Tarot of Marseille: The Complete Guide to Understanding and Learning to Read the Cards

Seventy-eight cards laid out on a table.
Not for predicting the future.
But for giving words to what is already there.

The Tarot de Marseille is the oldest Western tarot deck still in use today in its recognizable form, inherited from 15th-century Italian iconography and then standardized by the Marseilles card makers of the 17th and 18th centuries. It consists of 78 cards: 22 major arcana (emblematic figures like The Empress, The Hanged Man, Death) and 56 minor arcana (divided into four suits: swords, cups, coins, wands). Far from being a magical divination tool, it is primarily a device for symbolic reflection — a mirror that helps put into words what one already knows without yet having articulated it.

Here is the history of the tarot, its structure, how to learn it, how to use it, and how to choose your first deck without making a mistake.

The History of the Tarot de Marseille

Italian Origin, Late 14th Century

Tarot originated in Northern Italy in the late 14th or early 15th century. The earliest preserved decks are the Visconti-Sforza tarots (circa 1450), commissioned by the Dukes of Milan. At this time, tarot had no known divinatory function: it was an aristocratic card game — tarocchi — played at court much like whist was played a few centuries later.

The iconography of the major arcana is inspired by the medieval visual repertoire: allegorical figures of Virtue, Death, The Sun, The Moon, The World — all present in church frescoes and illuminated manuscripts. Tarot was thus initially a visual distillation of medieval symbolic culture, transposed into cards.

Arrival in Marseille (17th-18th Century)

In the 17th century, French card makers (notably in Marseille, a port of trade with Italy) adopted and standardized Italian iconographies. The "Tarot de Marseille" as we know it today was standardized by card-making families such as the Convers (Nicolas Conver, 1761) and the Dodals. Conver's deck, in particular, is considered the canonical reference.

At this time, tarot remained primarily a card game (people played tarot in cafes, betting money), although a symbolic reading began to emerge.

The Invention of Tarot Divination (18th Century)

The divinatory use of tarot, in its contemporary sense, is a recent invention. It is attributed to two individuals:

• Antoine Court de Gébelin (1781) who, in Le Monde primitif, claimed — without proof — that tarot was an Egyptian hermetic book. He invented the fanciful etymology "tar-rosh" ("royal road" in Egyptian). This theory is now considered historically unfounded, but it laid the foundation for all esoteric tarot readings.
• Jean-Baptiste Alliette, known as Etteilla (1785), a wigmaker turned cartomancer, who published the first manual of divinatory spreads and created a personal version of the tarot.

In the 19th century, Éliphas Lévi and then Papus integrated tarot into the French occult tradition (Kabbalah, alchemy). In the 20th century, Aleister Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite popularized their own versions in England. And in the 1990s-2000s, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Philippe Camoin rediscovered the Marseilles sources and restored the Conver deck to its original colors.

Tarot Today

Today, tarot is experiencing a resurgence, driven by the sacred feminine movement, the craze for personal development practices, and a return to symbolic tools. Contemporary uses often move away from pure divinatory readings ("what will happen to me?") towards a psychological tarology: tarot as a mirror, as a journaling support, as a tool for reflective decision-making.

The Structure of a Tarot de Marseille Deck

22 Major Arcana + 56 Minor Arcana = 78 Cards

A complete Tarot de Marseille deck contains 78 cards:

• 22 Major Arcana — the emblematic figures numbered from I (The Magician) to XXI (The World), with one unnumbered card (The Fool). These are the most well-known cards, which condense the major symbolic stages of human experience.
• 56 Minor Arcana — divided into four suits: swords, cups, coins, wands. Each suit contains ten pip cards (from ace to ten) plus four court cards (page, knight, queen, king). These suits are the ancestors of modern playing card suits (swords → spades, cups → hearts, coins → diamonds, wands → clubs).

The Four Suits and Their Symbolism

The 22 Major Arcana in Brief

Here is a list of the 22 major arcana with their central meaning. Each will soon have its dedicated article in the AURÆN Journal.

0. The Fool (unnumbered) — journey, the unknown, the leap of faith, the soul in motion.
1. I. The Magician — beginnings, tools at hand, the potential for action.
2. II. The Popess — inner knowledge, silence, unspoken wisdom.
3. III. The Empress — fertility, creative expression, active feminine.
4. IV. The Emperor — structure, authority, built stability.
5. V. The Pope — transmission, connection, the word that links.
6. VI. The Lover — choice, commitment, the path one takes or leaves.
7. VII. The Chariot — movement, victory, control of opposing forces.
8. VIII. Justice — balance, sharpness, the measure of things.
9. IX. The Hermit — withdrawal, inner lamp, the wisdom of solitude.
10. X. The Wheel of Fortune — cycle, reversal, uncontrolled dimension.
11. XI. Strength — gentle taming, discreet courage, taming the inner animal.
12. XII. The Hanged Man — suspension, shift in perspective, fertile patience.
13. XIII. (untitled card, called Death) — transformation, necessary end, regenerating ground.
14. XIV. Temperance — circulation, blending, fluidity between two poles.
15. XV. The Devil — attachment, confining passion, the knot to name.
16. XVI. The House of God — collapse, violent liberation, yielding structure.
17. XVII. The Star — hope, gentle light after shock, rediscovered nakedness.
18. XVIII. The Moon — doubt, the unconscious, what is not yet clear.
19. XIX. The Sun — shared clarity, embodied joy, reunion.
20. XX. Judgment — the call, awakening, the buried rising.
21. XXI. The World — accomplishment, totality, the dance at the center of the circle.

