A bit of a card

The most common use of the jester icon in modern European life is as the so-called ‘Joker’ in a deck of playing cards. Modern cards derive from the very ancient set of cards called the Tarot, originally developed thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, and later in China, as a means of interpreting events*.
The four modern suits were derived from the four suits of the Tarot’s minor arcana (set of knowledge), which were Wands (clubs), Pentacles (diamonds), Cups (hearts), and Swords (spades), each representing different aspects of life ... daily life, material life, emotional life, and action respectively. The modern joker is the only surviving card of the Tarot’s major arcana. In fact he was card number one in the major arcana, representing the very first principle of all existence … creative imagination.

* Tarot is thus an ancient word and pronounced with the final ‘t’, so it rhymes with 'carrot'. It does not derive from French, so avoid pronouncing it to rhyme with 'marrow'. Get your vegetables right.