Tarot Deck and the Great Flood: When Cards Were Still "Paper Amoebas" - blog post #2851

Everything you ever wanted to know about the origin of tarot cards, but were afraid to ask the card because the answer might include the phrase “since the time of the Great Flood.” Yes, indeed, some occultists trace the history of tarot reading not to the 16th century, but somewhere between the construction of Noah's Ark and that rainstorm. Apparently, Noah, in addition to his zoo, also brought a tarot deck. «For when he got bored in the ocean,» — explained the seers. Or maybe they were just afraid of drawing the Five of Cups in their 3 card spread free?

Archaeologists Haven't Confirmed This, but Esotericists Insist

Some especially inspired authors of esoteric literature claim that the tarot deck is as ancient as the feeling of guilt. And that the cards passed from the Sumerians to the Egyptians, from the Egyptians to the Atlanteans, and from the Atlanteans to those very tarot readers whose library looks like «Papyrus That the Vatican Didn't Approve.» Meanwhile, seekers of divination cards online still argue whether Tarot came from Atlantis or just a really wild 15th-century party.

In truth, academia has a humbler perspective. Apparently, cards were a practical tool that logically emerged in an era when people began to entertain themselves not only with wars but also with evening «salons» and games. What is documented, however, are the 15th–16th centuries when tarot cards went from being a playing accessory to a rapidly evolving predictive tool.

Ask the Card: How to Flirt with Metaphysics in the 16th Century

Back when powder was thicker than faces, and men with lace collars wrote poems like «I see truth in every petal,» Tarot suddenly surfaced in poetic works. Imagine: someone writes an ode to their friend and compares them, let's say, to the Emperor or the Chariot. It’s cuteness at a level like: «You're my Arcana of the Sun, especially when you’re silent.»

This genre was called tarocchi appropriati — sort of metaphysical fan fiction. You could give it to a friend, read it at a ball, or even hang it on the wall if you were especially fond of yourself and comparisons to the High Priestess. In one case, in 1527, a poet went even further and literally attached fate to a person through the love pick a card tradition. And this, my friends, wasn’t just flattering poetry. This was the first ominous sign that Tarot was no longer just pictures, but a tool for «something about the future.»

Francesco, Tarot Cards, and Simple Italian Divination over Wine

But who was the first to organize all this into a guide for using cards as a tool to know fate? The answer: a certain Francesco Marcolino da Forli — a person whose name sounds like an elite pasta brand, but who was actually the author of the book Le Sorti («Divination»), published in 1540.

Marcolino was a practitioner. No mysticism, portals to Atlantis, or messages from Anubis. He offered a simple method for predicting fate with a regular playing deck, specifically the suit of coins. So he took part of what would later be Tarot and said, «Here you go, folks, questions to ask cards. No special effects, but it works.»

This is the first official treatise on divination, where cards were used not for poker bets, but to answer the question: «Will he call or just like my photo?» — a question now easily asked through astrology cards online services too.

But Where Is Tarot, Really? Or Are We Talking about Regular Cards?

Here’s the twist: the tarot deck actually does include the suit of coins — so technically, Marcolino was close. But to honestly admit that in the 1540s tarot cards were already a complete system of predictions… sadly, that’s still not quite the case. Yes, cards existed. Yes, people played with them. They might have even used them for divination cards online — but that’s still on the level of «some grandma in Bologna said it.»

Officially, directly, and unequivocally, Tarot as a tarot reading system starts appearing in sources only around 1700. In Bologna — a city famous for its sauce and archives, where they diligently recorded everything, including the meaning of each card.

When Tarot Stopped Being Just a Game

By the 17th century, everything became serious. Cards gained meaning. Spreads gained structure. Suits gained philosophy. It was no longer just a salon game with a poetic touch; it had become a tool for intuitive insight, at least on Sundays — much like today's popular 3 card spread free readings online.

From that point on, things went smoothly: occultists joined in, Freemasons showed up, Kabbalists got nervous, and away it went. The arcana began to receive mystical interpretations, connections with astrology, alchemy, and even ancient civilizations that you wouldn't hesitate to mention in a YouTube headline, or better yet, in an ask the card session.

Divination Cards Online: Conclusion for Those Who Were Waiting for Specifics

If someone asks you, «Is tarot deck really from the Sumerians?» you can now politely smile and say: — «Maybe. If the Sumerians looked like 16th-century Italian poets and referred to their friends in metaphorical terms.»

But seriously — it all started modestly: poems, playing cards, ambitious poets. And only later did Tarot become what we know it as today — an archetypal cosmic drama with visuals, psychoanalysis, and a hint of spiritual growth.

In short, thank you, Francesco. Without you, we might still be shuffling Pages, not knowing what they would have in mind — and definitely missing out on the fun of a spontaneous love pick a card or astrology cards online session!