Housewives tarot?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Apr 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Namaste	07 Apr 2005
Amazon has this deck at such an enticing price that I was thinking it might be worth buying. :) I would love to hear from those of you who have this deck and really like it. I guess I need convincing. :D

Grizabella	07 Apr 2005
I have it and I really like it. I don't use it much yet because I'm studying Legend the Arthurian, but I think it's really a clever idea and it's a deck a person really can read quite well with even though it's clever and light-hearted in appearance. There are several threads about it if you search on it and most people just rave about it. The Amazon price is such a bargain because there's so much more to the packaging than there is even with just basic decks. I strongly recommend it. A friend gave me mine. I had thought it was stupid and that that would be the last deck I'd ever want, but once I actually got it and tried it, I was thrilled.

Keslynn	07 Apr 2005
Hi Namaste, You're on quite a deck-buying kick! Lucky you! I'd still be on one but I'm poor. I don't know if you saw this thread on the Houswives: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=27439 I have this deck and I love it. It's clever and funny but also very useful and meaningful. Plus, the packaging is top notch. It's a real bargain! :) Kes

Namaste	07 Apr 2005
Lyric wrote: I have it and I really like it. I don't use it much yet because I'm studying Legend the Arthurian, but I think it's really a clever idea and it's a deck a person really can read quite well with even though it's clever and light-hearted in appearance. There are several threads about it if you search on it and most people just rave about it. The Amazon price is such a bargain because there's so much more to the packaging than there is even with just basic decks. I strongly recommend it. A friend gave me mine. I had thought it was stupid and that that would be the last deck I'd ever want, but once I actually got it and tried it, I was thrilled. Thank you for your insights into this deck, Lyric. :D It really is a bargain and I think I like its light-hearted approach. The only card I've really seen, so far, is the Devil, and I rather like the idea of it being equated with chocolate cake. :laugh:

contrascarpe	07 Apr 2005
Namaste - I echo Keslynn - you have been going gangbusters on deck buying! Perhaps you should venture down here to Mass and take a gander at Laura's and my collection .... then you can get a proper wishlist! Regarding the Housewives - it is a guilty pleasure of mine. I remember the artwork of this time period and it is very, very clever indeed. The art is great, the packaging is terrific (a little recipe box), and it reads surprisingly well. If you liked any of the scans you have seen, you will love the deck. One word of warning, however - it is not a "big" deck, which I know you prefer. Dan

contrascarpe	07 Apr 2005
Namaste - Just saw how much the Housewives is going for these days. I can't believe it is already been marked down to that. I bought my copy (and one for my brother) just before Christmas and paid much more than that for it. Don't hesitate snapping it up for that price - it is worth 2-3 times that much IMO. Dan

Namaste	07 Apr 2005
Keslynn wrote: Hi Namaste, You're on quite a deck-buying kick! Lucky you! I'd still be on one but I'm poor. I don't know if you saw this thread on the Houswives: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=27439 I have this deck and I love it. It's clever and funny but also very useful and meaningful. Plus, the packaging is top notch. It's a real bargain! :) Kes I confess that the majority of my new decks have either come through trades, such as the Witches Tarot, as gifts: the German Margarete Petersen, Crow's Magick, the Cosmic, the Haindl, The Templar, etc., and pre-orders over the past months that all showed up at the same time. I not only use tarot cards for myself, but also collect them because it is my opportunity to own small, more affordable, pieces of art, and because it is my way of supporting the artists and authors who create them, much as I do with books. I also see it as an investment of sorts, particularly decks that are out of print. I am not rich, but they have become one of my life's few priorities. It's often a question of "robbing Peter to pay Paul." LOL Thank you for the link, Keslynn. Yes, I do think it's a bargain, considering that decks are usually so much more expensive. It might be interesting to have a humourous deck for a change, which is not to say that tarot doesn't have a humour all of its own. :D

OakDragon	07 Apr 2005
This is one that has been on my secret wishlist too. I'll probably break down and get it one of these days.

