Thoth-based decks and reversals.

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 13 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Bean Feasa	13 May 2004
I don't have a Thoth deck, but have recently discovered that two decks in my collection, the Rohrig and Vision Quest are apparently Thoth-based. I wonder if this explains why they seem to be resistant to reversals. In general I use reversals and feel they add depth to a reading, but with these 2 decks the cards seem to demand to be upright. This was only an intuition - and I didn't know whether to trust it, or whether I was just copping out. But I've read recently that reversals aren't used in Thoth itself. Why is this I wonder, and does it explain why reversals don't seem to be compatible with Rohrig and VQ? Should I go and learn about elemental dignities instead?

Centaur	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Bean Feasa Should I go and learn about elemental dignities instead? I have been wanting to learn more about ED's for quite some time. :) I just need to get around to doing it! LOL. With regards to reversals and the Thoth, I know exactly what you mean. I do not feel comfortable using reversals with the Thoth... it just does not feel 'right' to me. The only decks I feel semi-comfortable (I am not too experienced in reversals) using reversals are those which are based on the RW. As an aside, I also do not feel comfortable using reversals with my Marseille Fournier.

hyatt	13 May 2004
I don't use reversals with my Thoth deck either. I think with that deck it is easy to see the negative and positive attributes to each card. I try to view each card with a little good and bad - That's probably not the best way of saying it but maybe you know what I mean. And similiar to another post I only use reversals with my RW deck.

jog1118	13 May 2004
just to confirm others' thoughts... i, too, dont use reversals with my thoth deck...i use only basic ED's and, like hyatt, see positive/negative forces balanced in the thoth cards... oddly enough, i regularly use reversals with my other RW-clone decks... :smoker:

CompassRose	15 May 2004
Well, I don't like the Thoth itself (we don't agree...) and most of my Tarot-using life, I've never quite got the hang of reversals, either with RW decks or the occasional others I've flirted with (e.g. Motherpeace). I am too visual; I'm too superficially bothered by the upside-down picture to get beyond it to the symbolic significance. However -- however. The Margarete Petersen deck has changed my feelings on reversals, and she is heavily influenced by Thoth symbolism. The art contains images, but is abstract, and the cards are designed to be reversed. I mean, designed to be. You see one thing when the card is right side up, and when you turn it, you see other things, fresh images leap to the eye. It pleases me, both artistically and symbolically. I hate "wrong-way-up pictures."

Cerulean	16 May 2004
I checked out a silly idea of mine about the Ananda being good with reversals with someone who actually learned with the Thoth deck (her second deck from over ten-15 years of divination study). She uses the Rider Waite as her primary deck because of her study of it. She did seem to enjoy the reverse imagery and strength of many of the card designs upside down. She hasn't seen the book that I read on the Ananda, but I can tell you the grouping and some of the majors/minors/courts have descriptive structures that are more Thothlike than Marseilles or Rider Waite Smith. The Ananda is simpler than many collage decks, but it has a distinctive mirroring structure in it's spherical (replacing pentacles) images--the spheres do exactly what spheres do in reality. They mirror the landscape or objects upside down. In some of the atmospheric swords or cups pictures, the flow of the skyscape looks very intriguing upside down. She suggested the Rohrig as a good deck that reads well and I know people find it Thothlike--but I don't know about reversals. For the Thoth itself, I agree there's so much going on when I read with it, I do not reverse the cards. Just my own preference. Regards, Cerulean

The Thoth-based decks and reversals. thread was originally posted on 13 May 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.