Tarot and religion go hand in hand. They’ve always been associated in one way or another, yet many religions go against tarot cards for divination support. But then, what religion do tarot cards come from? Hard to tell, despite a series of connections and even more misconceptions.
Let’s explore the origins of tarot together and go through some of the most popular associations of the deck.
What Religion Do Tarot Cards Come from?
The truth is tarot isn’t associated with a religion in particular. Unlike religions, tarot doesn’t have any leaders, sacred text, or teachings. Tarot is mainly about interpretation, which is subjective. On the other hand, religion is about commandments.
On top of all these, tarot is often associated with divination techniques, which most religions disagree with.
To help you get an idea, the Bible doesn’t support the idea of divination or fortune telling. But on the other hand, tarot can also be used to gain personal insights, which isn’t mentioned in any religion.
Tarot readings can boost your confidence, hone your instincts, and even support in meditation. In such cases, religions are alright with its use.
Bottom line, there are no religious associations with tarot.
Tarot as a Game, not a Religion
Understanding religion will most likely help you understand the difference between tarot and religion. Religion can be defined as an organized set of practices and ideas, mainly related to a superior entity.
Tarot is nothing like that. Different tarot readers have different interpretations of the same card. Sure, cards have the same basic meanings, but interpretations will vary widely based on circumstances and situations. That’s why intuition is extremely important in the process.
Furthermore, tarot doesn’t worship superior entities and doesn’t enforce any commandments whatsoever.
Tarot readers use different techniques for tarot. Moreover, reasons can also vary widely, not to mention interpretations and situations.
Tarot could be better described as a game of cards rather than a religion. While there are more stories and myths regarding its history, tarot dates back to Italy and a classic card game known as trionfi. That’s how card games came to life.
The game was pretty simple and involved using trump cards. Basically, trump cards rank high and can overtake the cards lower than them, hence their name.
Does Tarot Have Christian Influences?
Prior to being as defined as it is today in terms of rule, tarot was redefined again and again by different occultists, each of them adding a different layer of meaning and symbolism. One of these people is Antoine Court de Gebelin, who did it around 1780.
The Christian influence on such practices began prior to that, throughout the 15th century.
Tarot cards are based on trump cards and back then, trump cards used to have Christian symbolism depicted on them. From this point of view, the game was enhanced by Christian rulings and teachings. If you think about it, the meanings of Major Arcana cards have something to do with Christianity.
Take the Devil, for instance, a popular card in the deck. The Devil could be a deceiver, but also a tempter. Now, this concept is also available in the Christian religion, representing evil.
The Tower is another card that may have some references to Christianity. The Tower of Babel, for example, showcases hubris. Pretty much like the card.
And if you dig deeper, you can find similar associations or interpretations for every card in the Major Arcana set.
