Housewives

The Housewives Tarot
Paul Kepple & Jude Buffum (Quirk Books, 2004)

Review
What a little treasure trove this deck is!

This is loosely based on the 1950's- not the childhood of my British parents, with the bread rationing and the unremitting grey drizzle, but the idealised 1950's of American advertising. The deck itself is present in a large, sturdy box, with divider cards to make it resemble a set of recipe index cards. Actually, while the presentation is unique, it does make me wonder if you're supposed to neatly pop every card back in card after you've had a shuffle. There's a depth of loving detail, with little stamps on the box announcing "Guaranteed by the Housewife Occultists of America" and little symbolic hints on the labels of all the products depicted. The suits are likewise intelligently altered- Cups are more usually martini glasses, Wands are brooms or mops, Pentacles are plates and Swords can be hedge clippers, knives, scissors, or even kebab skewers.

A particular standout card that made me laugh immoderately was, of all things, The Tower. To our modern eyes, the 50's craze for putting food in aspic that really didn't need to be there (olives, cheese and peas? Really?) looks particularly stomach-turning today. So guess what the Tower is made of, in all its culinary horror?

Anyone with a love of vintage ads and/or vintage recipes can't help but admire this deck, as would anyone looking for something a little bit different for their collection.