Editing Tarot (section)

{{short description|Cards used for games or divination}}
{{other uses|Tarot (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Tarot cards - 3 card spread with candles.jpg|thumb|A [[Tarot reading|3-card tarot spread]] used for divination. The deck is the Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck (a faithful reproduction of the original [[Rider-Waite-Smith deck]] from 1909).]]
[[File:Print, playing-card (BM 1904,0511.47.1-78 3).jpg|thumb|Trumps of the [[Tarot de Marseilles]], a standard 18th-century playing card pack, later also used for divination]]

'''Tarot''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ær|oʊ}}, first known as ''[[trionfi (cards)|trionfi]]'' and later as '''''tarocchi''''' or '''''tarocks''''') is a system of cards commonly found in English-speaking countries in the form of specially designed [[Cartomancy|cartomantic]] decks used primarily for [[tarot card reading]], in which each card corresponds to an assigned archetype or interpretation for [[divination]] or [[fortune-telling]].  

In various European countries, tarot has historically been used from at least the mid-15th century to play [[Tarot card games|card games]] such as [[Tarocchini]]. From their [[Italy|Italian]] roots, tarot [[Playing card|cards]] spread to most of Europe, evolving into new forms including German [[Grosstarok]] and modern examples such as [[French Tarot]] and Austrian [[Königrufen]].  

The emergence of custom decks for use in [[divination]] via [[tarot card reading]] and [[cartomancy]] began after French [[occultist]]s made elaborate, but unsubstantiated, claims about their history and meaning in the late 18th century.{{sfnp|Decker|Depaulis|Dummett|1996|p=ix}}<ref>{{cite book | last=Gébelin | first=Antoine Court de | title=Monde primitif, analysé et comparé avec le monde moderne | volume=8|publisher=Nyon | date=1781 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m_bKIMCn-gUC&pg=PA365| language=fr | access-date=2025-05-10|pages=365-|chapter=Du Jeu des Tarots}}</ref> Thus, there are two distinct types of tarot packs in circulation: those used for card games and those used for divination. However, some older patterns, such as the [[Tarot de Marseille]], originally intended for playing card games, are also used for cartomancy.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Colman |first1=David |title=When the Tarot Trumps All |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/fashion/alejandro-jodorowsky-and-his-tarot-de-marseille.html |website=New York Times |date=11 November 2011 |access-date=12 November 2024}}</ref> 

Tarot has four [[Suit (cards)|suits]] that vary by region: French suits are used in western, central and eastern Europe, and Latin suits in southern Europe. Each suit has 14 cards: ten [[Pip (counting)|pip cards]] numbering from one (or [[Ace]]) to ten; and four [[face card]]s: [[King (playing card)|King]], [[Queen (playing card)|Queen]], [[Knight (playing card)|Knight]], and [[Jack (playing card)|Jack/Knave/Page]]. In addition, the tarot also has a separate 21-card [[trump (card games)|trump]] suit and a single card known as [[The Fool (tarot card)|the Fool]]. Depending on the game, the Fool may act as the top trump or may be played to avoid following suit.<ref name="DummettGame">{{harvp|Dummett|1980}}</ref> These tarot cards are still used throughout much of Europe to play conventional [[card game]]s.