Before tarot became a mystical guide, the earliest decks were beautiful, handcrafted works of art designed for play, display, and status. The 15th-century Italian decks - like the Visconti-Sforza - featured gilded cards, hand-painted figures, and suits that would feel both familiar and strange to us today.
The first tarot decks weren’t uniform. Each deck reflected the tastes, symbols, and priorities of its patron: some emphasized chivalric imagery, others moral lessons, and some were just plain whimsical. The cards told stories - not about your love life or career, but about society, virtue, and human nature.
Even the early Major Arcana were evolving: allegorical figures appeared, some trumps changed names or functions, and the number of cards could vary. These decks laid the foundations for the symbolic system we now recognise in modern tarot, proving that tarot has always been as much about imagination as utility.
If you could see one of these first decks in person, which card would you be most curious about? Share your pick in the comments!
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