Gwynne	07 Apr 2005
Get it!!! I have it, and I love it. My clients love it too, especially those who have any familiarity with Tarot and those who grew up in the era where the imagery came from. I bought one from Amazon in December. My husband asked for a reading and as he was shuffling, bent the Two of Cups... So I had to get another one... LOL Now I've got two! I love them to pieces!

Chubby Mummy	07 Apr 2005
Its wonderful!! I like anything 60's and retro.... it reminds me of this make up brand called benefit... very cool!! I keep mine in the kitchen so I can do readings for me and my fellow housewives whilst having espresso (or martini, a cigarette and some chocolate cake!!) They come in the cutest box that looks like a recipe box...oh and it has a couple of recipes inside too. And the cutest lwb!! get it its definitly worth it!!! xxx hope that helps cm

sunflowr	08 Apr 2005
Get this deck if it's the last thing you do!! ;) Seriously, you will love it. I have trouble reading tarot usually, but this deck is easy to read with. And the court cards are the FIRST ones that actually come to life and make sense to me! I love this deck so much that I want to have it's babies! lol! ps: are the creators still on this board?

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
contrascarpe wrote: Perhaps you should venture down here to Mass and take a gander at Laura's and my collection .... then you can get a proper wishlist! I'm working on catching up, Dan. ;) :laugh: Quote: Regarding the Housewives - it is a guilty pleasure of mine. I remember the artwork of this time period and it is very, very clever indeed. The art is great, the packaging is terrific (a little recipe box), and it reads surprisingly well. If you liked any of the scans you have seen, you will love the deck. One word of warning, however - it is not a "big" deck, which I know you prefer. I am sorely tempted... Yes..., you're beginning to convince me...

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
OK, I have to admit: I like this deck, it is amusing - good for parties etc. and the pictures are very good. But for some reason I am not clicking with it and I'm not sure why. I considered trading it, then I thought - I'll keep it a while longer, maybe I'm just going through a phase. I'm sad, because I do enjoy going through the cards, having a laugh. That Knight of Swords must be the best I ever saw. I tried it with my nephew and niece (my tarots disciples aged 8 and 9 ;)) - they liked it and immediately understood the references and were able to do simple readings with it. I like it - it's a fun thing to have about the house - but for some reason my readings with it don't flow. Normally I can read anything - even paper napkins or clouds, if I like. I don't think I've ever had this kind of trouble before :( Maybe I'm just a lousy housewife (hey, I knew that already). Where's the block? What am I doing wrong? Why isn't my souflé rising??? What's wrong my my recipe ? Desperate Housewife, from Switzerland

Eco74	08 Apr 2005
Maybe this is a really whacky thought but have you tried Living a daily card? It should be doable considering the imagery and topic and could make it easier to bond with the deck... ...she mused thinking of that delightful day the devil-card pops up and one will end up having chocolate-cake for dinner... P.S. I'm getting it! I'm getting it! I'm getting it! YAY

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Eco - do yo mean I must break my plates? (5 of pentacles)? get food poisoning? (Death) Stab someone in the back with my kitchen knives (or be stabbed in the back)? A touch of the Hermit pampering would do me, and a few cocktails too - but paddling my nephew's backside (even though he occasionally deserves it)? - or taking a moody drunken sot for a husband (King of Cups)? Mind you, if I meet that Knight of Swords, he won't have to ask twice ;) It'll be goodbye dishes, hello hellraisers! And still, they stare and stare and say nothing :(

Eco74	08 Apr 2005
Oh, so it really was a whacky thought... Good to know. ;) For the more violent cards there's always the possibility to find some interesting recipies.. Pounding away on the steaks to make them tender or chopping a pound of veggies (as opposed to stabbing) and serving it on a stake (barbeque-spits) could be an option. And paperplates are hard to break for those really hard-to-handle days. Then again. Broken plates? Well, go off on a shopping-spree to get some new ones then. ;o) I have no comments on the nephew or the drunken sot... Other than keep an eye on him to prevent the naughty and make sure the bottles are all locked up so he can focus on fixing the car, cleaning the yard etc. :D

annik	08 Apr 2005
Seeing how this topîc is turning, I think I am getting interested in this tarot! lol!

