HOW WAS IT USED TO PLAY TAROT?

The Tarot are playing cards whose origin has not yet been proven with absolute certainty: the most widespread theories indicate their birth in Northern Italy, in the period between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of Renaissance.

Visualizza immagine di origineThe Tarot were certainly created as an educational card game; in particular the sequence of the Triumphs was meant for the teaching of the Catholic doctrine, while

in more recent times they were played in games for recreational purposes. Since the eighteenth century, in France with the famous Etteilla, they have been used for divinatory purposes, thus becoming the most used tool in cartomancy.

The tarot game was quite complex. Even today, however, there are groups of enthusiasts who keep this tradition alive.

Now the Tarot are commonly associated, only to cartomancy – in fact they were also one of the most popular card games for several centuries.

Thanks to numerous literary testimonies, today it is possible to infer the original basic rules of the Tarot games.

These rules were relatively complex, and the Tarot were therefore defined as a game of skill, unlike the other card games that were often considered gambling.

THE MEANING OF THE MAJOR ARCANA – THE BAGATTO OR THE MAGICIAN

The Bagatto, also called the Magician, is the first card of the Major Arcana.

The Bagatto is the active principle, he is the human being with a divine spark who has skills, knowledge and playfulness.

This Arcanum represents a person endowed with intelligence and creativity, who knows how to use the tools available to accomplish what he has planned. He is the master of himself; all he does is in accord with his will. He is not guided by chance or instinct; what drives him is Reason, which he uses to plan the future.

The direction of his gaze and the posture of his hands serve to divert the attention of his interlocutors.

The symbol of infinity is the evolution of hat in the Marseilles tarot, which looks like an upside

down eight. This symbol represents both the existence of other dimensions beyond the visible one and the unlimited energy that comes from them.

The creative capacity of the Magician therefore derives from his contact with the Spirit; in fact, the eight overturned symbolizes the divinity of man, his ability to think in all directions. The number 1 symbolizes the beginning and the unity.

In cartomancy, the meaning of this card ranges from skill to deception: depending on the context, it can mean adaptability, potentiality, transformation, fantasy, will, diplomacy, manipulation.

When it is positive, it suggests to the interlocutor that he has the ability to get what he wants. It can also represent the close presence of a skilled person or the propitious moment to start working towards one’s goal. It is generally a favorable and positive card indicating fruitfulness in every field.

When it is negative it may mean deception, seduction, excess of trust. It is the man who has failed to dominate nature.