Desperate Housewives and the Tarot suits

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Pipistrelle	28 Feb 2005
As I was driving this morning, one of the thoughts that drifted into my mind was how the main characters in Desperate Housewives could be seen as each representing a Tarot suit, or indeed the Queen of that suit, i.e: Bree = Queen of Pentacles Gabrielle = Queen of Wands Susan = Queen of Cups Lynette = Queen of Swords These make sense to me and I'm prepared to back them up with hard evidence ;) But I imagine not everyone will agree. What do you think? Pip P.S. If I'm hopelessly behind the times with this, it's because we've only just got Desperate Housewives in the UK :)

KatRabbit	28 Feb 2005
Hi Pip, I'm as addicted to Desperate Housewives as I am to tarot LOL! Woe betide anyone who phones when it is on!!! I would have pictured Bree as being Swords - All that perfectionism and the cold exterior; although I can see the Pentacles element with all her fab dinners :) Lynnette I would have put as Pentacles - all those kids, and I think she is better at it than she gives herself credit for. Although all that doubt is very "swordy". Oh I'm confused now!!!! *wanders off to think some more, and remind myself I need to get out more!* Kat =^..^=

psychic sue	28 Feb 2005
I am going to come out of the closet ..... (deep breath)... I don't like Desperate Housewives!!! OOh I feel better now!

Bluemanticore	28 Feb 2005
I have to say I would put Gabrielle as the Queen of Pentacles/Coins since she is so in love with money. Bree I would put as the Queen of Cups since she is so obsessed with perfect cooking. Lynnette I would put as wands since she is so much run ragged like a working peasant. And Susan I say is the Queen of Swords, since she has the fiery spirit and is the warrior to me. Just my two cents. :) BlueManticore

Flavio	28 Feb 2005
KatRabbit wrote: I would have pictured Bree as being Swords - All that perfectionism and the cold exterior; although I can see the Pentacles element with all her fab dinners :) Lynnette I would have put as Pentacles - all those kids, and I think she is better at it than she gives herself credit for. Although all that doubt is very "swordy". I agree with KatRabbit, I see Bree as Queen of Swords, altough she can make those great dinner parties we see Lynette hard working at home ALL the time while raising those restless children, I don't see Bree as a caring loving mother, maybe deep inside she is but we might never see that on TV.

Umbrae	28 Feb 2005
I’m with Psychic Sue. Can’t watch the show. I cannot ‘get behind’ a show that glamorizes people that I would not allow into my house. Like another show, “Nip n’ Tuck” (sp), I cannot watch a show about people that are have no redeeming values. But Baseball season’s coming up, and my TV will get used again. My take on the suits? Pentacles = Winter = the one season in which Baseball is not played.

Sulis	28 Feb 2005
Umbrae wrote: I’m with Psychic Sue. Can’t watch the show. I cannot ‘get behind’ a show that glamorizes people that I would not allow into my house. Like another show, “Nip n’ Tuck” (sp), I cannot watch a show about people that are have no redeeming values. I'm afraid I'm with Umbrae and Psychic Sue on this one too. I started to watch Desperate Housewives but quickly decided it was a bit like watching a car crash. Didn't even attempt to watch Nip Tuck. Cosmetic plastic surgery doesn't hold any interest for me. Love sulis xx

Pipistrelle	28 Feb 2005
psychic sue and Umbrae - bah humbug! You're not allowed to play then ;) Hmmm...KatRabbit, you make good points there (and now Flavio agrees with you...I'm outnumbered!) I was thinking of Bree in terms of her fine surroundings, the emphasis on how things look, the perfectly trimmed lawn and that is one aspect of the Queen of Pentacles. But I can also see that Lynette perhaps represents the earthier, hard-working side...tut tut...so difficult :) Queen of Pents is my favourite court and Bree is my favourite DH, so maybe I was just getting confused...;) I think one of the things about the Queen of Pents is that she is caring, yes, but she doesn't show her emotions easily - she expresses her caring nature through the practical things she does. Bree's way of caring for her family is being a homemaker and making things nice.... Also, I thought of Lynette as the Queen of Swords because she's a little scary and sharp-tongued (at least I think so!) I did consider Gabrielle as the Queen of Pents as well - because of her money etc. but then she doesn't work herself to get those things or make the place nice so.... I think as well, as with "real" people :), the DH's may exhibit aspects of more than one queen/court, depending on the weather, so there's probably overlap :) I'm always interested in how so many things can be related back to Tarot. I think it shows how well Tarot encompasses everything we encounter in our world. So many times I want to say to my husband - "ah, he's behaving just like the 4 of pentacles" but alas, I don't think he'd appreciate it :) Pip

