The Tarot symbols origin

[Moonstranger]

Hello!

Would anyone like to share the opinions about the origin of the Arcana Tarot symbols? As these pictures do not exist in our world.

[Carla]

Sorry, what do you mean?

[Abrac]

Hey Moonstranger. Do you mean the Waite-Smith symbols or tarot symbols in general?

[Moonstranger]

Originally Posted by Abrac

Hey Moonstranger. Do you mean the Waite-Smith symbols or tarot symbols in general?

I meant Tarot symbols in general. The pictures(symbols) are quite similar at various decks.

[Rosanne]

I think if you could get hold of the "Mystical Origins of the Tarot" by Paul Huson your question may be answered.
The cards have the same symbols on them because there was a prototype to follow.
~Rosanne

[Moonstranger]

Originally Posted by Rosanne

I think if you could get hold of the "Mystical Origins of the Tarot" by Paul Huson your question may be answered.
The cards have the same symbols on them because there was a prototype to follow.
~Rosanne

Thank you, Rosanne.
I have looked through the book of Paul Huson, but it did not answer the question actually I had in mind. The main question was about the origin of the Major Arcana symbols (I had to be more specific writing the text indeed...) while Huson puts a lot of attention to divination (interpreting the symbols) and also suit symbolism. This is from my point of view of course...

The scientists do not invent the laws, they are just discovering them. Not only Egyptians, but also ancestors of Mayan and other antient nations worldwide used in their cults the number 22 (steps, days, stages etc).

My assumption is that the Arcana Tarot (as we call them now) represent also a certain law, and someone has discovered it. Do you think so?

[Rosanne]

Well indeed Moonstranger- there is this mystical number 22.
Tarot did not start with 22 cards however. It evolved.
I can however associate the now evolved Tarot Majors to the ancient Abjad of the Phoenecians; that does not make it the correct line of association- or should I say 'the right Tarot History'. Much has been made of associations of 22. LIke the Book of Revelations and it's 22 chapters for example.

My assumption is that the Arcana Tarot (as we call them now) represent also a certain law, and someone has discovered it. Do you think so?

No I do not think so. I often wonder about the Number 7- where do all those associations come from? Was the bible first with it's 6 days of Labour and 7th day of rest- or the planets one can see with the naked eye? Why 7? Why not 5 as the holy number for man?
So you see 22 has a long line of wonderment............

~Rosanne

[caridwen]

Originally Posted by Moonstranger

Hello!

Would anyone like to share the opinions about the origin of the Arcana Tarot symbols? As these pictures do not exist in our world.

I would have to look it up to refresh my memory but they developed from playing cards which were based on positions in society. These were developed into cards used for divination and then taken up by Occultists and developed using a variety of tools such as Kabbalah. It is sometimes called the Fools Journey as some say the Majors depict the journey of life from birth to death and beyond. Others such as Jung believe the Majors are universal archetypes known to all cultures around the world and part of the collective unconscious and there are a bunch of other explanations as well.

Where do you think they come from?

[Teheuti]

Originally Posted by Moonstranger

Would anyone like to share the opinions about the origin of the Arcana Tarot symbols? As these pictures do not exist in our world.

You need to go back to the oldest decks, like the Visconti decks, if you want to know about the origin of the symbols. Similar images abound in Northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. They can all be related to Christian and cultural motifs of the time. In addition to the images, the concepts are found in Dante and Petrarch, among others.

[Abrac]

Moonstranger, I think the major arcana symbols are a mixed bag really. Some of the symbols more ancient than others. Whether or not they represent an intelligible and consistent system of scientific laws, philosophy, or hidden truths is a subject of great debate. I personally believe that, like with many things, the tarot symbolism has many threads woven together by many people over time. Occultists and others have claimed to have discovered all kinds of systems hidden within the symbols but no one has demonstrated or proven that their theories are factual anywhere other than in their own imaginations.