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
It's wonderful to see how enthusiastic the majority of you are about this deck! :D My one concern has to do with the deck's voice. You know how each deck speaks in a different way and has a completely different atmosphere? Is the Housewives not too flippant or shallow?

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: OK, I have to admit: I like this deck, it is amusing - good for parties etc. and the pictures are very good. But for some reason I am not clicking with it and I'm not sure why. I considered trading it, then I thought - I'll keep it a while longer, maybe I'm just going through a phase. I'm sad, because I do enjoy going through the cards, having a laugh. That Knight of Swords must be the best I ever saw. As I've mentioned, Helvetica, I am wondering if the light-heartedness of this deck isn't really flippancy or shalowness in disguise... Quote: I tried it with my nephew and niece (my tarots disciples aged 8 and 9 ;)) - they liked it and immediately understood the references and were able to do simple readings with it. How cute! Maybe my inner child would be appeased, finally. :laugh: Quote: Normally I can read anything - even paper napkins or clouds, if I like. I don't think I've ever had this kind of trouble before :( Maybe I'm just a lousy housewife (hey, I knew that already). Wow! You are so lucky to be able to read anything. What an interesting and extraordinarily sensitive person you must be. :D Don't say that about yourself. I'm sure you a very good housewife and lucky, lucky to be born in the country I find the most beautiful on earth! :D

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Eco74 wrote: Maybe this is a really whacky thought but have you tried Living a daily card? It should be doable considering the imagery and topic and could make it easier to bond with the deck... ...she mused thinking of that delightful day the devil-card pops up and one will end up having chocolate-cake for dinner... P.S. I'm getting it! I'm getting it! I'm getting it! YAY That's a great idea, Eco. :D I've tried doing that with cards from other decks, especially the Druid Craft (trying to live the interpretations of said cards), and it's working.

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Eco74 wrote: Maybe this is a really whacky thought but have you tried Living a daily card? It should be doable considering the imagery and topic and could make it easier to bond with the deck... ...she mused thinking of that delightful day the devil-card pops up and one will end up having chocolate-cake for dinner... P.S. I'm getting it! I'm getting it! I'm getting it! YAY That's a great idea, Eco. :D I've tried doing that with cards from other decks, especially the Druid Craft (trying to live the interpretations of said cards), and it's working. I think I might also be singing that song very soon. :D

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
sunflowr wrote: Get this deck if it's the last thing you do!! ;) Seriously, you will love it. I have trouble reading tarot usually, but this deck is easy to read with. And the court cards are the FIRST ones that actually come to life and make sense to me! I love this deck so much that I want to have it's babies! lol! ps: are the creators still on this board? That is definitely very convincing. I can actually feel your enthusiasm for it, Sunflower. :D I didn't know the creators were even here...

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: Wow! You are so lucky to be able to read anything. What an interesting and extraordinarily sensitive person you must be. :D I think it's a good left-right brain balance that does it :) But of course - I am EXTRAORDINARILY interesting and sensitive ;) (thank you :)) Seriously, though - it is a question of using one's imagination to make up and apply a sign-reading system. Since that can be done with any shape, sign, symbol, etc. in the world, I think anyone can read clouds, trees, or paving stones. That's why I don't understand why I have such difficulty with this deck... Namaste wrote: Don't say that about yourself. I'm sure you a very good housewife and lucky, lucky to be born in the country I find the most beautiful on earth! :D My country is très honoré! But seriously, a country full of spotless housewives - and me hanging my head in shame because I don't iron my underwear or have supper ready by 7pm sharp! Truth is, despite being Alpine born and bred, I am Mediterranean in my heart and habits. I am tidy enough for health and sanity and messy enough for happiness - and I have no time for recipes: I prefer to make up my own as I go along. ;) Possibly one reason why the squeaky-clean Housewives makes me feel slightly queasy... I think it can be flippant - but mainly it is meant to be gently ironic.

