There has been talk about the Tarot being connected to Qaballah, or that it perhaps comes from Egypt. It is related to Egypt and Qaballah, that is probably true. However, I think it is becoming clear that the most likely and simple reasoning, would point towards Shargung-La area as the direct origin. For example view the Fool card. It is the first and last card, and symbolises a new octave of vibration. It means being a Fool the the will of God, or the Universal Spirit, and it symbolizes stages of enlightenment. The fool card is screaming “Shargung La”, it strongly appears that the “Fool” of the Fool Card is indeed on a journey into Shargung La. View the mountains in the background for start, the flowers that grow there etc.
WHat I saw of that book Last Call in a web search, it looked like it was just a story without any implications in the world or history, and was fiction. I think it does not impress me at all in a web search. I read about much more interesting true stories of gambling in Las Vegas and winning every time, over and over, until a conversation is over, and then losing it all. Those odds are a hugely unlikely, enough to have a huge impact on someone’s mind observing it.
Do not get the impression that I am some science fiction Nerd into Fantasy, just because that is what you would be into.
Actually, tarot cards were very useful to me in the past, there were a lot of very pretty (if slightly strange) gullible women out there who proved ameanable to a private session discussing their future. Strangely enough, this always seemed to include their love life and need to explore more - much better than etchings
Some people are trying to say this is irrelevant, but it’s not. Not everything stays the same over generations. Things get added to different cultures at different times. SOmetimes it is direct, rather than a gradual change. This applies whether martial arts, regular arts, meditation, technology, etc.
Tarot, once called ‘Triumph cards’ were first noted in 1442, almost 75 years after the first historical note of playing cards (king of clubs, ace of diamonds, etc.). These ‘Triumph’ cards were mentioned by a purchase order for the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza. He orders them in preference to playing cards, but notes that regular playing cards will do if ‘triumph’ could not be found. The nature of this discussion makes it clear that the cards were distinct and separate items, but also proves that they were not used for esoteric or occult practices, as he says that playing cards would be a suitable substitute… and well, the use of playing cards as a substitute for the imagery of the tarot is rather unreasonable. Further, the fact that the order does not explain in detail what these items are intones that these cards were commonly known, and not just royally-commissioned items of great beauty (although the surviving decks from that age would seem to be).
Okay, so we have them in Italy in the 15th c. By the Earlier part of the 16th c, they were common in france, where the game of triumphs was converted to regular playing cards by allowing players to call out a particular suit as ‘trumps’ for that hand (bridge, anyone?). As the game of ‘triumphs/trumps’ found greater popularity with the less expensive playing cards, the Triumph deck had to be renamed, and a new purpose aligned. The word was Tarrochi, an italian fore-runner of the french Tarot.
Origins? A game that was nearly run out of business thanks to the high cost of its production, but saved at the last minute by an inventive charlatan-cum-marketer who thought he could cater to the mysterious. 14th century Egyptian? Italy/French Qabbalistic? Only if by rewriting history.
Serious Harm is really more of a sideshow freak around here, Ray. He will now post 100000000 links that have nothing to tdo with your reply in response to your accurate and well thought out post. PLease do not be confused by this … it is “serious harm way,” or “the way of not making any damn sense.”
Check out the “on Chi or Ki” thread for more of his wisdom. Every once and a while we poke him with a stick just to see what he’ll do.
I figured from his pretty abbysmal reputation and high post count that he was a troll on retainer here, but I figured someone might get a bit of info-tainment out of my post.