The television series “The Golden Girls” appeared on our television screens for the first time nearly 40 years ago and ran from 1985-1992. It’s a sitcom about four women who live together in Miami. The show was known for its four amazing characters—Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Rose Nylund (Betty White), Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), and Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur). All are divorced or widowed and find themselves under the same roof and let me tell you from personal experience that the show is hilarious. While the comedy is great, the ladies manage to take on serious topics regularly as well.
The show also won its share of awards. In seven short seasons it garnered a whopping 58 Emmy nominations, winning 11 times, as well as 88 Golden Globe nominations and 40 awards. All of the four main characters are comedy veterans with a pretty impressive list of credentials in their own right, but their on-screen chemistry is nothing short of magical.
Needless to say, it’s become a cult classic, which I strongly suspect is the reason behind why we are seeing “The Golden Girls Tarot Cards” on our online shelves.
With the introductions out of the way for anyone born after 1985, if you love bright pink and blue you will love the coloring of these cards. The back is a simple bright blue with an unobtrusive design and palm fronds, and the cards feel nice in your hand; they’re about the same size as the RWS standard.
The Golden Girls figure prominently in this deck, which isn’t really a surprise given its name, although there are a few appropriately placed men here and there for the Emperor and in the court cards. But that’s not who we’re here to celebrate.
The RWS imagery is all over this deck, and it’s basically a clone with a Golden Girl or three on each card. For the Major Arcana, all of the Girls have equal representation. The Chariot, for example, has Blanche in command of two good-looking male dancers; she was known for being the most romantically outgoing of the four and her sexual adventures were a common theme on the show. Sophia, who incidentally is Dorothy’s mother, makes an appearance as the angel on the Lovers, blessing her daughter and Dorothy’s ex-husband, both of whom stand apart in bathrobes; they got back together at one point. Rose’s positive attitude earns her the Sun, while Dorothy portrays the Grim Reaper on Death; she regularly killed with put-downs.
The Tower shows Shady Pines, the nursing home where Sophia lived after the stroke that caused brain damage to her verbal filter. Dorothy put Sophia in the home originally, but Sophia hated it and eventually came to live with Dorothy. For her part, Dorothy occasionally will say “Shady Pines, ma!” to try to keep her mom under control, with limited success. Interesting to note that Shady Pines never actually makes an appearance on the show, but it’s a great reference for the Tower!
We have our four standard suits, but each Golden Girl gets her own. Wisecracking Sophia gets the Wands. Sensitive Rose is on the Cups. Quick-witted Dorothy’s owns the Swords, while libidinous Blanche earns the sensual Pentacles. Each Girl is on almost every one of the cards in her suit, except for the Knights and Kings; those are normally occupied by a lover or boyfriend.
The Three of Swords shows Dorothy standing out on the lanai in the rain with palm fronds in the background, wearing a shirt with three swords through a heart, similar to the standard RWS imagery. The Two of Cups has Rose toasting with wine glasses with a boyfriend and it also mirrors the RWS.
In a slight nod to the RWS imagery, the Five of Wands has all four girls decked out in their bowling uniforms, highlighting the “friendly competition” meaning that is one of the standards for the card.
In a few cases, however, it seems like the designer ran out of steam; the Ten of Pentacles just has a tree with 10 pentacles growing on it. This is Blanche’s suit, but she’s not on this card at all, and in the RWS there are no trees except way in the back. I mean…it’s a pretty tree…but it didn’t do a lot for me intuitively. Maybe I’m missing a show reference? That’s always possible.
The bottom line: If you’re a fan of the show, or you love the colors of 1980’s Miami, then this deck is for you. But this is really a niche deck and may not appeal to many younger tarot devotees.
The Golden Girls Tarot Cards: A Look into Your Future from the Lanai
Smith Street Gift
$19.95, Amazon
