The tarot (first known as trionfi and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th
century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot. In the
late 18th century, it began to be used for divination in the form of tarotology/cartomancy.
Like common playing cards, the tarot has four suits (which vary by
region: French suits in Northern Europe, Latin suits in Southern Europe, and
German suits in Central Europe). Each suit has 14 cards, ten cards numbering
from one (or Ace) to ten and four face cards (King, Queen, Knight, and
Jack/Knave). In addition, the tarot has a separate 21-card trump suit and a
single card known as the Fool.
Beginning of 20th century, tarot cards are used
primarily for divinatory purposes. The Trump cards and the Fool are sometimes called the major arcana while the ten pip and four court
cards in each suit are called minor arcana. The cards are traced by some occult
writers to ancient Egypt or the Kabbalah, and are designed based on the theory of astrology,
numerology, theurgy or following many different secret orders belief.