Tarot started not as a tool of mystics but as a pastime. In the 14th and 15th centuries, playing cards arrived in Europeâmost likely inspired by the beautifully crafted Mamluk decks from the Islamic world. These early European cards featured suits, numbered pips, and court cards, forming the foundation we still see in modern playing cards.
The famous ViscontiâSforza decks, created for the noble families of Milan, were lavishly painted and richly symbolic. Yet at their core, they were part of a trick-taking game called tarocchi. The trump cardsâwhat we now call the Major Arcanaâwere originally just a bonus set added to enhance gameplay, not the centerpiece of esoteric study.
In this period, Tarotâs role was purely recreational. The mysticism and divinatory use would come much later, centuries after its creation.