The Housewives Tarot by Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum
Topic: Tarot Reviews
This is an absolutely charming deck, which was created in the style of the 1950s. The cards are campy and often side-splittingly funny, but the theme and the tongue-in-cheekiness don't stop this deck from being a quite usable reading deck. The meanings are still clear despite the humor.

One of my favorites is the Devil card, which depicts (what else?) a devil's food cake with frosting horns, hot legs and a cigarette. Surrounding this sexy devil are implements of addiction. There is no mistaking what this devil is about. This card is a perfect example of how humor and clear meaning have been combined. Likewise the Star, which shows a proud housewife holding up her prizewinning pie, a huge smile wreathing her face. It's so cute, and you can't help but share her sense of accomplishment.

Another thing that I like about this deck is that it doesn't make the swords suit full of depression and horrors. They approach it in a more balanced fashion without losing the impact. For example, the 5 of Swords depicts scissors and needles and a dress that looks like a paperdoll cutout. The accompanying book explains: "You should acknowledge and accept your limitationsand focus on goals that are actually within your reach. Your perfectionist nature may be working against you." This is a far cry from the traditional RWS image and meaning of desperate defeat; yet it presents a rich meaning anyway. When this turned up in a spread that I did about my finances, I got much more insight than if I had gone with the doom and gloom meaning.

I'll end with the part that you will see first - the packaging. The packaging on this deck is absolutely wonderful and artfully continues the theme. The deck is housed in a recipe box, complete with recipe cards for Major Arcana, Minor Arcana and booklet. The backs of the cards have recipes, such as Divinated Eggs. When you pull off the top of the box, you'll find that the bottom part has 50s style advertisements for the Housewives Tarot on the side. There are even testimonials! The packaging is high quality and continues the deck's theme with skill and humor. I hope that this trend of a complete package for a deck (also seen in the Lovers Path Tarot - reviewed below) continues. I enjoy having boxes that I actually want to display on my shelf.

You can get a free reading with the Housewives Tarot at the website, and you can also download cute desktops.

I highly recommend this deck for 50s memorabilia lovers, tarot collectors, and anyone who likes a good laugh and some cleverness. This is a great deck, and at a retail of $15, it's a steal.

Stats:

• RWS ordering of majors - Strength is 8, Justice 11
  
• Cards are of medium cardstock, sturdy but easily shuffled; new cards are a little slippery; standard deck size
  
• Illustrated minors
  
• Suits retain the traditional names, but the objects depicted are a little different: Cups are martini glasses, Wands are household implements like brooms and mops, Pentacles are plates, and Swords are pins and scissors
  
• Companion booklet included with deck
  
• Reversible backs