Exploring the tarot is exploring ourselves, and it reminds us of the universal nature of the yearning for meaning, purpose, and connection to the divine. This 600-year-old tradition reflects not only the history of divination but also our artistic journey and the ways in which humans express the story we share.

From a Western perspective, the tarot occupies a place in the shadows of our shared cultural consciousness, a metaphysical tradition relegated to the dusty repositories of the arcane. Its long and obscure history has been passed down through secret texts, oral tradition, and scholarly tomes by sages and philosophers. Hundreds of years and the hands of creative minds—mystics and artists who often collaborated—have transformed what was essentially a parlor game into a system of divination and self-knowledge, and each generation has sought to evolve its form and reinterpret its medium.

Author Jessica Hundley traces this fascinating history in TASCHEN's Esoteric Library series, Tarot . The book explores the symbolic meaning of hundreds of cards and original artworks. It is the first visual compendium of its kind, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day and organized according to the sequence of major and minor arcana in the 78-card deck. It explores the powerful influence of the tarot as a muse for artists such as Salvador Dalí and Niki de Saint Phalle, and includes decks from dozens of diverse contemporary artists from around the world who have embraced this medium for its ability to foster cultural identity.

Hardcover, 14 x 19.5 cm, 0.41 kg, 192 pages