Time Capsule #6

Revisiting an ambitious Tarot project . . .

As I discover things of interest in my Time Capsule drawers, I always try to find out what has happened since to the creators. In this case, I’m still looking for information—but along the way (serendipity strikes) I found something delightful, which I’ll share at the end of this post.

In the foreground of today’s Time Capsule are Tarot calendars published in 1993 and 1994 by Judith Fudenski-Baker and Annette Bean—collectively, “Shoot the Moon, Unlimited.” The format of the calendars is oversized, so my scans will not be edge-to-edge, but they give a good idea of the art and creative approach.

Tracey Hoover’s influential newsletter The Winged Chariot published a review of the first calendar, along with an article by Shoot the Moon’s Judith Baker. Baker discusses her interest in Jungian psychology and in numerology—two essential influences on her approach to Tarot.

And for a retro peek into the “media ecosystem” of the 1990s, here’s an article about the 1994 calendar from Baker’s hometown newspaper in Bonner County, Idaho.

Shoot the Moon also published a limited edition portfolio of designs for a Tarot deck, titled The Dance of Life Tarot. In addition to a set of marvelous drawings, it contains brief commentaries on all the trumps, along with a long-ish narrative poem.

I’m lucky enough to have one of the portfolios—and the drawings are beautifully printed on heavy stock. Quite large, though, and impractical to scan. Fortunately, I also have some more manageable preparatory drawings.

Here are two, from opposite ends of the deck: The High Priestess and The Sun.

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These were such ambitious, deeply artful projects—exemplifying the great potential of Tarot creativity. I wish there had been bigger audiences at the time, and I hope there will be equally ambitious, artful projects in the future.

But there is still plenty of creative energy in the Tarot space! And here’s a delightful example I found while searching for “Judith Baker Tarot.”

Yes, campers—it is The Baker’s Tarot.

Artist Molly Fabric’s deck is whimsical, but also acutely observant. And for anyone who has ever baked (or tried to) this adaptation of the Major Arcana cards is mostly perfect.

0 The Egg: New beginnings, optimism, trust in life
1 The Baker: Action, the power to manifest
2 The Apron: Protection, going within, the subconscious
3 The Milk: Abundance, nurturing, fertility
4 The Recipe: Structure, stability, instructions
5 The Macaron: Institutions, tradition, rules
6 The Flourish: Passion, choice, uniting
7 The Whisk: Movement, progress, integration
8 The Mixer: Courage, power, integration
9 The Mess: Quiet after the storm, awareness, solitude
10 The Rising Dough: Cycles, ups and downs
11 The Measuring Cups: Fairness, equality
12 The Thief: Surrender, enlightenment
13 The Timer: The end of something
14 The Food Scale: Balance, moderation
15 The Failed Batch: Destructive patterns
16 The Sifter: Collapse of stable structures
17 The Perfect Batch: Hope, calm, a good omen
18 The Layer Cake: Layers of mystery, subconscious
19 The Oven: Warmth, success, happiness
20 The Spices: Rebirth, a new flavor, calling
21 The Triumvirate: Everything you need, completion wholeness

There doesn’t seem to be a “real” Bakers Tarot deck, and the designs have been in Fabric’s ArtSpace portfolio for several years—flying under the proverbial radar (as far as I know).

Drop by to see the full-size cards. And in the meantime, here are two of my favorites:

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