Following the Tarot Origin Story with Manly P. Hall

I’ve been on a bit of a symbolic treasure hunt lately, and my guide? None other than Manly P. Hall, the esoteric philosopher whose Secret Teachings of All Ages is basically a spellbook for decoding ancient wisdom. As I pored through his take on the tarot, it reminded me about how far back this symbolic system reaches…and how misunderstood it’s become. So I thought I’d share some ideas about the tarot origin story as I learned from my plowing through Hall’s research.

Most people think tarot is just a mystical party trick or a deck for pulling quirky love predictions. But according to Hall (and myself), tarot cards are ancient tools packed with deep meaning, sacred geometry, mystical numerology, and cosmic correspondences. They’re not necessarily about fortune-telling…they’re about awakening. Here’s what I uncovered.

The Tarot’s Mysterious Arrival in Europe

According to Hall, scholars still debate about the tarot origin story and exactly how tarot cards landed in Europe, but a few theories stand out. One popular idea is that they came from India through Arabian channels, riding in with a wave of other Eastern philosophies. Another theory says the Knights Templar…those legendary warrior-mystics…picked up tarot’s ancient secrets during their campaigns in the Middle East. To avoid suspicion from the Church back home, they disguised the cards as “games,” hiding deep esoteric teachings in plain sight.

The Romani Connection: Carriers of Hidden Knowledge

Another strong theory, one that Hall explores, is the role of the Romani. These wandering mystics are said to have carried tarot across Europe. Some tales claim the Romani were descendants of Egyptian temple priests who survived the destruction of the Serapeum in Alexandria. Some surmise these wise folks may have smuggled out sacred texts, including the fabled Book of Thoth…a likely precursor to the modern tarot.

Tarot’s Alleged Egyptian Roots (and the Doubts)

Some mystics, like Court de Gébelin, believed the word Tarot comes from the Egyptian words Tar (meaning “road”) and Ro (meaning “royal”)…the Royal Road to wisdom. Sounds poetic, right? But let’s be clear: no hard archaeological evidence links the modern tarot deck directly to ancient Egypt. Hall acknowledged this but argued the symbolic similarities were too potent to ignore.

The Tarot and the Initiation Mysteries

Hall shares accounts of initiation ceremonies from ancient mystery schools where initiates would walk down long halls flanked by giant symbolic tablets…eerily similar to the Major Arcana. As the initiate progressed, each “card” revealed a layer of spiritual truth. Were these cards literal? Probably not. But metaphorically, they represent a spiritual curriculum…each card an archetypal lesson.

From Rosicrucians to Masons: Tarot in Secret Societies

Tarot symbolism shows up everywhere in mystical movements. Hall saw connections to Rosicrucian philosophy, especially in the concept of the Rota Mundi (Wheel of the World), a hidden map of universal wisdom. He also noted that reshuffling the word “Rota” gives us “Taro.” Coincidence? Maybe. But in the world of the occult, even letters dance with meaning.

Freemasons, Qabbalists, alchemists…all seem to have found reflections of their teachings in the tarot. From the numbers to the imagery, the cards reveal layered truths to those who know how to look.

Tarot and the Human Blueprint

Hall suggested the tarot could map not just the universe, but the human body. Just as the Greeks aligned letters with the body in sacred diagrams, tarot cards represent different parts of both the cosmos and ourselves. It’s a symbolic model of “as above, so below”…the mystical unity between our internal world and the outer cosmos.

Conclusion: The Tarot as a Living Library

So, after devouring Hall’s writings, here’s what I believe about the tarot origin story: the tarot isn’t just ancient…it’s alive. It’s a visual archive of spiritual knowledge, passed across continents, hidden in plain sight, and still whispering its secrets to those who care to listen.

Whether it was carried by crusading knights, Egyptian sages, or wandering mystics, the tarot endures because its symbols speak to something timeless in all of us.

“Tarot is not about telling the future. It’s about understanding the present more clearly, so we can shape a better future.”

Mighty brightly,

© Copyrighted. All rights reserved.