I’ve said before that I am a collector of tarot cards. When it comes to decks, there are two things I can’t resist: unusual art decks and good humorous decks. That’s why on a recent mall trip I could not leave without Food Fortunes by Josh Lafayette.
Food Fortunes follows a standard tarot format of 78 cards… but takes it in its own way. The Trumps are “cornerstones of iconic cuisine.” Then there are its four unique suits: Mains, Sides, Sweets, and Drinks.
The deck has one purpose, and it embraces it with a delightful sense of humor: helping you decide what’s for dinner. Or breakfast. Or a midnight snack. The book is short and simple, and the illustrations clear and colorful with just enough of a hint of mystic imagery.
I tried my first hand for a meal for tomorrow, and here’s the result.
The interpretation of this reading – tomorrow’s meal will not have any salad. In fact, it’s not a healthy meal at all, but clearly a dessert! In fact, it’s a unique drink somewhere between a cola float and an egg cream, with pie added in. Sounds crazy, but I have seen some crazy desserts! On the side, an orange juice.
This deck is more of a novelty image, but it will be a fun addition to my growing collection.
Looking to grow your collection? We have several new decks coming in to the shop at the end of this week, so stop by Saturday to have first pick of what’s new! Or look at our deck section of our Facebook store.
Of the decks I collect, I particularly love artist decks, so I was immediately drawn to the Starman Tarot as soon as I saw it in a catalog. The deck is by Davide de Angelis, inspired by artwork he created for David Bowie. The result is stunning, psychedelic collages filled with symbolism and meaning. I could stare at these cards for hours picking out new details.
At the beginning of each year, I try and do a 12 month reading with one card symbolizing each month. I had not yet opened up my Starman Tarot before today, but this seemed like a good day to break it out.
Onward to the reading!
Twelve cards from the Starman Tarot, spread out in my wheel of the year spread.
January: Six of Wands. A card of success, a celebration of a well chosen goal or ambition. Celebrate that which you have achieved. This card suggests a well earned position of leadership, and recognition of your hard work. You deserve this success, so embrace it!
February:Ten of Wands. Tens represent the completion of cycles, and the ten of wands has you at the reward and burden of the completion of an epic task. You have made it through to the end (though it may take one last, difficult push), and it is time to lighten your load and admire what is around you. Success has its consequences and there is still hard work ahead.
March:Four of Pentacles*. Life is constantly in flux, no matter how much we want it to remain stable. This is a time to reinvent yourself and let go of false identities. You have a huge confidence that you can leverage what you want out of life, but beware becoming complacent in success. Hard won successes and working for a noble cause helps us grow.
April:The Sacred Clown**. Called “The Fool” in most tarot decks, instead of the naivete of most designs this one depicts a trickster. No belief is fixed, so it’s time to take a leap of faith. Take a risk, a big one. Embrace your potential and your freedom.
May:Justice. Now is a time to face consequences and seek inner balance. Take an honest inventory and acknowledge your successes and defeats. Don’t blame others, but look to yourself and the balance between heart and mind. Reclaim your own power.
June:Queen of Swords. Court cards are interesting and challenging in any reading, because they can mean certain ideals or people in your life to exemplify them. This card encourages you to use the power of nature around you and approach things with intelligence. Or it could mean someone with a brilliant mind, strong and principled.
July:Queen of Wands. Step into your creative power. Be resolute and confident as you break out of the mold. Trust yourself. Or a bold, courageous, fiery individual.
August:Princess of Cups. Don’t let the hurts and challenges of life sour you, but instead let them drive your creativity and growth. Look at negative things from a different angle and let them transform you. Or, a creative and sensitive individual, a dreamer with a unique perspective.
September:The Hanged Man. No matter how much you try to push ahead, sometimes things are out of your control. Now is a time to surrender. Take some time to look at your life from a different perspective. Even if you lose things in the process, take this moment to turn inward and reflect on yourself. Power can arise through sacrifice.
October:The Hierophant. Take the time to teach others what you know and through that gain a greater understanding. Pay attention to details. Could also depict a strong religious male, a guru and giver of greater spiritual or religious knowledge. An authoritative and structured card.
November: Two of Wands. Twos are cards of choices and decisions to be made. This is a time to make the effort to gain a greater perspective. You are caught up in your creativity, and if you don’t pause to look around you might fly right off the precipice. Take a moment and look ahead before you begin something new. See how the moment fits into the bigger picture.
December:Ace of Cups. This is my favorite tarot card, and the one I take extra time to look at in decks when evaluating them. This one does not disappoint. This card shows such an abundance of growth that the cup overflows. Offer up your bounty, your creative brilliance and love. What has been barren can now bear fruit. Open yourself up to it and end the year replenished and reinvigorated.
Some additional notes on my reading…
*Experienced tarot card readers may notice that I often ignore reversals. The truth is, I’ve learned to trust in my intuition for when the apply and when they don’t. As this was a reading for the year, the upright cards tended to speak more to situations and the reversed to internal problems. For that reason, I felt the upright meanings in this reading would be more viable. But we can always go back and look a year from now and see if I was right or not!