How to Read Tarot: Basic Principles

Three Levels of Reading

A tarot card can be read on three overlapping levels:

• The intuitive level — what the card immediately evokes in you, before looking in a book. What you see, what strikes you, what repels you.
• The symbolic level — the traditional meaning of the card (The Hermit = withdrawal, Death = transformation), as coded in manuals and traditions.
• The contextual level — the card read according to the question asked and its position in the spread. The same card means different things in a question about work or love.

Upright and Reversed

A card drawn upright or reversed is read differently in most traditions. A reversed card ("drawn upside down" from the reader's perspective) is considered to indicate a blocked, misplaced, or developing aspect. Some modern schools advise against using reversals for beginners — it can overload the interpretation.

The Right Attitude for Drawing Cards

Three principles that experienced tarologists often transmit:

• Ask a real question. Not "what will happen to me" — too vague. Prefer "How can I approach this decision?", "What does this relationship bring me?", "What is dying/being born in this situation?".
• Draw only when you need to. Drawing for the same question ten times dilutes the tarot. One question, one draw, one answer — even if it's uncomfortable.
• Maintain authority. Tarot does not decide for you. It helps you see. The decision is always yours.

Classic Spreads for Beginners

The Daily Draw (1 card)

The simplest. You draw one card in the morning and ask yourself: what is the main energy of this day? You look at it in the evening to see how it resonated. An ideal practice for learning the arcana through repeated exposure.

The Celtic Cross Spread (5 cards)

The classic French spread. Five cards arranged in a cross:

• Card 1 (left) — what works for you, the pro
• Card 2 (right) — what works against you, the con
• Card 3 (top) — the past, what led here
• Card 4 (bottom) — the future, what is emerging
• Card 5 (center) — the synthesis, the heart of the situation

The Crossroads Spread (3 cards)

Three cards for binary choices: option A, option B, what results from this arbitration. Short, effective, particularly suited for decisions that require perspective.

For more structured spreads with concrete examples and practical sheets, the Art of Daily Ritual integrates several calendar spreads (by moon phase, by sabbat).

How to Choose Your First Tarot Deck

A complete guide on this topic will soon be available in a dedicated article. In summary:

• Prioritize the Tarot de Marseille for beginners — it is the reference in France, the iconography is traditional, and French literature is abundant.
• The Camoin-Jodorowsky Tarot de Marseille is currently the most popular edition. Restored iconography, pedagogical booklet. Around €35-45.
• The Conver Tarot de Marseille by Grimaud is the budget alternative. A reprint of Nicolas Conver's 1761 deck. Around €18-22.
• Avoid as a first purchase fancy tarots, Rider-Waite Tarots (excellent but a different tradition), and ultra-stylized decks that make learning three times longer.

Tarot decks available at AURÆN are gathered in the tarot collection.

Five Misconceptions About Tarot

1. "Tarot predicts the future"

Not exactly. Tarot doesn't predict — it illuminates the current situation and the forces at play. The future remains open. That's why the same question asked three months apart can yield very different answers.

2. "Someone has to give you your first tarot deck"

A modern legend. No historical tradition imposes this. You can buy your own tarot deck; that's perfectly fine.

3. "You can't read tarot for yourself"

False in classic traditions. Reading for oneself is even a practice recommended by many tarologists, provided one maintains a distance and asks real questions (not "tell me he's going to love me").

4. "If Death appears, it's a bad sign"

Arcanum XIII (the untitled card traditionally called Death) does not mean physical death. It signifies a profound transformation — something ending so that something else can be born. It is often a good card.

5. "You need a gift to read tarot"

Not in psychological or reflective tarology. A "gift" can help with the intuitive dimension, but the symbolic and structured learning of tarot is accessible to everyone through repeated practice.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Tarot de Marseille

How long does it take to learn the Tarot de Marseille?

To know the 22 major arcana without hesitation, count about 3 to 6 months with daily draws. To master the 56 minor arcana, count 12 to 18 months. To become truly fluid, several years. But practice is useful from the first week — no need to be an expert to draw a card in the morning.

Should you be afraid to read tarot?

No. Tarot is a reflective tool. A difficult card (Death, The Devil, The Tower, The Hanged Man) does not announce a catastrophe — it proposes a theme to examine. Fear of tarot often comes from confusing the card with destiny. Destiny is not in the card.

What is the difference between tarot and oracle?

Tarot follows a standardized structure (78 cards, 22 major + 56 minor divided into four suits). An oracle has a free structure, chosen by the author. Tarot is more codified and profound, while an oracle is freer and more accessible. The full article on the difference will soon be available in the AURÆN Journal.

Can you mix several tarot decks?

Not for the same spread. Iconographies, codes, and meanings vary slightly between decks. Mixing a Marseille with a Rider-Waite creates symbolic confusion. Choose one deck, learn it, and stick with it for the first few years of practice.

Does tarot have a religious dimension?

No. Tarot belongs to no religion. It is a cultural symbolic system that incorporates medieval Christian references (The Pope, The Devil, Judgment) because it was born in Christian Europe, but its contemporary practice is open to all sensibilities, religious or not.

Tarot doesn't tell you what will happen.
It tells you what you already know but haven't articulated.
And sometimes, that's what helps the most.

The practices mentioned in this article pertain to symbolic and reflective traditions. Tarot is not a proven predictive instrument and in no way replaces professional advice or therapeutic, medical, or psychological follow-up. If you are experiencing significant difficulty, please speak to a professional.

Written by the AURÆN team.
AURÆN is a French house that creates spiritual companions — lunar calendars, ebooks, printable kits, jewelry, and sacred objects. Our content draws on European esoteric traditions, classical lithotherapy, and Western astrology, without claiming scientific truth. For any questions about sources and practices, please contact us.
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