#nisse lovendahl
Ace of Tools. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
You may have your everyday kitchen instruments readily available for the taking, but professional chefs often carry around their knife kits in case the occasion calls for a different approach. There is something exciting about the potential that lies in this bag, for it means flexing a variety of potentially unused skill sets rather than relying on your typical tricks of the trade. It takes a certain level of mental clarity to realize the need to reach for something new, whether it be in approach or in knowledge.
The Ace of Tools is a reminder of this impending exciting energy. You are on the verge of a breakthrough, of a new perspective, or of a new intellectual pursuit. Having the intellectual and emotional power to embark on this quest is all that you need to succeed.
Food: The Ace of Tools urges you to expand in ways that seemed impossible before. This may be an excellent time to decide how you want to grow in the kitchen and beyond. Perhaps you want to undertake some long-term investment in your education, like practicing butchery or learning more about a specific diet or type of cuisine. Your journey doesn’t have to be expensive—it can be self- taught. However, it is important that this endeavor excites you in order for you to succeed.
Herb: Water hyssop is used to eliminate brain fog and achieve mental clarity. Its flowers and leaves are edible both raw and cooked. Add some into your diet in order to maintain your current mental fortitude.
Reversed: Just because you feel the start of an idea doesn’t mean you immediately need to share it with others. When you see the Ace of Tools reversed, take some time to meditate and stew on your schemes before you unleash them onto the world.
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Six of Cups. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
“Strawberry Milk is a curious drink. It conjures up an image of nostalgia and innocence for the past, and a perspective that is all but lost on our adult selves. There is so much to be learned at that time in our lives, from showing kindness to others to the importance of play. Now is a good time to reflect on those lessons and enjoy a renewed sense of childhood innocence. This card indicates a return to these easy feelings of joy and harmony. You may be experiencing increased easy flow in your relationships or spending more time with children. In either case, prepare to leave your worries behind and to see the world fresh and filled with wonder.
Food: Prepare one of your favorite childhood comfort foods, or dig into your old family recipes. In either case, you will connect with a long-lost part of yourself and your ancestors. It’s a surefire way to remember that food can also be playful.
Herb: More than ingesting the herb itself, now might be a powerful time to explore the link between aroma and memory. Add some vanilla bean into your life to help you feel the child-like sense of enthusiasm of a baking spree.”
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Seven of Mushrooms. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
The Seven of Mushrooms urges you to consider the plight of the Matsutake mushroom. The Matsutake is one of the most highly prized mushrooms in the world, the best of them retailing for $1,000 a pound at the peak of the season. Yet, the way in which these mushrooms grow is highly peculiar, for these fungi make their homes in ecologies that have been affected by man’s deforestation. What’s more, the aggressively entrepreneurial process of harvesting and reselling the mushrooms is the work of foreign refugees who have found innovative ways to thrive in their new homes. The process of selling the mushrooms at these picker camps requires adept skill and concentration, and the difference between coming out on top and walking away empty handed is razor thin.
Similarly, you find yourself to be at the top of your game despite adversity. That doesn’t mean, however, that your position is set in stone. Calculate your next steps carefully, for challengers await to claim your position.
Food: You may not want to splurge on Matsutakes on this round, but you should be eating a meal that makes you feel at the top of your game. Maybe you decide to eat fish for dinner, or to not skip breakfast. Either way, make sure your meal helps you focus and be in control.
Herb: An herb that exemplifies perseverance will help you right now. Consider the berries of the Spicebush. As easy find for amateur foragers, the Spicebush came to popularity during the Revolutionary War when Americans could no longer trade spices with the British-held Jamaica. Take that can-do attitude into your herbal practice as well.
Reversed: You don’t feel enlivened by the competition—rather, you are worn down from the cutthroat criticism and feel like giving up. Don’t stop now! Acknowledge that not everyone may like what you have to offer.
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The Feast. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
You’ve finally made it to the feast! A lot of planning, preparation, and challenges probably met you along your path, but at this moment you can look back on what you’ve created and savor both the food and the moment. There is likely a feeling of harmony and a sense of communion with the present, allowing you to be emotionally and physically in tune with yourself and those you’ve invited to dine with you.
The Feast should make you feel full, both physically and spiritually. See this moment as an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor. May your appetite for life be insatiable.
Food: Think of the meals that you have had that celebrate milestones. Sometimes it’s a big celebration with friends, or perhaps you make a ritual of eating a certain thing after some sort of trial in your work or schooling. Whatever your favorite food observance may be, find a way to reenact it now. Find a way to honor both your spiritual joy and your physical body with a meal.
Herb: Basil is considered the king of all herbs and should be honored as such at the end of this cycle of reaping what you sowed. It is fragrant, filled with vitamins, and reminiscent of summer. Basil is common in the cuisines of many different cultures internationally because of the diversity of its strains, making anyone at your table feel at home.
Reversed: Are your accomplishments making you feel emptier? With the milestones you have achieved, why is something still missing? The Feast reversed implores you to determine what you need to feel safe and happy. If you haven’t found it here, then ask yourself what you need.
