The ancient Egyptian origins of Tarot are actually a brilliant 18th-century marketing campaign
In short: We often imagine Tarot as a mystical relic of ancient Egypt or the Book of Thoth. In reality, these esoteric connections were largely invented by French occultists in the 1780s. The 'ancient' history of the cards is one of the most successful propaganda campaigns in history.
For centuries, Tarot was nothing more than a trick-taking game. First appearing in northern Italy between 1440 and 1450 as 'trionfi' or triumph packs, these cards were used for social gaming, not divination. Even as 16th-century preachers condemned them as a social plague, there is no historical evidence that they were used for anything other than play.
The shift toward cartomancy began in the 1780s, driven by French authors who sought to imbue the deck with divine significance. Antoine Court de Gébelin, a clergyman, claimed in 1781 that the cards were a remnant of ancient Egyptian theology, specifically representing deities like Isis and Osiris. He even proposed that the name 'Tarot' was derived from Egyptian words for 'the Royal Road of Life,' a claim later debunked by Egyptologists.
This era of 'invented tradition' was expanded by figures like the Comte de Mellet, who popularized the idea of the 'Book of Thoth,' and the practitioner Etteilla, who was the first to assign specific divinatory meanings to the cards in 1783. While these authors built a complex web of links to the Kabbalah, the I Ching, and Egyptian mysteries, scholars like Michael Dummett note that these connections were entirely fabricated.
Despite the lack of historical evidence, these 18th-century narratives became so influential that they shaped the modern occult movement. From the magical theories of Éliphas Lévi to the structural innovations of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the 'mystical' Tarot we recognize today is a product of modern European imagination rather than ancient antiquity.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Tarot card reading
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/culture-tarot-card-reading.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Traditions & customs · More in Cultures · Latest · A–Z · All topics