**The appearance of the Major Arcana in a reading are always places of greater importance. Interestingly, in this reading they came in two clumps, almost six months apart. I particularly found the juxtaposition of The Sacred Clown and The Hanged Man to be interesting – both are cards of surrender, but one is one of action and one of inaction. One to take a leap of faith, and one to pause and reconsider. I look forward to looking back (hah! Appropriate, since that’s almost exactly what these do…) on this in a year.
I chose to do a more complicated reading since today is a quiet day with lots of free time. Concerned about my own business issues, I pulled out what was either the first or second deck I ever purchased: The Enchanted Tarot by Amy Zerner. The card images are lovely quilts, and this deck has always served me well for questions of relationships or money.
For the spread, I used the “Spiritual Guidance” spread from Tarot Made Easy by Nancy Garen.
I did this reading focused on current financial concerns, and my concerns for the coming year. Running multiple small businesses is hard, and I needed some outside, uninvolved perspective! So, let’s get to the reading!
Where you are now/That which concerns you: Five of Hearts. This card shows three broken hearts and two whole ones. It is a card of disappointment. Though some has been lost, we must remember that which remains. To dwell too much on that which we don’t have is to risk being depressed and despondent. Take the time to be kind to yourself as you would be to another person. This does sum up my current frustrations nicely. I’m not failing, but I am also not facing the end of the year as well as I would like.
What is the force or motivation behind your desire: Two of Swords. Frequently this is a card of indecision, or teetering between two things. This deck points out that you must be on guard that a time of contemplation doesn’t become a time of procrastination. In other words, don’t over think it! It is a time for considering other viewpoints and finding compromise. I have felt stuck lately, and working equally with someone else has its own set of challenges, so this fits well.
What is the underlying problem: Three of Pentacles. This is a card all about sharing the work. (Yeah, so about that working with someone…) Though obstacles may stand in the way, look forward to achieving a distant goal. Work shared is work halved. Satisfaction is the reward of consistent work with a partner. Don’t try to work by yourself – find a partner who is willing to work steadily and consistently with you. As for me interpreting it, this could either me not feeling like things are shared equally, or not being able to let go of some concerns and let things be shared.
What you need to understand that you’re not aware of: Seven of Pentacles. Fear of failing or indulging in worry about the future will not determine a favorable outcome. You must maintain a strong desire to achieve even in the face of defeat. Roots have dug deep and flowers will bloom again in their own time. It is neither profitable or necessary to constantly measure the growth of your project. Perhaps I have been worrying too much. This card is a good thing for me to remember as I head into the slow season for my businesses.
What you need to do to come to terms with your problem: Eight of Swords. Don’t concentrate on unimportant details. Try to see the whole picture. In times of doubt and confusion, don’t act immediately but wait for illumination. Don’t over-analyze. Your own lack of perspective has imprisoned you. Okay, overthinking it has now become a theme. Taking a step back, looking for outside perspective, and not being too hasty. Winter is a good time for patience – with myself and others.
What’s the best way to proceed in order to carry out the advice given: Strength. This card is not about physical strength, but spiritual and emotional strength. Balance courage and perseverance in the face of fear. Gentleness can accomplish what brute force cannot. As the only Major Arcana card in this reading, this one takes on extra meaning. Mental strength and perseverance are definitely good things to focus on. This is kind of the “don’t give up” card of this reading, but also a relax and don’t force it card.
Spiritual Guidance concerning your future: Eight of Pentacles. If you are prepared to learn as you work carefully, attending to all details lovingly, you will achieve great results. Doing work for its own sake and not for speedy self gain or other’s profit. Serene contentment follows a job well done. This is a great reminder card for anyone who works as an artist, or in something they love. I did not start my creative business as a means to get rich. While money is needed to survive and thrive, sometimes I forget that I do this because I love this. Winter is a great time to make amazing things just because I want to.
Your ultimate attainment: Three of Wands. Adopt an attitude that lets you see as a child and look for playmates or soulmates for collaboration in a happy enterprise. This moment of openness will be joined with practicality. Find others who in union will each add specific skills for a successful conclusion to a shared venture. Now is the time to sow the seeds of future harvests. There is a reason I chose to go into business with a friend, and I should remember that! We have some amazing things we still have not gotten to make together, things that we love, and we have the opportunity to do that. I love that this reading ends with messages about happy partnership!
Thanks everyone for reading along! I hope you are all having a happy holiday and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it.
Next week – the first of the year is Tuesday, so I’ll be doing a wheel of the year reading that I try to start off every year with. Here’s to a good 2019!
I chose to do a more complicated reading since today is a quiet day with lots of free time. Concerned about my own business issues, I pulled out what was either the first or second deck I ever purchased: 
Crooked Treehouse Enchanting Gifts 