What is the relationship between Tarot cards and playing cards?

Hey, that's a really good question! Many people are curious about the relationship between these two. You can actually think of them as "long-lost relatives" – they might look a bit different, but they're very close by blood.

Simply put, they likely originated from the same ancestor, but in their later development, one went towards "entertainment" and the other towards "divination and spirituality," and so they went their separate ways.

Let's break down where they are similar:

1. Core Structure – The "Minor Arcana" Part is Almost Identical

A Tarot deck has 78 cards, while a deck of playing cards has 52 (not counting the Jokers). Where's the difference?

Tarot Cards = 22 Major Arcana (Major cards) + 56 Minor Arcana (Minor cards)
Playing Cards = 52 cards

The secret lies in those 56 Minor Arcana cards. These 56 cards are divided into four suits, with 14 cards in each suit:

Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles/Coins

Each suit includes number cards from 1 to 10 + four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King).

Now, let's look at playing cards, and it instantly makes sense, doesn't it?

Playing card Clubs correspond to Tarot's Wands (both represent fire, action, energy)
Playing card Hearts correspond to Tarot's Cups (both represent water, emotion, relationships)
Playing card Spades correspond to Tarot's Swords (both represent air, thought, conflict)
Playing card Diamonds correspond to Tarot's Pentacles (both represent earth, money, material possessions)

See? The suits (groups of cards) actually correspond. The number cards from 1 to 10 are also exactly the same (the Ace in playing cards is 1). The only difference is in the court cards: Tarot has 4 (Page, Knight, Queen, King), while playing cards have only 3 (Jack, Queen, King).

It's widely believed that for the convenience of games, playing cards merged and simplified the "Page" and "Knight" from Tarot into what we now see as the "J (Jack)".

2. What are the extra parts of Tarot cards?

What Tarot cards have more of than playing cards are those 22 "Major Arcana" cards with independent names and numbers, such as "The Fool (0)", "The Magician (1)", "Death (13)", "The World (21)", and so on.

You can understand it this way: if the 56 Minor Arcana cards describe the specific events, emotions, and states of our daily lives (the mundane), then these 22 Major Arcana cards depict important life stages, major challenges, and spiritual growth and turning points (life and death, major decisions). This part is completely absent from playing cards and is the core of Tarot's mystery and divinatory function.

3. What about the Jokers in playing cards?

Speaking of which, you're probably wondering about the Jokers in playing cards. Many believe that the inspiration for the Joker comes from the first card of the Tarot Major Arcana – "The Fool (0)". "The Fool" represents infinite possibilities, new beginnings, innocence, and a spirit of adventure. Doesn't this bear a resemblance to the Joker's "wild card" role in many games, where it can stand in for any other card?

To summarize

So, their relationship can be understood like this:

A long time ago (around the 14th-15th century in Europe), playing cards became popular. One branch developed to meet people's needs for divination and self-exploration, adding 22 "Major Arcana" cards depicting life's journey, evolving into what we know today as Tarot cards.

Another branch, for the convenience of mass entertainment and gambling, removed the complex "Major Arcana" and one "Knight" court card, making the structure simpler, and thus became the playing cards we all have today.

Therefore, playing cards are essentially an "incomplete" and simplified version of Tarot cards, used for entertainment.

Next time you're playing a card game, you can think about how the deck in your hand actually has an "older sibling" full of mystery and ancient wisdom. Isn't that interesting?