The cards, a Tarot of a thought - where did it begin?

1. Rider-Waite Deck

Some look at tarot as a mystical deck of angel driven answers.  Then others feel that it is just the tool of the Devil!  When people make these misconceptions those who seal with the tarot need to give out the correct information.  It is just like saying that guns kill people.  You can put a gun on the table and not touch it, will it hurt someone?  Is it not the way the person deals with the gun?  Or in another instance, the pit bull is a killer.  No, it is the inbreeding and people who push that breed into something that they are not.  Sorry to go off on a tangent but making the decisions with knowledge based facts is better then we can open up our heads and hearts to the learning of what is truth.

Tarot cards were just the old time playing cards.  They entered Europe in the 14th century from the trading done in between Asia and Italy.  From there it traveled to France.  One of the early decks was Visconti-Sforza's Tarocchi Deck and it is still available today. The name was described by Feliciano Busi as being from the areas of Saracinia which is the land of the Saracens or Arabia. The civilizations of Moorish Spain had many intellectual exchanges between the European people and the middle east.

Some people linked the word tarot as Idries Shah did in his book the Sufis to that of
Sufism or Tasawwuf ( is defined as the inner mystical dimension of Islam. Practitioners of Sufism (Tasawwuf), referred to as Sufis (ṣūfī) often belong to different turuq or "orders"—congregations formed around a grand master referred to as a Mawala who maintains a direct chain of teachers back to the Prophet Muhammad.

In this game there were:
Major Arcana Cards (22) -  that was said to hold secret symbolic meanings for Surfis wo influenced the Kabala and later the tarot cards.
Minor Arcana (56) - These were similar to our 52 four card suits.  Since many of them can work the same with playing cards the Jack and the Knight, and the page is added into the Tarot deck.

The Tarot was actually a card game called Tarocchi and no fortunes were told from that game.  It was not until the 18th century that the actual fortune notion was given its purpose.

Myths that are just not true:

• No Egyptians were involved in use of procreating this type of spiritual readings

2. Different type of deck

• Tarot cards existed before the Gypsies made it to Europe.

• They were thought to be the "Devil Cards" only because people used to gamble with cards.  At one point would even play cards during church.  So the "churchy" people condemned card as being evil because of those types of behaviors.

The many names of Tarot in the beginning:
Atouts - French
Attuti, Tarocchi, Trionfi - Italia

Now we see many types of different deck.  There are oracle decks, angel cards, Karma decks, law of attraction decks, Thoth Tarot, Mythic Tarot, Golden Dawn Deck, Illuminati Deck, Enchanted Decks, Jungian Deck, Shadows Deck, Native American Deck, Hermetic Tarot, and there is even a D.C. Comic Justice League deck. Check out each deck and look at the reviews before committing to one.

******As with anything ask for guidance from your higher power especially when dealing with anything that is of the mystical or supernatural nature.  Stay true to yourself, your morals, virtues and convictions.  I am not advocating that this is for everyone but I just wanted to give out the information so you can make an informed decisions on the Tarot.***********************

One of the most used decks has been the Rider-Waite Deck by A.E. Waite & Pamela Colman-Smith and there are quite a few books and guides to help people learn each deck.  So check out what kinds of things interest you.  Don't be scared to gain knowledge because ignorance can be hurtful.

Knowledge is power!

3. Angel Answers

    

4. Doreen Virtue & James Van Praagh 

Please listen to Kristen and Leif on this subject to get some more information.  They have built a wonderful business to show you how important just a little guidance can help you with your day.  Their radio program is linked below.

http://www.spreaker.com/user/hearttoheart/the-tarot-the-devil-and-us

Here is their website to check the rest of their good works at:
http://supernatural-tarot.com/

Top 50 Essential Tarot Decks
http://www.tarotassociation.net/top-50-essential-tarot-decks/


references:
History of the Tarot Cards
http://www.tarot-decks.com/tarotarticle.htm
Tarot in History by Arthur Edward Waite
http://www.tarot-decks.com/tarot-history.html

Pictures taken by SilverWine:
1. Rider Waite Deck  
2. Health & Law of Attraction Deck teachings of Abraham by Esther & Jerry Hicks
3. Doreen Virtue &  Radleigh Valentine, Angel Answers Deck
4. Dorreen Virtue & James Van Praagh, Talking to Angels Deck