New Video Traces Tarot's Journey from Tang-Dynasty China to Modern Divination
A nearly three-hour video by Bedtime & Historian delves into the origins of tarot cards, tracing their beginnings to playing cards in Tang-Dynasty China and their dissemination along the Silk Road. The tarot as known in Europe emerged in the fourteenth century, initially for games such as tarocchi. Around 400 years later, French occultists adopted tarot for divinatory purposes. Despite facing suppression, tarot developed artistically, preserving a format of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, categorized into four suits. The video also explains the meanings of individual cards and targets those interested in professional readings. Additional topics include the Sola-Busca Tarot Deck (1490) and perspectives from Salvador Dalí, Aleister Crowley, and Carl Jung. The article is authored by Colin Marshall, located in Seoul.
Key facts
- A new video from YouTube channel Bedtime & Historian traces the history of tarot cards.
- Playing cards were invented in Tang-Dynasty China and traveled along the Silk Road.
- Tarot's recognizable European form dates back to at least the fourteenth century.
- French occultists first used tarot for divination about 400 years after cards reached Europe.
- The esoteric tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana in four suits.
- The video runs nearly three hours, with the final third explaining individual card meanings.
- Tarot games like tarocchi and Tarock sometimes involved monetary stakes, angering authorities.
- The article author, Colin Marshall, lives in Seoul, where sidewalk tarot booths serve commuters.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Open Culture
- Bedtime & Historian
- YouTube
- Taschen
Locations
- China
- Europe
- France
- Korea
- Seoul