When playing cards first entered Europe, they were believed to originate from Egypt with similar suits currently known as:  Wands, Swords, Cup (chalice) or Coins (disks, pentacles) were also backed with documentary evidence of being banned in some areas of the country.  Later between 1430 and 1450 in Northern Italy the Trump cards were added and illustrated to these ‘playing’ cards.  The oldest surviving Tarot cards are from fifteen fragmented decks painted in the mid 15th century for the Visconti-Sforza family, the rulers of Milan.

In the late 18th century, Tarot became incorporated in the esoteric tradition because of Antoine Court de Gébelin, a Swiss clergyman, publishing Le Monde Primitif, a speculative study which included religious symbolism that is still is looked at today.  He claimed the Tarot originated in the Egyptian mysteries of Thoth.

Gébelin further claimed that the name "tarot" came from the Egyptian word TAR meaning Royal and RO meaning road.  Translating into Royal Road, or Road to Wisdom, various philosophers and translators  attempted to disprove Primitif’s claims to the Tarot being translated from the Book of Thoth, which had already been established in occult practice.

Once the Rosetta Stone was discovered and hieroglyphs deciphered, Gebelin’s etymology for the word was disproven, as was the link to the mysteries of Thoth.