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The Nonna. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
There may be no better feeling than learning cooking from a true master of the craft, one who spent years caretaking and cooking for loved ones and the community alike. The Nonna embodies this warmth fully, reminding you of the abundant wisdom and vitality that awaits you when you choose to have fun. Spending time with the Nonna reminds you of the vibrancy and energy that exists within you at any age.
The Nonna is a reminder that life is good, and that fleeting moments of perfection can live forever within your memory. Don’t be afraid to live large in the moment, to be kind to those around you, to love unconditionally, and to eat well. Revel in the natural ease that is always your birthright, even if it feels rare and special.
Food: Play with your food! Invite your inner child out to romp with the meal. Eat with your hands, use fun plates or silverware, or set a goofy elaborate table scape. Being silly will encourage others to feel at ease.
Herb: Dandelion gives off a similar optimistic energy that will match your current mood and help you continue to motor your way into your future. Make a salad with some dandelions, drink some dandelion tea, or make a dandelion honey.
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Compost. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
Compost is one of the most eloquent analogies for death possible. Once organic matter exists beyond its purpose on this plane, you add it to your compost heap so that it can contribute to something new. There is an inevitability in items ending up in your waste bin, but it doesn’t have to be the end. A new cycle can begin, with the seedlings benefitting from all that has transpired in the past.
Compost indicates that you are nearing the end of a period of time in your life, and that maybe it’s time to shut the door on an aspect of your being that is no longer serving you. This development may be a sudden and unexpected change, but the growth that awaits you will far surpass your current expectations. At this pivotal moment of your existence, consider how you can alchemize the lessons of your past to reinvent yourself—spread some compost on your seedlings and watch the garden of your life cultivate.
Food: Learning how to work with your constraints is an important part of being a good cook. Remove excess clutter, whether it be ingredients you no longer use or equipment that is taking up too much space. Learning to do more with less will help you to let go of things you have clutched onto beyond their usefulness.
Herb: Linden is famously described by herbalist Katja Smith as “a hug in a mug.” You’ve likely made it to this point in your journey through soldiering on and toughening yourself to the world. Perhaps by allowing yourself to soften, you can let any grief pass through you and for a new version of yourself to rise from the remains.
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The Picky Eater. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
This card is in many ways the mascot of the deck! It is the first card that Nisse Lovendahl and I collaborated on when I was deciding what I was trying to do with the culinary tarot. This card challenges you to push your comfort zones and let the chips fall as they may.
Are you addicted to control and stability? The Picky Eater comes around when you are resistant to the change and adventure that is at their fingertips, trying to stick to the familiar and reliable instead of moving with the flow. The universe wants you to upend your entrenched patterns. Something unexpected and delicious is on the other side of letting go—put down the bowl of buttered noodles and get ready for broader horizons.
The Picky Eater also symbolizes changing fortunes and situations. Although these transformations are often for the better, there is no shame in taking comfort in the little things (or foods) that are habitual. You can love your basic peanut butter sandwich and still know that there is an exotic feast on your menu in the future. Trust the process and expect the unexpected.
Food: Try something exciting that you have always been intimidated by. If you are an omnivore, maybe order that offal dish or add uni if available. If you are vegetarian, find a new way to prepare durian. Take the opportunity to expand beyond your comfort zone.
Herb: An herb that boosts your courage can be a useful addition to your repertoire at this time. Angelica is an herb whose flowers have been used to flavor fish or poultry. Its stems can also easily be thrown into marmalade or stewed rhubarb for extra flavor. Use this herb as a stepping-stone into something more adventurous.
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The Food Critic. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
The Food Critic replaces the Wheel of Fortune in our deck. You may have done a lot of preparation to get to this point in your life, but the outcome of events is not entirely within your control. A sense of humility and acceptance towards your fate will help you at this time. A good or a bad review doesn’t affect your intrinsic value.
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The Picnic. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
The Picnic represents The Lovers in the Herbal and Spiced Tarot. What is more harmonious than indulging in an outdoor meal with your partner? Thinking about decisions about love is crucial to this placement, and I can’t think of a better way to share this partnership than through food.
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The Farmer. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
The Farmer (V- The Hierophant) encourages the reader to be inspired to cook foods from their local farmer’s market. The beauty of the produce their will help the home cook feel a sense of stewardship, connecting to the energy of the archetype. It also recommends chamomile as a way to clear one’s head and feel more in touch with their decisions.
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Eight of Oysters. Art by Nisse Lovendahl, from The Herbal and Spiced Culinary Tarot.
The Eight of Pentacles (or, the Eight of Oysters in our deck) represents the commitment to mastery of a craft through practice and apprenticeship. The process of learning to shuck oysters exemplifies this grins perfectly. Have you ever seen a master shucker pop open an oyster with ease? No one’s a natural at oyster shucking on their first go. A little patience and time allows for a transformation from cracked shells to a simple delicate prying of the top shell.
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