Tarot. The Library of Esotericism

To delve into the tarot is to delve into ourselves, and to be reminded of the universality of our quest for meaning, reason, and connection to the divine. This 600-year-old tradition reflects the history of our shared questions, but also the evolution of their artistic expression.

For many Westerners, tarot exists only in the shadows of our collective consciousness and culture as a metaphysical tradition relegated to the dusty display cases of the esoteric. Its ancient and obscure history has been passed down through secret writings, oral tradition, and the scholarly works of philosophers and other sages. Hundreds of years and hundreds of hands – mystics and artists often working in concert – have transformed what was a simple parlor game into a divinatory system and a tool for introspection, as each new generation sought to reinterpret it and evolve its form.

This captivating story is told by author Jessica Hundley in Tarot, the inaugural volume of TASCHEN's Bibliotheca Esoterica collection. She explores the symbolic meaning of over 500 original cards and artworks, more than two thirds of which have never been published outside of the card decks themselves. It is the first visual anthology of its kind, spanning from the Middle Ages to the modern era, and organized according to the 78 major and minor arcana cards. This volume examines the powerful influence tarot had on artists like Salvador Dalí and Niki de Saint Phalle and includes tarots by nearly 100 contemporary artists from around the world, all of whom have adopted this medium for its ability to advance cultural identity. The book is enriched with quotes from great thinkers, including Éliphas Lévi, Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, a foreword by artist Penny Slinger, a guide to reading cards by Johannes Fiebig and an essay on divinatory tarots by Marcella Kroll.