History

Books on the history and origins of the Tarot, presenting evidence or new theories.

A Wicked Pack of Cards A Wicked Pack of Cards: An Occult History of the Tarot is a somewhat controversial book intended to dispel misinformation on the origins of Tarot. It's written by two historians and a professor of logic, on the premise that tarot was not created with occult or cartomantic uses in mind.

Explaining the Tarot Explaining the Tarot: Two Italian Renaissance Essays on the Meaning of the Tarot Pack is a translation of two early essays on the meaning of tarot, which view the cards as reflecting the structure of society and the meaning of life.

Mirror of the Free Mirror of the Free, subtitled The Tarot and the Kabbalah, the Ancient Mesopotamians and the Sufis, offers Swift's own theories on the origins of Tarot. Published as a limited hand-numbered edition of 136 copies.

Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage Mystical Origins of the Tarot is a well-researched and well-written reference book discussing the development and background of Tarot, its symbols and its divinatory meanings.

Tarot Symbolism A classic and well-researched book on the historical influences, trends, theories and origins of Tarot. Originally published in the mid-eighties, it has now been reprinted by the Association for Tarot Studies.

Tarot Trumps and the Holy Grail Tarot Trumps and the Holy Grailis an academic thesis revealing the links between the historical tarot trumps, or major arcana, and the legends of the Holy Grail. Out of print, but due to be reprinted soon.

The Secret of the Tarot In The Secret of the Tarot, Robert Swiryn shows how the Marseilles Tarot may have come to carry the story of the Cathars, a thirteenth century sect of religious heretics.

The Tarot: A Short Treatise on Reading Cards This is the 1993 edition of "The Tarot", a revised and expanded edition of the original 1888 treatise on the cards. Mathers introduces tarot as a fortune telling tool, and tells a little of its history and occult associations.

The Tarot: History, Symbolism & Divination The Tarot: History, Symbolism & Divination is well-grounded and factual account of the Tarot's development in the Renaissance and its mystical roots history and evolution. Author Robert Place also offers information on the card symbology, and practical techniques for using the cards in divination.

The Underground Stream: Esoteric Tarot Revealed The Underground Stream: Esoteric Tarot Revealed looks at the Golden Dawn and Continental attributions alongside their origins and derivatives, and speculates on the early occult history of the Tarot.

Twenty Years of Tarot: The Lo Scarabeo Story Twenty Years of Tarot: The Lo Scarabeo Story celebrates the tarot publishing company's first 20 years of operation from 1987 to 2007. It's a hard cover, coffee-table sized book full of images of pre-market and test sketches, as well as completed cards that were part of published decks.

Visconti Tarot Book The book, Visconti Tarots - Extraordinary examples of Renaissance art is the companion book to the Visconti Tarot deck, also published by Lo Scarabeo.

Woman with the Alabaster Jar A story of the sacred feminine and how it has been denied through time. This book draws on many sources of knowledge to illustrate its theory, one of which are the trumps of the Charles VI Tarot.