Stuff They Don't Want You To Know How Tarot Cards (Might) Work
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May 13, 2026 They trace tarot from 15th-century Italian card games to occult reinvention and modern Rider–Waite decks. They explain card structure, common spreads, and how ritual and intention shape readings. Psychological angles like pattern-seeking, confirmation bias, Jungian synchronicity, and tarot as a personal reframing tool are explored. Creative deck design and the tarot community also come up.
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Noel's Underwhelming First Professional Reading
- Noel described his first paid tarot reading in New York as expensive and poorly executed, likening the reader's style to Tony Soprano cold reading.
- He noted the reader used regional cues like 'youse guys' and gave generic advice about sharing too much information.
Tarot Originated As A Renaissance Card Game
- Tarot began as a 15th century Italian card game for wealthy aristocrats, not an ancient divination system.
- Yale watermark forensics dated early tarot decks to 1437–1442 and traced evolution into the 78-card Rider–Waite structure.
Occultists Recast Tarot As Ancient Divination
- Modern tarot divination arose in the 18th century when French occultists rebranded game cards as exotic, ancient artifacts.
- A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith later codified the Rider–Waite deck in 1909 tied to Golden Dawn symbolism.