The notion that those French suited Tarot cards used for playing French Tarot or Austrian Tarock are not "real" or "pure" Tarot decks is one that is often expressed by those who view Tarot exclusively in terms of the occult or divination. Since the Tarot deck was created in Italy for a trick taking card game and not for divination, all gaming Tarot decks, whether they contain the French or Italian suit system, should be seen as authentic Tarot decks.

Jess Karlin, Tarot historian, noted that there are those who view card playing as Tarot's "purest" application. I would agree with such a view, not to imply that divination is corrupt, but I would use the word "pure" in the sense that a mathematician would use that word in the expression "pure mathematics." Tarot reading should properly be seen as a hybrid phenomenon as it is the connection of these cards with Kabbalah, alchemy, numerology, or astrology. This is a logical and not a moralistic conclusion. I would conclude that those who are using Tarot cards to gain information on love or career prospects are not genuinely "into Tarot" as they are using the cards for insights external to the deck. Tarot reading, therefore, is not "pure Tarot." but a hybrid application

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