Tarot Cards: History, Symbolism & Meaning
· 4 min read
What Tarot Cards Are
Tarot cards are sets of cards used for fortune-telling and in tarot games.4 A standard modern deck contains 78 cards, divided into the 22-card major arcana and the 56-card minor arcana.4 Each section carries its own symbolic weight and story.
Origins of Tarot
Tarot cards were first invented in Italy in the 1430s.4 The earliest references to tarot all date to the 1440s and 1450s.2 It is believed in the western world that they originated in Italy in the late 14th to early 15th century.1
By the middle of the fifteenth century, the suit symbols of Italian cards were Cups, Swords, Batons, and Coins, and they remain so to this day.2 To this base, 21 trump cards — called tarocchi — were added, and these were figural.2 The fool sat at the bottom of the hierarchy, leading up to the emperor and pope at the top.2
Structure and Symbolism
The cards of the major arcana have pictures that represent forces, characters, virtues, and vices.4 The minor arcana is divided into four suits of 14 cards each: wands, cups, swords, and coins.4 These two layers work together to reflect the full range of human experience.
The major arcana symbolizes the big picture, fate, or major lessons — the things and events that feel outside our control but help us to grow.5 You might think of these cards as mirrors, reflecting back the deeper currents running through your life right now.
The Visconti-Sforza Deck
One of the most celebrated early tarot decks is the Visconti-Sforza Tarot, created around 1450 and made in Milan, Italy.2 Its cards were painted on pasteboard with opaque paint on a tooled gold ground.2 The Queen of Swords from this deck is now held at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York.2
Tarot and Astrology
Each tarot card carries astrological connections that deepen its meaning.3 The Alchemy of Tarot, authored by Juno Lucina, explores the links between the astrology, Qabalah, and archetypes found within tarot.3 These layered systems invite you to see the cards not as fixed answers, but as living symbols that shift with context.
The Major Arcana Up Close
The 22 major arcana cards act as trump cards within a reading.7 Researchers and practitioners have spent years tracing the history and meaning of each one.7 Even experienced readers often return to guides and references — there is no shame in that, and no single correct way to read.7
Whether you draw The Fool or any other card, each one can offer a new lens through which to look at a problem or your life.7 The major arcana cards can be removed from any deck and used on their own for focused readings.7 This flexibility is one of the things that has kept tarot alive across centuries.
From Game to Inner Tool
Tarot began as a card game before it became a tool for self-reflection.4 Over time, readers began using the imagery and symbolism as a lens for exploring emotions, decisions, and life patterns.1 Today, many people approach tarot as a reflective practice rather than a predictive one.
The cards do not tell you what will happen. They offer symbols, archetypes, and questions that you get to interpret in your own way. Think of a reading as a conversation with yourself — one where the images do the prompting and you supply the meaning.
Modern Tarot Practice
Modern decks are based on the Venetian or Piedmontese tarot.4 The imagery has evolved across hundreds of years, with artists and designers bringing new cultural layers to ancient symbols.1 The core structure — 78 cards, four suits, 22 major arcana — has remained remarkably stable.4
Learning tarot is a personal journey. Alongside traditional meanings, you can bring in journaling prompts, affirmations, and even music to make the cards feel alive and relevant to your life right now.5 The cards meet you where you are.
If you feel curious about how tarot and astrology connect, exploring the links between these systems can deepen the way you read the cards.3