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: Eco - do yo mean I must break my plates? (5 of pentacles)? get food poisoning? (Death) Stab someone in the back with my kitchen knives (or be stabbed in the back)? A touch of the Hermit pampering would do me, and a few cocktails too - but paddling my nephew's backside (even though he occasionally deserves it)? - or taking a moody drunken sot for a husband (King of Cups)? Mind you, if I meet that Knight of Swords, he won't have to ask twice ;) It'll be goodbye dishes, hello hellraisers! And still, they stare and stare and say nothing :( You make them sound so very enticing, dear Helvetica... for cards that won't speak to you... Closing my eyes and waving my hands in your direction I will them to speak to you... Speak to Helvetica...., speak to Helvetica... The 5 of pentacles... frustration? Starting anew?? Food poisoining? We all know how humbling an experience being sick (dis-eased) really is, don't we? :D Okay... but see what's happening? I feel in a positively jovial mood now. LOL

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: I think it's a good left-right brain balance that does it :) But of course - I am EXTRAORDINARILY interesting and sensitive ;) (thank you :)) :D Quote: Seriously, though - it is a question of using one's imagination to make up and apply a sign-reading system. Since that can be done with any shape, sign, symbol, etc. in the world, I think anyone can read clouds, trees, or paving stones. That's why I don't understand why I have such difficulty with this deck... You're right, of course, and I agree with you completely, since one of my specialties and interests is media studies, particularly the deconstruction of images. I am sensitive to the importance and relevence of using anything as a text. Perhaps I should start approaching the tarot in this way. Thank you. You have unwittingly helped me. :D Quote: My country is très honoré! But seriously, a country full of spotless housewives - and me hanging my head in shame because I don't iron my underwear or have supper ready by 7pm sharp! Truth is, despite being Alpine born and bred, I am Mediterranean in my heart and habits. I am tidy enough for health and sanity and messy enough for happiness - and I have no time for recipes: I prefer to make up my own as I go along. ;) Possibly one reason why the squeaky-clean Housewives makes me feel slightly queasy... I fully sympathize with you re. your (our) Mediterranean attributes and leanings. Interesting metaphor. Quote: I think it can be flippant - but mainly it is meant to be gently ironic. So, perhaps the squeaky-clean Housewives of the deck are in perfect keeping with this irony, i.e. too good to be true? :) From what I've heard so far, I think the understanding of this deck must rely heavily on allegory... (Perhaps this is true for all tarot and oracle decks?)

Gwynne	08 Apr 2005
I'd say flippant at first appearance, but upon further exploration as serious as any deck I've seen (and I've seen a lot...) When I read for clients and they are particular troubled by a card in my Quest or Thoth or whatever deck I'm using at the moment, I'll often pull the same card from my Housewives and they'll get it. My students too for that matter. Like the Devil... scary for a lot of people, especially in some of the RWS clones (the Thoth Devil isn't so scary... how can you be scared of a goat with flowers LOL) but when you pull the Housewives and see a Chocolate cake with legs, surrounded by all those guilty pleasures.... you realize that it's the stuff you do to yourself, the Devil isn't out there, it's inside of you, it's your addictions, etc.... The Housewives puts things in a different perspective, opening people up in a way that other decks don't. The images are fun (Tower=Woman in a gelatin mold...) but powerful nonetheless.... a client took one look at the Tower and said "She's ready to break loose!" You wouldn't get that with a RWS Tower!!

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: Okay... but see what's happening? I feel in a positively jovial mood now. LOL LOL I'm going to try a little experiment. I have my Housewives here, and will ask: What do you say to Namaste acquiring you? High Priestess. This is a brown bottle of syrup maked "Secret Syrup". The answer is at the bottom of a dark, very gooey but non-alcoholic substance. What would happen to Namaste if she acquired you? Queen of Swords. This shows a smiling lady holding a huge pair of secateurs and dead-heading a rose which contains the head of her (equally smiling) husband. I guess that means Namaste would snap her husband's head off if she ever saw him messing around with her roses or something else she values, (or if he came back with rose lipstick on his collar???) How would the Housewives Tarot and Namaste get on? Ace of Cups. A beautifully manicured hand holds a glinting wine glass. Now that is easy. You and your deck would match like hand and glass, painted nails and slim fingers, washing-up liquid and "beautiful smooth hands". See what I mean? :(

