Sunday Afternoon Public Programs
March 18, 2:00 PM  •  Presented by Michael S. Howard

Ancient Egypt was an object of fascination in Western Europe even before the first known record of the tarot in 1440, but it wasn’t until 1781 that anyone declared it to be originally Egyptian. The result was a flowering of the “Egyptian” tarot, an unveiling as it were of its secrets, assisted by images based on actual finds in Egypt. Mr. Howard will give visual examples and then turn to the tarot before 1781 for further allusions to Egypt, not because the tarot originated there, but to satisfy those fascinated by that civilization. Special attention will be given to the goddess Isis. Continue reading →