Egyptian Tarot: What Is It And How Does It Work?

The Egyptian tarot is one of the oldest divination decks in existence. Legend has it that it blends several divinatory arts — Egyptian astrology, numerology, visualization — and that its cards have not changed since the dawn of time.

The origins of the Egyptian tarot

According to the legend, the Egyptian god Thoth, god of writing and of the occult sciences, passed the secrets of this deck down to humankind through the ages.

That legend actually took shape in the 18th century: in 1781, Antoine Court de Gébelin published the hypothesis that the tarot was a "lost book of the ancient Egyptians", the sacred work of the god Thoth.

A few years later, Jean-Baptiste Alliette, known as Etteilla, took up the idea and created, in the late 1780s, a 78-card deck devoted entirely to divination: the Grand Etteilla, also called the Egyptian tarot.
Etteilla had illustrious clients, among them Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's first wife — she would later consult another famous cartomancer, Mademoiselle Lenormand.

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78 cards: the Egyptian tarot's own numbering

The Egyptian tarot has 78 numbered cards, split into 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana — with a numbering all of its own, quite different from the Tarot of Marseille: the first card is not the Magician, but Chaos.

Unlike the minor arcana, which fall into 4 named suits, the major arcana are grouped by their function in a spread:

• The querent is represented by a card of their own: number 1 for a man, number 8 for a woman.
• Cards 2 to 8 are tied to the 7 days of the creation of the world.
• Cards 9 to 12 stand for 4 cardinal values.
• Cards 13 to 21 illustrate the different aspects of human life.

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The 4 suits of minor arcana

The 56 minor arcana, on the other hand, follow a more familiar structure: 4 suits of 14 cards each, from the Ace to the 10, completed by the Page, the Knight, the Queen and the King.

As with any divinatory tarot, it is the way the cards relate to one another that sharpens the reading: a single card gives a direction, but it is its place in the spread and its neighbours that pin down its meaning.

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The main Egyptian tarot spreads

There are several ways to question the Egyptian tarot, from a quick read to the most expert layout. Here are some of the most widely used.

Not sure which layout fits what you want to ask? Our guide to choosing the right tarot spread walks you through it.

Each method is set out step by step in our guide to the 8 Egyptian tarot spreads.

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How to get a good Egyptian tarot reading 🔮

Four simple steps are enough to connect with the world of the Egyptian tarot.

Start your Egyptian tarot reading 💫

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Your questions about the Egyptian tarot

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Going further

Carry on exploring the world of tarot