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Gwynne wrote: I'd say flippant at first appearance, but upon further exploration as serious as any deck I've seen (and I've seen a lot...) When I read for clients and they are particular troubled by a card in my Quest or Thoth or whatever deck I'm using at the moment, I'll often pull the same card from my Housewives and they'll get it. My students too for that matter. I get the feeling that these cards are eminently easy to get, perhaps deceptively so, but for that further exploration. Quote: Like the Devil... scary for a lot of people, especially in some of the RWS clones (the Thoth Devil isn't so scary... how can you be scared of a goat with flowers LOL) LOLOL Quote: ...but when you pull the Housewives and see a Chocolate cake with legs, surrounded by all those guilty pleasures.... you realize that it's the stuff you do to yourself, the Devil isn't out there, it's inside of you, it's your addictions, etc.... I can see why you like this deck so much, Gwynne. Your insights are very welcome and I thank you for them. Quote: The Housewives puts things in a different perspective, opening people up in a way that other decks don't. The images are fun (Tower=Woman in a gelatin mold...) but powerful nonetheless.... a client took one look at the Tower and said "She's ready to break loose!" You wouldn't get that with a RWS Tower!! I confess that I've always had difficulty with the tranditional RWS... Hmmm... (a woman stuck in a gelatin mold?). I think I would have had the same reaction as your client. I think I'm convinced. :D

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: LOL I'm going to try a little experiment. I have my Housewives here, and will ask: What do you say to Namaste acquiring you? High Priestess. This is a brown bottle of syrup maked "Secret Syrup". The answer is at the bottom of a dark, very gooey but non-alcoholic substance. What would happen to Namaste if she acquired you? Queen of Swords. This shows a smiling lady holding a huge pair of secateurs and dead-heading a rose which contains the head of her (equally smiling) husband. I guess that means Namaste would snap her husband's head off if she ever saw him messing around with her roses or something else she values, (or if he came back with rose lipstick on his collar???) How would the Housewives Tarot and Namaste get on? Ace of Cups. A beautifully manicured hand holds a glinting wine glass. Now that is easy. You and your deck would match like hand and glass, painted nails and slim fingers, washing-up liquid and "beautiful smooth hands". See what I mean? :( I am appropriately off to lunch for a while, but, when I return, I want to have a go at making something of this, if I may. :D

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: I agree with you completely, since one of my specialties and interests is media studies, particularly the deconstruction of images. I am sensitive to the importance and relevence of using anything as a text. Perhaps I should start approaching the tarot in this way. Thank you. You have unwittingly helped me. :D You're welcome :) I'd be interested to hear what comes out of you approaching tarot that way. Namaste wrote: So, perhaps the squeaky-clean Housewives of the deck are in perfect keeping with this irony, i.e. too good to be true? :) Much too good to be true! Also an indication of the kind of things we beat ourselves up with...

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: LOL I'm going to try a little experiment. I have my Housewives here, and will ask: What do you say to Namaste acquiring you? High Priestess. This is a brown bottle of syrup maked "Secret Syrup". The answer is at the bottom of a dark, very gooey but non-alcoholic substance. It's very sweet of you that you should enquire of the deck, Helvetica. :D It's obvious you couldn't know this, but the High Priestess is a card that comes up for me in the Osho Zen nearly every day... Is it suggesting that this deck would allow me insights I've not been able to glean from other decks, before, by virtue of it's wacky perspective? Or that the answer to that question is part of a discovery? A sweet discovery? Does it suggest a complicit understanding? Perhaps it's acquiescing by saying it would be prepared to reveal its secrets to me, if I'm prepared to stick my hand in the "Secret Syrup"? Quote: What would happen to Namaste if she acquired you? Queen of Swords. This shows a smiling lady holding a huge pair of secateurs and dead-heading a rose which contains the head of her (equally smiling) husband. I guess that means Namaste would snap her husband's head off if she ever saw him messing around with her roses or something else she values, (or if he came back with rose lipstick on his collar???) Again, there's no way that you could know that the Queen of Swords has come up in the Druid Craft as the Court I most resemble (not entirely, because of the Prince [knight] of Swords and the Queen of Cups), and my husband the King of Cups. :D Quote: How would the Housewives Tarot and Namaste get on? Ace of Cups. A beautifully manicured hand holds a glinting wine glass. Now that is easy. You and your deck would match like hand and glass, painted nails and slim fingers, washing-up liquid and "beautiful smooth hands". I confess that I am not very housewife-ish, neither very maternal nor matronly. Housework, and all that comes with being a home maker, and I eye each other across an expanse with great respect. I bow grudgingly because I can't abide dirt and slothfulness, but I am a prime candidate for a very good house-keeper, whom I would pay handsomly if I could afford to have one. LOL I am squeamish about dipping my hands in dishwater; I've been using rubber gloves for donkeys' years. Any cake I bake, save one, is the most pathetic thing you've ever seen. I think we would probably compliment each other, given that I could do, once in a while, with a little lightening up. :laugh: Maybe these feeble attemps are nothing more than wishful thinking. :D I think these cards actually do work for you... :) What say you, dear Helvetica?

