Dasani

Just a question.

Would there be a card that when it is reversed shows a picture or a symbol other than the upright way?

I always look at the card the upright way & never thought of reversing the cards & looking for hidden symbols.

Thanks for any replys.

ScarabFlight

Ahh, very interesting question! I will look forward to checking and seeing what others have to say.

The only thing that I've noticed/read about is the shield on the chariot. It is supposedly (sp?) a mason's apron upside down. What this could be seen to represent, I'm not sure, purity maybe? Keeping yourself clean? I'm still in the information collecting stage. lol Not so far into the interpretation stage

OakDragon

As soon as I found this thread, I just had to go through my RRWS deck and look at all the cards upside down! LOL

The Devil has the upside down five pointed star above his head.

The cup on the ace of cups seems to have an upside down M on it... I've never figured out what that's supposed to represent.

The High Priestess' scroll says "TORA" on it upside down, though I suppose that could be interpreted simply as how it would look naturally from the viewer's point of view.

Interesting to note also that, visually, the wands in the eight of wands seem to produce the same effect whether the card is upside down or not, almost as if the card was visually intended to have a similar meaning upright or reversed.

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lark

The only mention I've ever found about that upside down "M" is in "Pocket Guide to Tarot by Alan Oken"

He says "The letter on the cup is an upside-down "M" indicating that "matter" is ready to recieve the blessing from heaven.

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Alissa

The Hanged Man reversed looks a wee bit like an electrified Michael Flatley (isn't that his name?) ...River-dancing.

Fulgour

The Hanged Man is different in these decks than in the
original Marseille. He left leg is crossed behind, which then
comes out matching The World dancer. ( 12 ~ 21 )

But held to a mirror, he will be seen as IIX Le Pendu of old,
the very glyph of Saturn... but that's a whole nother story.

Vincent

Does Alan Oken say why he believes that to be so?

It doesn't sound very likely to me. Why should it be an an upside down 'M' at all, and even if it was, why should the 'M' stand for matter?

Perhaps it is not any sort of letter at all, upside down or otherwise... you may want to read what the Golden Dawn had to say about it, a far more reliable source than Alan Oken.


Vincent

lark

Hello Vincent..
Why don't you tell me what the Golden Dawn has to say I have no book on the subject.
I did not say I believed what Alan Oken said.
I just said in all the books I have read, and to date I have read over 140 of them, his book was the only one that actually mentioned the letter on the cup.
So if you have other info please feel free to share it with us.

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But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face. W. B. Yeats

Fulgour

I have read Mr. Oken's book as well, and to me it seemed he
had found his own answer to this enigmatic addition to the
Ace of Cups, though the combination he suggests is extreme.

If there ever really was anything definitively namable as
The Golden Dawn (other than some Victorian magicians),
I'd be interested in hearing their official verdict as well.