Stella from Lancester wants to know: What is the oldest record of oracles being in use? And how long have tarot cards been in existence?

Archaeological finds testify to magic practices and oracles having been used for thousands of years. In Peking in 1997, for instance, 4000 year old bones were found with characters carved into them. These were used by the rulers to assist them in making decisions: questions about the future were carved into them after which they were heated, and the resulting cracks and fissures caused the letters to change. These letters were then used to provide answers.

There are conflicting opinions as to the subject of tarot. One plausible theory is that in the mid 15th century an artist, Bonifacio Bempo, designed and painted a card game called “Tarocchi” for the aristocratic Milanese family Visconti. It consisted of four suites of 14 cards each and 22 “Triomphi” (trumps) depicting scenes from everyday life and the prominent figures of the time (e.g. Pope, Emperor, etc.).

Other sources trace the origins back to an Italian pictorial encyclopaedia from 14th century Venice which has links to Spanish pip cards.

Created: 01:58 PM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Card readings  |  Comments [0]