unreversed cards?
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| psy_nuhri07 |
22 Feb 2004 |
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can i use the tarot cards without reversed cards? i find it confusing in interpreting them. what's written on the booklet is different from my interpretations. if i require reversed cards, do i need to rely on the booklet or on my own interpretations?? pls help me.
>>psy_nuhri07<<
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| Centaur |
22 Feb 2004 |
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Hi Psy,
I think that the choice of whether or not to use reversals is a matter of personal preference.
I personally do not use reversals, and prefer to use the spread of cards as an indicator of any negativity or such in a reading. However, other individuals prefer to use reversals as they feel that it adds an extra dimension to the cards. Again, it is a matter of personal choice.
With regards to whether or not to go with your own interpretations or those in the book, you should go with whatever feels right to YOU. Yes, there are standard interpretations, but I feel that with learning tarot also comes one's owns assocations and connections with the cards. Yes, learn the traditional meanings of the cards, but also be open-minded for other associations to attach themselves.
C
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| Phoenyx* |
22 Feb 2004 |
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Originally posted by psy_nuhri07
can i use the tarot cards without reversed cards? i find it confusing in interpreting them. what's written on the booklet is different from my interpretations. if i require reversed cards, do i need to rely on the booklet or on my own interpretations?? pls help me.
>>psy_nuhri07<<
For me, it depends on the deck. With my Thoth, I don't need reversals, since the EDs kinda do the reversal technique for me. With decks that I know if it will be reversed ahead of time (the Witches' Tarot and the Sacred Circle), I don't do them either. But for decks where I have no idea(ie. Rider-waite, Hansen-Roberts, and Dragon), then, I'll do them.
As for relying on the booklet, eventually, you'll find that you will toss the little white book away and use your intuition.
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| gstover |
22 Feb 2004 |
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Hi all. This is my first post, though I have been lurking for weeks. I was thinking of asking about reversals this morning, in fact, so I was happy to find this thread.
I don't use reversals. Something about them disagrees with my gut feelings. I like the idea of "ill-dignified" that's mentioned in the booklet that comes with the Thoth deck, but I haven't gotten around to reading any of the books by the Golden Dawn members to know what they thought in detail & in their own words.
A problem with ill-dignification(?) is that it doesn't work for individual cards. You need at least three cards.
Many books talk about reversals at length. I think I've seen an entire book about reversals. So it seems that most tarot readers use reversals these days.
Does anyone know the history of the idea of reversals? Has it been with us for decades? Centuries?
gene
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| fairyhedgehog |
22 Feb 2004 |
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I don't know if 'most' tarot readers use reversals. I know that many of us in here don't.
I don't like looking at the pictures upside down - it's as simple as that :D
Other readers swear by them, and may even think that those of us who don't use them are chickening out. It takes all sorts :)
So I would say, try both, and see which works for you.
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| Thirteen |
22 Feb 2004 |
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Originally posted by gstover
Many books talk about reversals at length. I think I've seen an entire book about reversals. So it seems that most tarot readers use reversals these days.
This may not be the best example, but it's what comes to mind: You buy a writing program like Microsoft Word so you can write a novel. Now you can do a lot of things with Word--have charts, tables, caculations in your document. But you're writing a novel, so you don't even consider using any of those. HOWEVER, if you get any book on Word it's going to include instructions on how to do charts, tables and caculations. Doesn't mean everyone who uses Word is using it to create documents with charts, tables and caculations. Or that if you're NOT using it for that, you're out of sync or missing out on something.
It simply means that book wants to make sure everyone who uses Word (a tarot deck) is aware of their options (reversals). And a writer who writes ONLY of charts, tables and caculations (reversals) is trying to help those interested in that become better at it. Because most books give reversals the short-shift. Sometimes only a sentence as compared to the paragraph on what the card means right-side-up.
The argument for reversals is that it opens up interpetations you might miss--and that's a good arguement. The argument against reversals is that a readers can see those all those interpetations in the upright card--and upside-down pictures just confuse things--an equally good argument.
