WHY FOOD?
The world of Tarot. It is complex to say the least. Every single card can (and does) spark varied interpretations, but at its core - its essence - remains the character. It is for this very reason so many decks exist. The evening that the idea for Cacio e Pepe came into existence was essentially a breakdown of these core characteristics. Teacher: Danielle; students: Lindsey and Megan. Sure, we knew the basics, but just how much we didn’t know was monumental. We peppered the learned Danielle with a smattering of questions: “I never really understand what hierophant means… I know some cards aren’t meant to be scary…but they kind of are?” and so forth. The comparison of food came up quite organically. The fearlessness and innocence of The Fool can so easily be seen in a PB&J. The beauty that lay within Death can be a little easier to digest from the perspective of a ripe papaya. It was at that point Danielle said “You know, someone ought to make a food tarot deck…but surely I don’t have the bandwidth.” And poof, five years later, a deck was born.
Still, why food?
Because we talk about food a lot…a lot, ok?
Because why not food?
Because we ask each other questions such as, but not limited to: “If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be?... What cereal do you hold most sacred?... If there were no limitations, what would your last meal be? ”
Because tarot can feel tricky and food can help us understand it.
Because the Hierophant card can feel ‘whoa’ but ginger can feel, ‘oh, yeah.’
Because Ants on a Log is a helluva lot more fun than Page of Wands.
Because 9/10 we’re all thinking about what to eat next.
Because we don’t want to be shamed or scared around certain foods in a similar way we don’t want to be shamed or scared about Death (or The Tower, or the Eight of Swords, or so on and so forth).
There's something about food that elicits technicolor memories and ineffable feelings. These emotions can help explain and understand the intricate messages of tarot. In turn, the powerful world of tarot allows us to give full credit to the majesty of food. This deck is about the connection between sustenance and love and the connection between food and tarot. When Cacio e Pepe came through as the dish to represent The Lovers, we felt that it also represented this entire deck, a project about connecting the dots in love, in life and in divination.
For full visibility of the entire deck, we invite you to review the Cacio e Pepe Tarot deck below (and the corresponding traditional tarot cards they relate to). Hopefully some resonate, while some surprise. Sad you don’t see tacos or fried rice or cereal? Trust us, so are we. We use it as the fire in our bellies for Cacio e Pepe edition 2 and 3 and who knows maybe even 4.