April	28 Feb 2005
Pipistrelle wrote: I did consider Gabrielle as the Queen of Pents as well - because of her money etc. but then she doesn't work herself to get those things or make the place nice so.... I disagree. Did you see the episode with Gabrielle's series of great ideas that eventually ended with her marrying Carlos? Sometimes lying on your back can be the hardest work of all (sorry, that was dirty). ;) Queen of Pents as a prostitute, anyone? That was harsh, I'll stop now. Besides, she used to have a carreer, EDITED: to take out the last half of this sentence. I'm giving plot lines away that you might not have seen in the UK yet. Sorry to those who read it before I deleted it. I suck! Peace, April

Flavio	28 Feb 2005
April wrote: EDITED: to take out the last half of this sentence. I'm giving plot lines away that you might not have seen in the UK yet. Sorry to those who read it before I deleted it. I suck Yes you do :P (joke) not only in the UK... also in another parts of the world, I know that in Mexico we are only 3 weeks or so behind the US schedule.

psychic sue	01 Mar 2005
Pippi I have to watch the show as one of my sons loves it. Torture!!!!

Pipistrelle	01 Mar 2005
Ah well, psychic sue - at least now you have something to distract you when you're watching the next episode...just who is the queen of pentacles...??? It will occupy you for weeks ;)

temperlyne	01 Mar 2005
This evening the first episode is being broadcasted in the Netherlands. There has been such a media hype surrounding this show, its is very hard to ignore. And now it is even being discussed on AT! I guess I just HAVE to watch it now! At leas when the program doesn't live up to its expectations I can enjoy myself figuring out who is which queen.

similia	01 Mar 2005
KatRabbit wrote: I would have pictured Bree as being Swords - All that perfectionism and the cold exterior; although I can see the Pentacles element with all her fab dinners :) Lynnette I would have put as Pentacles - all those kids, and I think she is better at it than she gives herself credit for. Although all that doubt is very "swordy". I would have to concur with this! We're only a few episodes into this series here, and this week the story line behind Bree's obsessive perfectionism was revealed. I immediately thought "Queen of Swords". Umbrae wrote: Like another show, “Nip n’ Tuck” (sp), I cannot watch a show about people that are have no redeeming values. Gosh, I thought this show was all about redeeming values. :eek: (Of course my favorite character in any show is the one who barely/rarely reveals any sign of humanity. They usually have the most interesting story IMO, so this is my bias :) )

Bluemanticore	01 Mar 2005
Of course the ladies are the stars of the show, but what about the men? What cards would you give to them? Would it have to be the same suit as their wife's/girlfriend's? Bree's husband Rex? Gabrielle's husband Carlos? Lynette's husband Doug? Mike Delfino, Susan's boyfriend? And what about Mary Alice and her husband Paul?

