Home›Sources›A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult TarotSourcesA Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult TarotCitation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextDivinity Atlas. "A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult Tarot." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/a-wicked-pack-of-cards-the-origins-of-the-occult-tarot.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextDivinity Atlas. (n.d.). A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult Tarot. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/a-wicked-pack-of-cards-the-origins-of-the-occult-tarotCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{divinityatlas-a-wicked-pack-of-cards-the-origins-of-th, author = {Divinity Atlas}, title = {A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult Tarot}, year = {2026}, url = {https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/a-wicked-pack-of-cards-the-origins-of-the-occult-tarot}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXRonald Decker, Thierry Depaulis and Michael Dummett's scholarly study, published by St Martin's Press, establishing that the occult reading of tarot cards as a system of esoteric wisdom originated in eighteenth century France, with figures such as Court de Gebelin and Etteilla, rather than in the fifteenth century Italian cards themselves. Dummett's standing as the leading historian of playing cards and the rigorous documentary method place this at this atlas's top tier. It is the strongest available source for correcting the popular assumption that occult tarot is as old as the cards themselves. It documents this history without commenting on the divinatory validity of tarot as practiced today.FactsCross-Tradition ConnectionsClaims Backed By This Source (322 claims)Comments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsCitationAuthorWell-attestedRonald Decker, Thierry Depaulis and Michael DummettPublisherWell-attestedSt Martin's PressPublication YearWell-attested1996URLWell-attestedhttps://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003162050Source TypeWell-attestedScholarly workAssessmentReliability TierWell-attested1A scholarly study from an academic press establishing that the occult reading of tarot cards originated in eighteenth century France rather than in the fifteenth century Italian cards themselves, from the leading historian of playing cards.NotesWell-attestedTraces the occult reading of tarot to eighteenth-century France (Court de Gebelin, Etteilla) rather than to the fifteenth-century Italian cards.Cross-Tradition ConnectionsAssociated WithFrance, Countries Well-attested This source names France directly: "originated in eighteenth century France, with figures such as Court de Gebelin and Etteilla, rather than in the fifteenth century Italian cards themselves."Source A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult TarotRonald Decker, Thierry Depaulis and Michael Dummetttier 1Claims Backed By This Source (322 claims)This source backs 322 claims across the atlas. As facts: 185 well-attested, 1 popular myth - corrected. As cited relationships: 31 holds. Plus 105 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.Disposition By TopicLenormand Cards, 72 claims: 36 well-attested, 36 general references.Articles, 62 claims: 59 well-attested, 3 general references.Tree of Life Paths, 44 claims: 22 well-attested, 22 general references.Tarot, 43 claims: 22 well-attested, 21 general references.Disciplines, 30 claims: 4 well-attested, 25 holds, 1 general references.Tarot Spreads, 19 claims: 13 well-attested, 6 general references.Historical Figures, 9 claims: 6 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.Sources, 9 claims: 8 well-attested, 1 holds.Categories, 8 claims: 5 well-attested, 3 general references.Rituals, 8 claims: 4 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.Open Questions, 5 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 general references.Subcategories, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 general references.Tarot Suits, 4 claims: 4 general references.Tarot Decks, 3 claims: 1 popular myth - corrected, 2 general references.Years, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.Well-attested185ArticlesA Nuremberg Game Publisher Who Died the Year His Game AppearedA Nuremberg Parlour Game From 1799How a Toy's Track Became a Fortune-Teller's Grand LayoutIt Was a Card Game, and the Record Is Not AmbiguousPast, Present, Future Is a Choice You Make Before You DrawThe Egyptian Story, the Romani Story, and the DatesThe Playing Card Inset on the AnchorThe Playing Card Inset on the BearThe Playing Card Inset on the BirdsThe Playing Card Inset on the BookThe Playing Card Inset on the BouquetThe Playing Card Inset on the ChildThe Playing Card Inset on the CloudsThe Playing Card Inset on the CloverThe Playing Card Inset on the CoffinThe Playing Card Inset on the CrossThe Playing Card Inset on the CrossroadsThe Playing Card Inset on the DogThe Playing Card Inset on the FishThe Playing Card Inset on the FoxThe Playing Card Inset on the GardenThe Playing Card Inset on the HeartThe Playing Card Inset on the HouseThe Playing Card Inset on the KeyThe Playing Card Inset on the LetterThe Playing Card Inset on the LilyThe Playing Card Inset on the ManThe Playing Card Inset on the MiceThe Playing Card Inset on the MoonThe Playing Card Inset on the MountainThe Playing Card Inset on the RingThe Playing Card Inset on the ScytheThe Playing Card Inset on the ShipThe Playing Card Inset on the SnakeThe Playing Card Inset on the StarsThe Playing Card Inset on the StorkThe Playing Card Inset on the SunThe Playing Card Inset on the TowerThe Playing Card Inset on the TreeThe Playing Card Inset on the WhipThe Playing Card Inset on the WomanThe Suit of Clubs in CartomancyThe Suit of Diamonds in CartomancyThe Suit of Hearts in CartomancyThe Suit of Spades in CartomancyThe Tarot Arrived on the Tree Very LateThe Tarot Suit of CoinsThe Tarot Suit of CupsThe Tarot Suit of SwordsThe Tarot Suit of WandsShowing 1 to 50 of 149 entities carrying this claim. NextPopular myth - corrected1Tarot DecksThothHolds31DisciplinesTarotHistorical FiguresJohann Kaspar HechtelRitualsTarot ReadingSourcesA Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult TarotYears1969General References105ArticlesA Nuremberg Game Publisher Who Died the Year His Game AppearedHow a Toy's Track Became a Fortune-Teller's Grand LayoutWhat an Oracle Deck Entry CoversCategoriesLenormand CardsTarotTarot SpreadsDisciplinesTarotHistorical FiguresJohann Kaspar HechtelLenormand CardsAnchorBearBirdsBookBouquetChildCloudsCloverCoffinCrossCrossroadsDogFishFoxGardenHeartHouseKeyLetterLilyManMiceMoonMountainRiderRingScytheShipSnakeStarsStorkSunTowerTreeWhipWomanOpen QuestionsWhat was Johann Kaspar Hechtel's birth year?RitualsTarot ReadingSubcategoriesMajor ArcanaMinor ArcanaTarotDeathJudgementShowing 1 to 50 of 104 entities carrying this claim. NextComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year