So far through the first page of this hop, we've been following the journey of Tarot, along one of its routes. We've been introduced to Catharism, a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement, who it is believed added or at the very least altered certain cards to bring it in line with their own dualistic beliefs.

As Tarot continued its journey, fables and myths surrounding their origins, and indeed powers seemed to grow with each passing decade. The meanings themselves also seemed to change and develop as more influencial people such as Jon Dee, Nostradamus, and Rasputin dabbled and investigated the phenomenon.

The question then becomes, what secret surprises did the Tarot hold, and where does the second journey of the Tarot take us?

Let's go back to the start and take alook at where the journey branches off into the second pathway, its already been established that Tarot began its journey as Tarocchi, a French/Itallian card game, not unlike Trumps, Poker, and so on.

Alongside the established 52 cards in today's standard playing deck, each suit had a Page and certain of the Major Arcana cards were also present for the game.

During its time as a card game, it started to gain interest as something more than just playing for matchsticks or coins. There was an element that lended itself to divination.

This divination element became promenant, and it is understood that the Tarot de Marseilles was to become the first formalised divination tool, and the start of the second pathway of the Tarot journey.

As Tarocchi travelled and developed through different countries, so to didi the Tarot de Marseilles. In this journey it is thought that some of its inspiration came from a lost Tarot creation believed to have been commissioned by Duke Filippo Maria Viscont. 

It is believed that the inspiritations could relate to the oldest surviving Visconti-Sforza tarot decks painted in the mid-15th century. Which would explain why some Tarot decks, since this time have differences in the way the Major Arcana is set and cards placed.

When the journey of the Marseilles Tarot is followed, it also left France for Itally and carried on a similar journey into Romania, which is where again the significant changes to the deck occurs.

However, the journey differs and the order of the cards does not change. Strength and Justice have switched places. Now Justice has position 8 and Strength has position 11. The suggestion for why this is the case seems to point to the Tree of Life and other Esoteric avenues.

By this point in the journey, both pathways are starting to converge. New ideas are begining to come forth and figures from the world of the Esoteric have began to explore divination and developing their own ideas for Tarot.

As the paths began to merge, the heritage of both also merged, which is why with the modern day tarot decks, new readers may find that Justice and Strength are not in the positions they recall from their learning. Likewise traditionalists that follow the Marseilles tradtions dispair at authors and artists that have chosen the first pathway as their inspiration.

Personally I find both of pathways beneficial, as it tells an historian/reader like myself about the journey of the deck and the authors/creators background. 

Illistrators who have been inspired by both paths, are truly talented. To be able to know the historical journey, and then turn that into a deck which represents the journey aspect that calls is genius.