Magic and the Early Tarot
Conclusion
The historical evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that the Tarot was designed in the 15th century in northern Italy. The specific symbols and the number of cards appear to have evolved, starting about 1420 or even earlier. The symbolic system was never monolithic and details changed through time and as the deck moved from place to place. We do not know what the "original" deck looked like. Even if we knew, it would probably of academic interest only because it changed quickly into the deck we recognize today.
The early evolution of the Tarot occurred in a culture imbued with magic. Miraculous images, divination, and potable gold were as familiar as bread and wine. With the exception of necromancy, magic was seldom persecuted and many forms of magic were formally accepted by the Church. If the Tarot was originally designed as a tool for divination, there would be little reason to hide this fact.
What I found most inconsistent in the typical occultist tradition is the idea that great ancient secrets were communicated orally from master to initiate. After several decades of studying the issue, I can't find anything in the curricula of the French and British occultists that cannot be found in writing! I cannot find any secrets that would need to be communicated in secret. Magic wasn't a secret!
On the other side of the ledger, it is clear that there are many ties between the Tarot symbols and the magic of the 15th century. As we have seen throughout this series of essays, image magic, art of memory, astrological imagery, numerology, Lullism, etc. played an integral role in the everyday lives of the Italian city states. One must fly in the face of a great body of evidence to maintain that there are no connections between the Tarot and magic. But it is important to recognize that the magic was not secret or pagan, it was Christian, public, and for the most part quite orthodox.
This series of essays is about the Tarot of the 15th century. It is clear that in subsequent centuries, the magical elements incorporated into the Tarot were recognized and further developed. The simplest hypothesis that fits the evidence is that the Tarot as a tool for divination was developed subsequent to the 15th century.
Ramon Lull wasn't a magus in his day and although never canonized as a saint, he is venerated by the Franciscans and Majorcans who have the Church's approval to refer to him as "Blessed Ramon". Ramon's art isn't magic but was so regarded within a couple of centuries. Ramon was not a Cabalist, but was so revered within a couple of centuries. Ramon was not an alchemist but was so regarded within a couple of centuries. If it could happen to Ramon, it could happen to Tarot.
But there is a major difference between the later evolution of Lullism and the Tarot. In the case of Ramon Lull, there is nothing to indicate magic or alchemy in the man or his writings. In the case of the Tarot, earlier chapters have established that there was substantial circumstantial evidence to justify the later evolution of the Tarot deck into a device of magic and divination.