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: I think these cards actually do work for you... :) What say you, dear Helvetica? Well, the one that really did suggest something to me was the beautiful hand holding the equally beautiful glass. It spoke not of housework but of loving beautiful things and self-care (the well-tended hands). The Queen of Swords is hilarious btw! It looks like the husband is finding the idea of being dead-headed quite pleasant because he smiles all the time. As for the Syrupy High Priestess - mmm, well, I'm dubious. Maybe it does mean the mystery would be sweet for you! But HP is my soul card and I am a bit taken aback by the idea of my soul being made of molasses :D But then again, the numbering in this deck is bizarre - High Priestess is numbered IV - The Empress is II: and you should see her! A matronly but perfectly groomed lady holds up a book called Recipes for Success. In front of her a table full of food. Obvioulsy one of these TV cooks: "here's one I made earlier" ;) I asked one question for myself: What do I need to understand you? 10 of pins: 10 pins in a pincushion - actually, 9 - and one has just been taken out by a serviceable hand. What could it say? - Don't be so picky! Take out one pin at a time! Prick me gently not with all ten! Every hem starts with a single pin! :cool: I think I'm getting the hang of this. As long as I don't spill the syrup over everything!!

Eco74	08 Apr 2005
Here I was all giddy over finding out mine is in the mail (off on that long journey across the water) and then you go off and make me even giddier... Can hardly sit still now, and I should be concentrating on a very separate project. Oh well.. Must get on with that anyway... *sulks but not for long because it's an inspiring project*

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: Well, the one that really did suggest something to me was the beautiful hand holding the equally beautiful glass. It spoke not of housework but of loving beautiful things and self-care (the well-tended hands). That's true enough. LOL I do have a very heightened aesthetic sense. Quote: The Queen of Swords is hilarious btw! It looks like the husband is finding the idea of being dead-headed quite pleasant because he smiles all the time. I don't think husbands married to Queens of Swords are hen-pecked, but I do think that we rule the home (while making them believe, of course, that they do). :D Quote: As for the Syrupy High Priestess - mmm, well, I'm dubious. Maybe it does mean the mystery would be sweet for you! But HP is my soul card and I am a bit taken aback by the idea of my soul being made of molasses :D I think that it's not so much a question of equating the soul with molasses, but the dark, secret syrup containing all manner of comforting, very private, intimate and introspective things like intuition, serenity, etc. that have to do with the mysteries of the inner life. BTW, how does one arrive at one's soul card? I think mine may be the Lovers, if the process is similar to the one I'm thinking of. Quote: But then again, the numbering in this deck is bizarre - High Priestess is numbered IV - The Empress is II: and you should see her ! A matronly but perfectly groomed lady holds up a book called Recipes for Success. In front of her a table full of food. Obvioulsy one of these TV cooks: "here's one I made earlier" ;) Now, that is interesting... Any ideas, anyone, about why this should be the case in this deck? I can only think of the following. If the Magician is the Fool who has learnt to wield the tools of the mundane and the High Priestess his usual counterpart, it would be logical that the accomplished wife (according to the more sexist 1950s and the tongue-in-cheek voice of this deck) - the counterpart of the traditional, male bread-winner and the one who makes sure the everyday runs smoothly - would appear as a II, in the position of the High Priestess. Is it, then, because in this deck the Empress is considered more important than the High Priestess? Quote: I asked one question for myself: What do I need to understand you? 10 of pins: 10 pins in a pincushion - actually, 9 - and one has just been taken out by a serviceable hand. What could it say? - Don't be so picky! Take out one pin at a time! Prick me gently not with all ten! Every hem starts with a single pin! :cool: Yes, all that and maybe "Use my pins deftly, one by one, to make the whole garment and you will see what a wonderful garment you will have at the end of your labours." Quote: I think I'm getting the hang of this. As long as I don't spill the syrup over everything!! The syrup is a must. It's what sweetens the labour. It's what makes it all palatable, hence possible. :D I think you are, too. Would you have the patience to transcribe a little of the blurb for one of the cards, so I could see what and how the authors interpret that card? :) I'm impressed by the way the deck seems to speak to Gwynne and I would also love to hear some of Sunflower's insights, since she is positively taken with this deck.

