Taking A Deeper Look At The Link Between Tarot And Playing Cards
There’s more to their history than meets the eye. If you’re curious to learn more, join us as we take a look this below.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuOct 18, 2024692 Shares38.4K Views
You might be surprised but the topic at hand, however, tarot cards and playing cards have much more in common than you might think. Whether you’ve dabbled in spiritual readings or enjoy playing card games, have enjoyed both or neither, there’s more to their history than meets the eye. If you’re curious to learn more, join us as we take a look this below.
The Evolution Of Playing Cards
The creation of tarot has a foundation in playing cards, so before we get into the connection, we should see where the latter began and how it evolved. Of course, when it comes to something that goes so far back in history, getting the exact details of its origins becomes a bit more complicated. As per the most recent information we have, playing cards were created in China around the 10th century.
In the modern age, the ongoing popularity of card games has warranted their digitization, but let’s take a look at this using an example. Let’s say a person wants to play classic games like blackjack, they can do so by accessing an online casino. Here, they’re able to play blackjack, along with any variant such as 21 Burn Blackjack, 24/7.
Of course, the evolution of the game goes beyond this, players can also enjoy the game through practically any device, from PC to tablet to smartphone. This means that as long as they have an online connection, blackjack can also be enjoyed on the go, without any drops in quality.
This has then been taken a step further in recent years by the creation of options like live blackjack. For those unfamiliar with this term, it’s a variant of blackjack where users get to play with a human host, thanks to the live audio and video feeds. This basically brings the social casino vibe into the player’s home, adding to the immersion levels.
Of course, when it comes to such classic games, there’s always a push for more, with companies striving to predict their client’s needs. An example of this can be seen through the implementation of blockchain technology, allowing users to make payments using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Of course, this doesn’t detract from the other methods, such as credit/debit cards but simply acts as a useful alternative.
All of the above has ensured that playing cards continued to live on and thrive through digitized games like blackjack. But now that we’ve covered some of their history and evolution, let’s take a look at where exactly tarot fit in here.
The Origins Of Tarot Cards
So, as we have mentioned above, playing cards have a very lengthy history. But while it started in China, playing cards quickly spread to Persia (modern-day Iran) and North Africa, more specifically Egypt, and from there it reached the continent of Europe, earning the title of a global phenomenon.
Throughout its journey, playing cards changed both in looks and how they were used. And this brings us to the birth of tarot, which started in Italy in the early 15th century. However, they were originally only used as playing cards for games such as Tarocchini.
It’s actually France that has earned the right to be called the birthplace of tarot as a form of divination, which happened in the late 18th century. Tarot decks became a popular tool for spiritual practitioners around the world, although its spread was slowed down due to restrictions imposed by the church.
In the modern age, this has changed, and we can now see several platforms that offer tarot reading services. Along with this, there are apps one can find on both the Play Store and App Store that will guide users on how to read a tarot spread. And even if you’re not a hardcore believer, there are certainly some positives to getting a reading.
Similarities And Differences
Let’s start this off by taking a look at what they have in common, and that is their structure. In fact, if you want to, you can use playing cards for divination and tarot cards to play games. Of course, this might take some getting used to, as it’s not their most common modern-day use.
Playing cards only consist of 52 cards, with some decks having two or four jokers on top of that, which adds up to a maximum of 56 cards. This is actually very similar to tarot, or part of it at least. Tarot decksare divided into two: minor arcana with 56 cards, and the major arcana consisting of a further 22 cards.
Both types of decks are divided into four different suits, that actually correlate to each other. These are the club-wands, diamonds-pentacle, hearts-cups, and spades-swords.
The main difference is how many face cards are available on each one, with playing cards having aces, kings, queens, and jacks, whilst tarot decks have aces, kings, queens, knights, and pages. But they have very similar pip cards, going from two to ten for each suit.
Conclusion
If you ever have the chance to compare playing cards and tarot cards in real life, we’d certainly recommend you to do so. After all, while we have covered their history along with similarities and differences, there’s nothing quite like seeing it with your own eyes.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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