Pipistrelle	01 Mar 2005
Some initial thoughts: Carlos...King of Pentacles - he always seems to be at work and has obviously succeeded in whatever it is he does You didn't mention whatsisname...the kid Gabrielle is having the affair with but he strikes me as a Knight of Cups kind of guy. Mike Delfino...at the moment he's Page of Swordsy...not sure how trustworthy he is :) I'll have to think about the rest of them... Pip

Flavio	01 Mar 2005
Pipistrelle wrote: Some initial thoughts: Carlos...King of Pentacles - he always seems to be at work and has obviously succeeded in whatever it is he does You didn't mention whatsisname...the kid Gabrielle is having the affair with but he strikes me as a Knight of Cups kind of guy. Mike Delfino...at the moment he's Page of Swordsy...not sure how trustworthy he is :) As the housewives personalities are very strong and they are the stars of the show, their couples seem to me to be in the Page-Knight level most of the time. Rex: I think he definitely belongs to the Cups suit most of the time. Carlos: Agree he is the King of Pentacles Doug: This is the husband less seen in the show, I can't define him easily. Mike: Agree he belongs to the swords John (The gardener) : I think about this boy as the Page of Cups althought he tries to be a Knight.

seneris	01 Mar 2005
There's just a commercial break on now, but I have to admit I'm watching it as well... to see what all the fuss is about. I heard that the first two eps will be broadcasted after each other. I decided that I will try to watch it all and then maybe I understand what the start of this thread is all about ;)

psychic sue	03 Mar 2005
Well, I was forced to watch again last night ;) That woman who is bonking the young gardner - her soul card must be the devil!

HudsonGray	03 Mar 2005
I so see Bree as the 4 of Pentacles, with the death grip she keeps on things so they don't change beyond her comfort level, the devil with anyone else! But I did end up starting to miss episodes as the show went on, and am fanatical about "Lost" instead. I can't miss that show, it's my current favorite.

Clau	04 Mar 2005
psychic sue wrote: That woman who is bonking the young gardner - her soul card must be the devil! Well, then devil must be my soul card too, I'd bonk that little gardener anytime...LOL!!!! (just a joke, I hope I don't offend anyone) Well, since Dh also is shown in this far away land, I think Bree IS a swordy person, she's so very cold, but then Gabrielle has some swords too as she calculates every step she takes, (I looved the episode where she burns Carlos's passport) Despite the fact that bree makes such wonderful dinners, I don't think of her as the queen of pents, because she doesn't make this wonderful food to treat her loved ones, it's just to show how histerically perfect she is, I think queen of pents is much more warm and caring than bree. Lynette (Which is my favorite) I see her as the two of coins just juggling everything all the time, and Susan is definitely the queen of cups, her heart leads her completely. I agree this is a show which is not particulally good at showing ethics of any kind, but it sure is fun to watch. Blessings, Clau

April	04 Mar 2005
See, Flavio, I'm not the only one giving stuff away. Clau, cut that out! :D Though I do agree about Lynette and the 2 of Coins. I think if anyone's the Devil it's the nosy lady down the street. I forget her name. Peace, April P.S. HudsonGray, Lost is my favorite show, too. I'm a total nerd, so I do a reading for it every Wed afternoon

Flavio	04 Mar 2005
April wrote: See, Flavio, I'm not the only one giving stuff away. Clau, cut that out! :D Though I do agree about Lynette and the 2 of Coins. OK :) I think that is part of the charm of this multi-country forum :) Quote: I think if anyone's the Devil it's the nosy lady down the street. I forget her name. Her name was Martha Huber, what about Edie? she might very well become a candidate for Queen of Wands and Swords...

Emeraldgirl	23 May 2005
I watched the first few episodes of this show and then it sort of dropped off for other things. It's on a Monday here and my tv obsession night is Tuesday and *gulp* The O.C. I know really sad anyways just to add my $0.02 Queen Cups - Susan she just seems to fit it so well Queen of Swords - Bree she's just cold and perfect and well swordish Queen Wands - Gabrielle she's a firey adventureous sexpot Queen Pents - Well that leaves Lynette running around after the kidddies and being mummy extrodonaire. Mary Alice and her hubby Paul I see as being the couple chained to the devil in the Devil card.

satinangel	24 May 2005
I am in agreement with psychic sue and umbrae...although my hubby watches the "Desperate Housewives," ...I don't watch....now though, given this thread...I may have to venture into the tv room and see what all the fuss is about!

The Desperate Housewives and the Tarot suits thread was originally posted on 28 Feb 2005 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.