The earliest recorded mention of tarot cards was the 14th century in Italy, but it is widely regarded as much more of an ancient practice than that. Tarot comes from the Italian word trionfi (later as tarocchi or tarock), meaning playing cards. There's a saying that "life's a game," and it's true in many ways. You don't know what hand you'll be dealt one day to the next. Tarot is one method for learning the deck you've got in your hand so you can figure out how to play your hand better.