Which is all to say, if you don't feel comfortable with reversals, don't use them. You, alone, know if they will enrich your readings (open up new interpetations), or interrupt the readings (cause you to stop in confusion, and/or mess up the flow/look of the answer you were seeing in the spread).
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| HudsonGray |
22 Feb 2004 |
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I do use reversals (the deck I use was designed with them in mind), but I'd also say to go with what YOU see in the card, before going for the booklet interpretation. When there's a choice between the two, go with what is speaking to you directly. It'll likely be the more important.
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| Star Spirit |
22 Feb 2004 |
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I never used to use reversals, but now I'm confident enough to use them whenever I feel it is right to do so. It's all about personal preference. However I don't usually use "reversed meanings" per sey. When a card is reversed, to me that means its energy is blocked or turned around, or something of that nature, which makes it much easier for me to understand. It's all up to you though.
As for your interpretations vs. the LWB, go with your own. Books can help, but ultimately you are the magic, so trust your intuition.
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| allibee |
22 Feb 2004 |
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I don't, and have never read reversals as I find the question and the throw will determine any lack of energy or limitations that can be read into a so called positive card... heck, I can't even stand images on the cards, let alone images upside down ... perish the thought :)
That being said if someone needs help with a reading on here, I am capable of applying my view of the card from their reversed card too ... if you follow.
It is horses for courses, whatever floats your boat, but not at all neccesary or required .... and I really do doubt that *most* readers use reversals.
Hope that helps
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| Kosmos |
22 Feb 2004 |
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This is how I address reversals....
Imagine that your spread was a sentence written on a piece of paper and that one of the words had the letters so out of order that you weren't sure what the word was supposed to be (this is the analogy for your reversed card).
One thing you might do to determine what that word is is look at the context of the whole sentence. By doing this, you could figure out the word simply by discerning what would make sense in that place.
So, if you have a reversed card, and the reversed meaning seems to fit the spread better, go with that feeling. Likewise, if ignoring the reversal seems to disrupt the reading, just use the reversal as it appeared. If the reversal makes no sense to you, just ignore it for that spread. Do this more and more and you'll get develop a feeling on your own of when and when not, and how and how not to use reversals, and best of all it won't be someone elses 'rule' applied to your technique.
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| Thea Lynx |
22 Feb 2004 |
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Hi Psy,
I think its a matter of personal preference about reversals. In the beginning, I was afraid of reversals so never included them and made sure my shuffle would not result in them. When I started working with Thoth and Thoth style decks, I found not having to worry about reversals refreshing - and that the discipline in interpreting these cards was much more exacting because of EDs. When I work with a Rider style deck, I usually reverse 3 cards - I started this practice after my teacher, who reverses 4 cards, one for each element, because she likes the additional information. If I have forgotten to reverse, I just go ahead with my reading. I also like to look through the deck after my reading to see what the reversals were that did not come up. If you are afraid of reversals, including them can hamper your ability to feel free with your reading, so by all means, don't use them until and unless you are feeling OK about it.
Thea Lynx
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| Shalott |
01 Mar 2004 |
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Hi,
I've always read reversals because I honestly didn't know when I started reading that it was optional, so now I'm just used to them. But, one thing I've started doing recently, and this goes for any card that puzzles me in a reading, is take a clarification card, I just take the top card of my upside down stack, but you can reshuffle if you want, and set in on top of the card I don't quite "get," sure enough it helps.
:)
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| peace_pixie |
13 Jun 2004 |
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[quote]Originally posted by gstover
[b]
I don't use reversals. Something about them disagrees with my gut feelings.
i agree i just don't like using them they make me uneasy
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| HudsonGray |
13 Jun 2004 |
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Ah, but it's when we're 'uneasy' that we need to look at the why's of it to see what's triggering that reaction.
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The unreversed cards? thread was originally posted on 22 Feb 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.
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