The Origin of the Tarot with Robert M. Place
The Origin of the Tarot with Robert M. Place
The Origin of the Tarot with Robert M. Place
Artisan Tarot

The Origin of the Tarot with Robert M. Place

In stock
Sale price$120.00

Robert M. Place's class on the origin of the Tarot is available to watch on demand. It's over four hours of Robert walking you through tarot's complete history. It's a great way to really understand where the cards came from.

The first part covers the invention of cards in China and how they were reinterpreted as they spread over Asia and were introduced to the Europeans. He explores the early use of cards for divination. Then he explains how the Italian invented and developed the Tarot in the 15th century.

The second part covers the introduction of the Tarot to France and Switzerland, where the Tarot of Marseille was developed. He shares how the Court de Gebelin provided an occult interpretation of the deck. He also explains the various occult interpretations and modern fascination with the Tarot.

Non-member price: $120
Member price: $100 (Discount automatically applied at checkout)

More Information

19th-century occultists, such as Eliphas Levi, Paul Christian, and Papus, considered the Tarot an indispensable component of their magical tradition and, to give the deck an appropriately impressive pedigree, invented several imaginative versions of its history.

They most often asserted that it originated in ancient Egypt or other ancient cultures. These spurious origins of the Tarot became such an accepted part of Tarot literature that they were often reported as fact.  The Tarot, however, was a creation of Renaissance artists in northern Italy, and these occult fantasies can block us from truly appreciating the mystical heritage depicted in the cards.

In this class, Robert examines the known facts and existing examples of cards. You'll follow playing cards from their creation in 10th-century China to their introduction in Western Europe in the 14th century. We learn how, in 15th-century Italy, the addition of a trump suit to the existing deck gave birth to the Tarot, and how the Italians passed it to France.

Robert discusses the symbolism of early decks and how the cards expressed Hermetic philosophy. He'll look at the earliest evidence of the Tarot’s use in divination. And he'll end with a discussion of the occult theories that led to the creation of the Waite-Smith Tarot and the modern fascination with the deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Robert M. Place

Robert is an internationally known visionary artist whose award-winning paintings, sculptures, and jewelry have been displayed in galleries and museums worldwide. He is best known as the designer, illustrator, and coauthor of the original Alchemical Tarot.

He is also the designer, illustrator, and author of The Alchemical Tarot Renewed, The Tarot of the Saints, The Angels Tarot, The Raziel Tarot, The Vampire Tarot, The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, and numerous other oracle decks, including The Buddha Tarot, which received international acclaim for its amalgamation of Eastern and Western mysticism.

Robert is the author of The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, which Booklist said, “may be the best book ever written on that deck of cards decorated with mysterious images called the tarot,” and Astrology and Divination, among others. Robert is the curator of The Fool’s Journey and the author of the catalog for an exhibition of Tarot art that originated at the LA Craft and Folk-Art Museum. He has lectured and conducted workshops on mysticism and the tarot throughout the United States and five continents.

You May Also Like