What is Tarot?

The Tarot deck consists of 78 cards divided into two types, major and minor arcana. I will address each of these in future posts. It is believed that Tarot first entered Europe in the late 14th century, probably from Egypt, with suits very similar to the tarot suits of Swords, Staves, Cups and Coins (also known as disks, and pentacles) The first documentary evidence is a ban on their use in 1367, Bern, Switzerland. Wide use of playing cards in Europe can, with some certainty, be traced from 1377 to the present day. Divination using playing cards is in evidence as early as 1540.