Well‚ let me tell ya‚ if you’re lookin’ at these tarot decks for studyin’ history， there’s some things you oughta know｡ Tarot， it didn’t start as all this spiritual stuff， you know? It was just a bunch of cards for playin’ games‚ way back when。 But then‚ folks started seein’ things in ’em‚ pictures and such‚ and that’s how it all got started‚ the history part‚ I mean｡
The Oldest Ones‚ Them Visconti-Sforza Cards
Now‚ the oldest cards we got‚ they call ’em Visconti-Sforza。 Fancy name‚ huh? These cards‚ they come from Italy， long‚ long ago‚ in the 1400s｡ Fifteenth century‚ they say｡ They weren’t for tellin’ fortunes or nothin’ like that， just for playin’ games｡ But the pictures， oh‚ them pictures‚ they tell ya a lot about those times｡ Kings and queens and fancy folks‚ all dressed up｡ You can see how they lived， what they wore‚ what they thought was important｡ If you wanna study history‚ start there｡ See what them old-timey pictures are showin’ ya｡
Then Comes the Marseilles Deck
After them Visconti cards， there comes this other deck， the Marseilles deck｡ It’s the oldest one we know about that’s kinda like the ones we use today｡ Still for playin’ games mostly‚ but the pictures‚ they start gettin’ a bit more… I don’t know… symbolic， I guess。 Not too much， mind you‚ but you can see things startin’ to change｡
- Simple pictures‚ not too fancy。
- Easy to understand‚ most of the time｡
- Good for seein’ how things used to be｡
The Rider-Waite Deck‚ Now That’s a Big One
But then， this Rider-Waite deck comes along‚ and bam! Everything changes｡ This deck‚ it’s got pictures on every card‚ not just the big ones like the old decks。 And the pictures， they’re full of stuff， all kinds of things to look at。 Every little thing means somethin’‚ or so they say｡ This deck‚ it’s like a whole history book in pictures‚ but you gotta know how to read it。 It’s used all over the place‚ even now｡ Millions and millions of ’em‚ they say｡ Over a hundred million‚ can ya believe it? And in all sorts of places‚ twenty countries or somethin’ like that｡
This Rider-Waite deck‚ it ain’t just pictures‚ it’s got stories｡ And them stories， they come from all over｡ Some from the Bible‚ some from old legends， some from just everyday life｡ But they all tell ya somethin’ about the people who made the deck and the people who used it｡ Seein’ how the pictures change‚ seein’ what they put in and what they leave out‚ that’s how you learn about the history， you understand?
And Then There’s This Crowley Fella’s Deck
Now‚ there’s another deck‚ made by this fella Crowley and a lady named Harris｡ Thoth， they call it。 It’s complicated， real complicated｡ Lots of colors and weird symbols‚ not like them other decks｡ It’s kinda new‚ not old like the others， but it tells ya somethin’ about how people started thinkin’ about tarot in a different way｡ More… mystical‚ I guess you could say。 More spiritual， more hocus pocus｡ Not my cup of tea‚ but it’s history too‚ ain’t it?
So‚ How Do You Use These Cards for History?
Well， you look at the pictures， like I said｡ You see what they’re showin’ ya｡ You see how the pictures change over time｡ You see what stories they’re tellin’ ya｡ And you think about what that tells ya about the people who made the cards and the people who used them｡ It ain’t just about fortunetellin’‚ it’s about understandin’ how people thought and lived back then。
You see‚ the tarot cards‚ they ain’t just cards｡ They’re like windows into the past｡ You look through them and you can see how people lived‚ what they believed‚ what they feared‚ what they hoped for｡ And that’s history， plain and simple。
Designin’ Your Own Cards
And you know what? You can make your own cards too， if you wanna｡ Just draw some pictures， anythin’ you like｡ Use a computer， use a pen‚ use whatever you got｡ It ain’t hard｡ And who knows‚ maybe someday your cards will be history too｡
So that’s it‚ that’s what I know about them tarot cards and history。 You just gotta look close‚ real close‚ and you can learn a whole lot。
Tags：Tarot History‚ Historical Tarot Decks‚ Rider-Waite Deck‚ Visconti-Sforza Deck‚ Marseilles Deck‚ Thoth Tarot‚ Tarot Symbolism‚ Tarot Design‚ Historical Studies‚ Card Symbolism