Chara	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: Now, that is interesting... Any ideas, anyone, about why this should be the case in this deck? I can only think of the following. If the Magician is the Fool who has learnt to wield the tools of the mundane and the High Priestess his usual counterpart, it would be logical that the accomplished wife (according to the more sexist 1950s and the tongue-in-cheek voice of this deck) - the counterpart of the traditional, male bread-winner and the one who makes sure the everyday runs smoothly - would appear as a II, in the position of the High Priestess. Is it, then, because in this deck the Empress is considered more important than the High Priestess? Jude Buffum commented on the other thread that the numbering was changed so that The Fool could meet her Earthly Parents before her Spiritual ones. Hence, the Empress and Emperor come before the High Priestess. I also believe that the woman on The Empress is Betty Crocker. :D Jude Buffum wrote: We changed the order around slightly because it is the order we felt best supported the “story” element, the fool’s journey. The order of the cards has changed throughout history, and since there is no one correct order, this was the one we decided to go with. The main reason was that we felt the fool should meet her earthly parents before meeting her spirtual ones.

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Chara wrote: Jude Buffum commented on the other thread that the numbering was changed so that The Fool could meet her Earthly Parents before her Spiritual ones. Hence, the Empress and Emperor come before the High Priestess. I also believe that the woman on The Empress is Betty Crocker. :D Thank you, Chara. :D Very interesting. Do you have a link to the other thread?

Namaste	08 Apr 2005
Well... You did convince me. I went ahead and bought it, for a song really... :D

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: Well... You did convince me. I went ahead and bought it, for a song really... :D And may your soufflés rise to the tune :)! Here's the HP blurb: The High Priestess "Secret Syrup" Mystery*Secrets*Magic Contained deep within her supernatural syrup are the psychic powers and mysterious knowledge of the universe. When no-one else is watching, she may choose to whisper some secret to you one morning at the breakfast table. Then again, she may not. She often speaks in riddles; do't expect her to spoon-feed you the answer. The High Priestess has a dual ature - evil and good - and is available in both dark, thick, rich Originial and diet-friendly reduced calorie Lite. Sorry, this really doesn't do it for me :( I think the Housewives is good on all the mundane, earthly side of life- the Empress is supreme, funny and accurate - but not the more off-beat cards. What I quoted above is neither funny nor accurate. Also, if they were going to reorder the cards, they should have done like in the Tarot of Prague and left them unnumbered. In numerology - of any system - it makes no sense to number the High Priestess IV and give III to the Emperor (who is as funny as his consort - he looks like Charlie Chaplin playing Hitler in the Dictator, only made up of tin cans). It is not flippant when the cards are like the Empress. But the more arcane cards are completely off. I think that's one reason I have trouble with reading the deck - at least some of the cards! But I'm still glad I have it! I've just got back from Friday night dinner and everyone enjoyed the Housewives! Especially my Dad who was charmed to draw a Star holding a lovely pie and a large pretty smile. My mother drew the Queen of Swords, which suits her very well ;) - in fact, this: Namaste wrote: I don't think husbands married to Queens of Swords are hen-pecked, but I do think that we rule the home (while making them believe, of course, that they do). reminds me uncannilly of her - and you must be a generation apart! (It made me laugh all the more when she drew that card, because they have just moved house and have been arguing over roses - how many, where, etc. I know my mother will get her own way- and my father won't even realise :D).

