The original deck of tarot cards was created in the northern part of Italy in the fifteenth century. The reason for its creation according to documents is for a new card game that was invented at the same time. The game is called Triumphs and it was played in a similar manner to the game bridge.
That first deck of cards contained all of the cards that we are familiar with in a standard deck of cards but it also had the addition of the twenty-two trump cards that we would recognize as the cards of the tarot. Each of these cards had a special place in the game and would be able to trump any other card when it was played.
One theory on the origin of the cards is that it was created especially for the Duke of Milan when he requested a new game from one of his servants. There is a book that seems to back up this fact and it is full of information on the meaning of the cards. There is no information on the rules of the game contained in the book.
When the cards were first introduced, the divination meanings that we associate with the cards today were not ever mentioned. No one during this time attributed these cards to any other purpose than the playing of a game. It was only centuries later that the cards began to be seen in this light.
The cards changed in their look as they moved from country to country. Every region added their own touch to the designs on the tarot deck. In the time when the cards were created, playing cards, as well as the tarot deck, were hand painted. If the cards exist today, they are artistic masterpieces and very valuable relics from a time gone by.
Interestingly, the book that accompanied the deck does not contain any of the rules for the game. Its pages are filled with the meaning and representation of the pictures on the cards and the ranking of each card in the deck. This book is currently in Paris in the Bibliotheque Nationale.
The tarot has also evolved to include many different spreads of the cards. Each spread of the cards is more suited toward a specific type of reading. For example, if you are interested in knowing the state of your relationship, there is a spread that will work best for this type of question.
However these lovely cards were created, we are treated to the art and culture of the past whenever a tarot deck is used. They are a beautiful symbol of a time gone by. The artistry that is used in a deck of tarot cards cannot be compared with any other game that has ever been invented. Perhaps the detail and the attention to the beauty of the cards is what have led to the assertion that the cards have more meaning than can be found in a game.
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Looking for a tarot card deck? Select one that has the most meaning for you by looking at the different representations of the symbols in the tarot deck. Learn more about tarot reading and online psychics on PsychicEclipse.com.
