortune-telling, though it was originally a card game played for fun.6
Think of this story as a map for curiosity. The cards began as a game played for fun6 and have since become a popular tool for personal insight and guidance.2
What Tarot Cards Are
A tarot deck holds 78 cards, each with its own symbols and meanings.1 Those symbols guide practitioners, the people who work with the cards, through a journey of self-discovery and intuitive understanding.1
The 22 triumph cards, known as the Major Arcana, include archetypal figures such as the Emperor, the Devil and the Fool, along with astrological elements such as the Sun, Moon and Star.6 The Major Arcana also includes other eclectic symbols such as Strength, the Tower and Death.6
Early Decks and Renaissance Art
Tarot's history is not linear; it is a complex story woven through various cultures.1
Early tarot decks added 21 trump cards, called tarocchi, that showed figures, ranked from the fool at the bottom up to the emperor and pope at the top.9
A painted Queen of Swords from The Visconti-Sforza Tarot was made in Milan, Italy, around 1450, with paint on a gold background.9
From Game Table to Occult Tool
Occultists, people who study hidden or mystical ideas, adopted tarot cards in the 18th century as a means of fortune-telling.7
Tarot's vibrant imagery and rich symbolism inspired a variety of interpretations and practices.2 That transformed tarot from an obscure form of divination into a popular tool for personal insight and guidance.2
The Fool card, designed by Pamela Colman Smith and published by Arthur Edward Waite, was first printed by Rider and Company in London, England, in 1910.6
How People Use Tarot Cards
In a traditional reading, the cards are drawn by or for a person to predict their fortune, then read by each card's individual meaning, placement, and proximity to other cards.7
You can borrow the reflective side of that practice without needing answers about the future. The power of tarot cards is said to come from their curious imagery, so the pictures themselves are a natural place to start.6
Tarot is for reflection and entertainment. It does not replace medical, legal, financial, or mental-health support, so turn to qualified professionals for those.
If those celestial cards left you curious about your own sky, you can reveal your full cosmic profile whenever it feels right to you.