The Card Calendar
Published 17 September 2023

Though most calendar systems divide the year into 12 or 13 months, each being about 4 weeks in length, it would make just as much if not more sense to divide it instead into 4 seasons of 13 weeks each. This would add up to 52 weeks, or 364 days, so to keep the seasons aligned, a leap week needs to be added about once every 5 years. If we want to align the seasons such that they start close to the solstices and equinoxes, we can use the fact that the time between the June solstice and September equinox is about 3.7 days longer than between the December solstice and March equinox, so in my calendar I've decided to put the leap week at the end of the "summer" season (for the Northern Hemisphere), and to have each year begin in what we call September. Now, I could just number the weeks of each month from 1 to 13, but that's boring. Instead, the three weeks after the 10th will be called Jack, Queen, and King. Oh, and the first week will be named Ace for good measure. It might be nice to have a special name and symbol for the seasons as well, so perhaps:
  • Fall is the Spades Season (♠), to symbolize the need to dig up fallen leaves
  • Winter is the Diamonds Season (♦), to symbolize the crystalline ice and snow
  • Spring is the Clubs Season (♣), to symbolize growing plants and mosses
  • Summer is the Hearts Season (♥), to symbolize the warmth of love
These work for the Northern Hemisphere, but for the south:
  • Spring is the Spades Season (♠), to symbolize digging the soil in preparation for crops
  • Summer is the Diamonds Season (♦), to symbolize the shining of the sun
  • Fall is the Clubs Season (♣), to symbolize the look of the leaves that fall to the ground
  • Winter is the Hearts Season (♥), to symbolize the warmth of love, needed when it's dark and cold
These four seasons, and the occasional leap week, which I've decided to call the Joker week, come together to form a Deck, having either 364 or 371 days in total. 22 of these decks compose a Shoe, such that a Joker is placed into 4 selected decks spread throughout the shoe. The names of these decks are based on the Major Arcana, with the current deck, lasting from 2023–2024, called the Deck of the Fool. Jokers are included in decks of the Fool, the Hierophant, Justice, and the Tower, with an additional rule that if the Joker for a deck of the Fool were to occur in a gregorian year that ends in a 0, that Joker is skipped. Equivalently, there is a 220 year long cycle consisting of 10 shoes, where in the first shoe of the cycle (in this case the one that began in 1979), the Joker is dropped for its deck of the Fool. These rules keep the seasonal drift to about one day every 800 years.

In red are decks that include a Joker:
Name (10th Shoe) 1st Shoe 2nd Shoe 3rd Shoe 4th Shoe 5th Shoe 6th Shoe 7th Shoe 8th Shoe 9th Shoe 10th Shoe (1st Shoe)
Deck of the Fool1957–19581979–19802001–20022023–20242045–20462067–20682089–20902111–21122133–21342155–21562177–21782199–2200
Deck of the Magician1958–19591980–19812002–20032024–20252046–20472068–20692090–20912112–21132134–21352156–21572178–21792200–2201
Deck of the High Priestess1959–19601981–19822003–20042025–20262047–20482069–20702091–20922113–21142135–21362157–21582179–21802201–2202
Deck of the Empress1960–19611982–19832004–20052026–20272048–20492070–20712092–20932114–21152136–21372158–21592180–21812202–2203
Deck of the Emperor1961–19621983–19842005–20062027–20282049–20502071–20722093–20942115–21162137–21382159–21602181–21822203–2204
Deck of the Hierophant1962–19631984–19852006–20072028–20292050–20512072–20732094–20952116–21172138–21392160–21612182–21832204–2205
Deck of the Lovers1963–19641985–19862007–20082029–20302051–20522073–20742095–20962117–21182139–21402161–21622183–21842205–2206
Deck of the Chariot1964–19651986–19872008–20092030–20312052–20532074–20752096–20972118–21192140–21412162–21632184–21852206–2207
Deck of Strength1965–19661987–19882009–20102031–20322053–20542075–20762097–20982119–21202141–21422163–21642185–21862207–2208
Deck of the Hermit1966–19671988–19892010–20112032–20332054–20552076–20772098–20992120–21212142–21432164–21652186–21872208–2209
Deck of the Wheel of Fortune1967–19681989–19902011–20122033–20342055–20562077–20782099–21002121–21222143–21442165–21662187–21882209–2210
Deck of Justice1968–19691990–19912012–20132034–20352056–20572078–20792100–21012122–21232144–21452166–21672188–21892210–2211
Deck of the Hanged Man1969–19701991–19922013–20142035–20362057–20582079–20802101–21022123–21242145–21462167–21682189–21902211–2212
Deck of Death1970–19711992–19932014–20152036–20372058–20592080–20812102–21032124–21252146–21472168–21692190–21912212–2213
Deck of Temperance1971–19721993–19942015–20162037–20382059–20602081–20822103–21042125–21262147–21482169–21702191–21922213–2214
Deck of the Devil1972–19731994–19952016–20172038–20392060–20612082–20832104–21052126–21272148–21492170–21712192–21932214–2215
Deck of the Tower1973–19741995–19962017–20182039–20402061–20622083–20842105–21062127–21282149–21502171–21722193–21942215–2216
Deck of the Star1974–19751996–19972018–20192040–20412062–20632084–20852106–21072128–21292150–21512172–21732194–21952216–2217
Deck of the Moon1975–19761997–19982019–20202041–20422063–20642085–20862107–21082129–21302151–21522173–21742195–21962217–2218
Deck of the Sun1976–19771998–19992020–20212042–20432064–20652086–20872108–21092130–21312152–21532174–21752196–21972218–2219
Deck of Judgement1977–19781999–20002021–20222043–20442065–20662087–20882109–21102131–21322153–21542175–21762197–21982219–2220
Deck of the World1978–19792000–20012022–20232044–20452066–20672088–20892110–21112132–21332154–21552176–21772198–21992220–2221


Edit to convert different dates:

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Card calendar for year: –2024