![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Fact of the Day: tarot cards
The true origin of tarot cards is unknown, but they are probably from China, India, or Egypt. Tarot cards resembling today's version first appeared in Italy and France in the 14th century. At first they were probably used for playing games, though gypsies may have used them for fortune-telling. From the 18th century onward, the cards began to take on esoteric associations, as certain European writers connected them to diverse traditions of mysticism, divination, alchemy, and ritual magic. The cards have retained these associations and are now widely used for fortune-telling. A modern tarot card deck consists of 78 cards divided into two groups: the Major Arcana group of 22 cards and the Minor Arcana group of 56 cards.
The true origin of tarot cards is unknown, but they are probably from China, India, or Egypt. Tarot cards resembling today's version first appeared in Italy and France in the 14th century. At first they were probably used for playing games, though gypsies may have used them for fortune-telling. From the 18th century onward, the cards began to take on esoteric associations, as certain European writers connected them to diverse traditions of mysticism, divination, alchemy, and ritual magic. The cards have retained these associations and are now widely used for fortune-telling. A modern tarot card deck consists of 78 cards divided into two groups: the Major Arcana group of 22 cards and the Minor Arcana group of 56 cards.