Jude Buffum	08 Apr 2005
Quote: the Emperor (who is as funny as his consort - he looks like Charlie Chaplin playing Hitler in the Dictator, only made up of tin cans). No wonder you have trouble with this deck, confusing Chef Boy-ar-dee with Hitler! :laugh:

Fudugazi	08 Apr 2005
Jude Buffum wrote: No wonder you have trouble with this deck, confusing Chef Boy-ar-dee with Hitler! :laugh: That's where my lamentable lack of Americana shows...but actually, I was thinking more of Chaplin than of Hitler ;)

Chara	08 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: Thank you, Chara. :D Very interesting. Do you have a link to the other thread? You can find the other thread here: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=27439

Fudugazi	16 Apr 2005
I did it! I read with the Housewives and my soufflé rose! My cake was baked to perfection, my brooms performed and all the husbands smiled and said - "that was delicius honey, can I have some more? ;) :) Just done some business-related readings and it was magic - completely coherent and without any stuttering or wondering -"what do I do with that mop, oh MUUUUUUM!!!?" And it worked in French - perfectly well! "You might be breaking plates if you take this option - here on the other hand, you need to beware women with sharp practices. You have a good property - go for the conservative option, resist the temptation of the quick chocolate-cake fix" ;) It worked a treat: THANK YOU JUDE! - you showed me the way to domestic redemption! (it helped that Charlie Chaplin and his tin cans didn't show up...:P)

Namaste	20 Apr 2005
Helvetica wrote: I did it! I read with the Housewives and my soufflé rose! My cake was baked to perfection, my brooms performed and all the husbands smiled and said - "that was delicius honey, can I have some more? ;) :) Just done some business-related readings and it was magic - completely coherent and without any stuttering or wondering -"what do I do with that mop, oh MUUUUUUM!!!?" And it worked in French - perfectly well! "You might be breaking plates if you take this option - here on the other hand, you need to beware women with sharp practices. You have a good property - go for the conservative option, resist the temptation of the quick chocolate-cake fix" ;) I'm glad, Helvetica, that the reading worked for you. With your skills and natural ability, it couldn't do anything but work for you! :D

Fudugazi	20 Apr 2005
Namaste wrote: I'm glad, Helvetica, that the reading worked for you. With your skills and natural ability, it couldn't do anything but work for you! :D Thanks :). Shame my skills don't extend to real mops ;) Chocolate cake on the other had, I am a deft hand at....

Elektra	14 Jun 2005
I'm having issues with the Housewives Five of Swords. Anyone care to help me out? (I drew one card while being silly and asking the deck "So, what do YOU think about me and X? X is a guy I'm interested in who seems as though he might be interested as well, but I'm not sure. I got the Five of Swords. My initial reaction was "Oh, shit." but I think the meaning in this deck is not quite as negative as the traditional RWS...but I still have no idea how to read it in this context. Drew another card; Two of Cups.) Any thoughts?

Eco74	14 Jun 2005
Dug the cards out.. Well, not "dug" exactly but I did sift them out of my deck. The Five of Swords.. A cutout dress with needle and thread.. Makes me think of Cinderellas big night out when the mice and birds are helping her out to make the dress. Only, thisone has a handbag and is a very sensible blue dress complete with gloves and in a modest cut. Would there be some "fitting in" in the future if things progressed? A risk of putting on a role of sorts, becoming someone else? Or perhaps someone new.. If this is someone you would like to be, I see no problem with it really. The Two of Cups.. Yes, there they stand, holding hands and each having their "below-the-belt-passion" well contained. They do seem a little "joined at the hip" but there will have to be some "tipping glasses" if things are to really get rolling.. Just don't keep your feelings bottled up. That could possibly come around and bite you - badly...

The Housewives tarot? thread was originally posted on 07 Apr 2005 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.