The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

1.4 The Tarot In History
archaeologist Court de Gebelin, who, just prior to the French Revolution, occupied several years in the
publication of his Monde Primitif, which extended to nine quarto volumes. He was a learned man of his
epoch, a high-grade Mason, a member of the historical Lodge of the Philalethes, and a virtuoso with a
profound and lifelong interest in the debate on universal antiquities before a science of the subject existed.
Even at this day, his memorials and dissertations, collected under the title which I have quoted, are worth
possessing. By an accident of things, he became acquainted with the Tarot when it was quite unknown in
Paris, and at once conceived that it was the remnants of an Egyptian book. He made inquiries concerning
it and ascertained that it was in circulation over a considerable part of Europe--Spain, Italy, Germany and
the South of France. It was in use as a game of chance or skill, after the ordinary manner of playing-cards;
and he ascertained further how the game was played. But it was in use also for the higher purpose of
divination or fortune-telling, and with the help of a learned friend he discovered the significance
attributed to the cards, together with the method of arrangement adopted for this purpose. In a word, he
made a distinct contribution to our knowledge, and he is still a source of reference--but it is on the
question of fact only, and not on the beloved hypothesis that the Tarot contains pure Egyptian doctrine.
However, he set the opinion which is prevalent to this day throughout the occult schools, that in the
mystery and wonder, the strange night of the gods, the unknown tongue and the undeciphered
hieroglyphics which symbolized Egypt at the end of the eighteenth century, the origin of the cards was
lost. So dreamed one of the characteristic literati of France, and one can almost understand and
sympathize, for the country about the Delta and the Nile was beginning to loom largely in the
preoccupation of learned thought, and omne ignolum pro Ægyptiaco was the way of delusion to which
many minds tended. It was excusable enough then, but that the madness has continued and, within the
charmed circle of the occult sciences, still passes from mouth to mouth--there is no excuse for this. Let us
see, therefore, the evidence produced by M. Court de Gebelin in support of his thesis, and, that I may deal
justly, it shall be summarized as far as possible in his own words.
(i) The figures and arrangement of the game are manifestly allegorical; (2) the allegories are in
conformity with the civil, philosophical and religious doctrine of ancient Egypt; (3) if the cards were
modern, no High Priestess would be included among the Greater Arcana; (4) the figure in question bears
the horns of Isis; (5) the card which is called the Emperor has a sceptre terminating in a triple cross; (6)
the card entitled the Moon, who is Isis, shews drops of rain or dew in the act of being shed by the
luminary and these-as we have seen-are the tears of Isis, which swelled the waters of the Nile and
fertilized the fields of Egypt; (7) the seventeenth card, or Star, is the dog-star, Sirius, which was
consecrated to Isis and symbolized the opening of the year; (8) the game played with the Tarot is founded
on the sacred number seven, which was of great importance in Egypt; (9) the word Tarot is pure
Egyptian, in which language Tar=way or road, and Ro=king or royal--it signifies therefore the Royal
Road of Life; (10) alternatively, it is derived from A=doctrine Rosh= Mercury =Thoth, and the article T;
in sum, Tarosh; and therefore the Tarot is the Book of Thoth, or the Table of the Doctrine of Mercury.
Such is the testimony, it being understood that I have set aside several casual statements, for which no
kind of justification is produced. These, therefore, are ten pillars which support the edifice of the thesis,
and the same are pillars of sand. The Tarot is, of course, allegorical--that is to say, it is symbolism--but
allegory and symbol are catholic---of all countries, nations and times they are not more Egyptian than
Mexican they are of Europe and Cathay, of Tibet beyond the Himalayas and of the London gutters. As
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