A History of Tarot Cards: The ancient art of inner knowing

What makes tarot such a compelling tool for reflection, insight, and even transformation?

In this talk, we’ll explore how tarot works not just as a way to predict the future, but as a tool for spiritual growth. Rich in symbols, emotions and archetypes, tarot offers a way to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

We’ll start with how tarot is used today, then trace its roots back to the Italian Renaissance. Thinkers like Pico della Mirandola were searching for a way to talk to angels – a kind of spiritual language – and this quest helped shape the deeper meanings tarot still carries.

We’ll then take a closer look at three powerful cards: the High Priestess, Temperance, and the Devil, and explore what they might be saying. Finally, we’ll explore the explosion of tarot design in recent years, and why so many people turn to tarot to make sense of the world.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published works on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England's biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMDb entry and a Wikipedia page.She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.

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