Welcome back to the podcast. Today, ahead of our interview with Mark Ryan about the Wildwood Tarot, we’re delving into the fascinating and sometimes mysterious history of these cards. We'll explore how they evolved from a simple game to a powerful tool for divination and self-discovery, and then we'll try our hand at a live reading!

In this episode, we cover:

• The origins of Tarot in the 15th-century Italian card game, Triomphi, and how the Major and Minor Arcanacame to be.
• The surprising transformation from a game to a tool for divination, a shift influenced by the 18th-century rise of occultism in France and figures like Etteilla.
• How secret societies like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn shaped our modern understanding of the cards.
• The creation of the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith deck and its massive influence on tarot today.
• Tarot's use beyond divination for self-reflection, creative pursuits, and even storytelling.
• Why tarot is not feared in the same way as Ouija boards, which we chalk up to Hollywood.
• A live, on-air three-card tarot reading using the Wildwood Tarot.
• Wyrd News about mysterious QR codes on graves in Munich and the surprising smell of ancient Egyptian mummies.

Stay Wyrd!

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Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Leonell Cassio - The Paranormal Is Real (ft. Carrie)

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