Glossary
Tarot Deck
The set of cards that make up a tarot, whether used as a game, a symbolic support, or an interpretive tool.
Tarot was first historically a card game, appearing in northern Italy in the 15th century, before being progressively invested with symbolic, divinatory, or esoteric uses starting in the 18th century.
This historical dimension reminds us that tarot cards belong to a complex visual and structural culture—inherited from medieval art, the Renaissance, and popular traditions—and not to a purely abstract system invented for divinatory purposes.
As a game, tarot contains 78 cards: 22 trumps (the future major arcana), 4 suits of 10 numeral cards, and 4 court figures per suit (56 minor arcana). It has given rise to many local variants still played today, notably the French game of tarot.
Distinguishing the tarot game (a historical and cultural object) from divinatory practice (the symbolic reading of the cards) allows tarot to be approached with greater nuance and helps avoid confusion between material history and later occultist re-readings.
Frequently asked questions
- Has tarot always been used for divination?
- No. During its first three centuries (15th–17th), tarot was essentially a card game. Systematic divinatory use developed in the 18th century, notably with Etteilla.
- How many cards are in a complete tarot deck?
- 78 cards in total: 22 major arcana (or trumps) and 56 minor arcana distributed across four suits (wands, cups, swords, coins).
- What is the difference between the Marseille tarot and the French tarot?
- The Marseille tarot is an iconographic tradition stabilized between the 17th and 18th centuries, mainly used today as a symbolic support. The French tarot is a modern card game with different figures, used for actual gameplay.
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