Tarot Cards Were Originally For Games

The famous Tarot of Marseilles was not designed for fortune telling or mysticism. It was created in Italy during the 17th century specifically as a standard deck for playing competitive card games.

Long before tarot became associated with the occult, these cards were the centerpiece of social gatherings across Europe. People used them for complex trick-taking games rather than predicting the future. It was only much later that specific decks were created for spiritual divination. Today, the original pattern remains a classic example of traditional European card design.