I've mentioned that I've been reading Jonathan Dee's Fortune Telling Using Playing Cards. In it he describes a "Romany" method of reading that uses reversals (apparently old playing cards weren't double-ended so you could do that easily; now you have to mark them first). In his discussion of reversals he brought up a point that … Continue reading The “Undoing”
Reversed Cards
Flipped Missives: Reversals As Insinuation
While working on my initial dream-analysis reading, I started to say that all of the reversed Wands cards in the dream scenario represented an "incursion" of Spirit into the reverie, but then I realized that, in the dream-world, visions of profound import typically don't stand up and shout in order to draw attention to themselves, … Continue reading Flipped Missives: Reversals As Insinuation
Reversals and “Chaldean Mirrors”
I've been considering a different way to handle reversed cards that I call "Chaldean mirrors." The concept may not be new, but I haven't encountered it before. Most of the cards were associated with the “decans” of the Chaldean zodiac by the Golden Dawn's Macgregor Mathers, bringing the nature of the card together with the … Continue reading Reversals and “Chaldean Mirrors”
Half-Steps and Stepping Stones
I believe it was Paul Fenton-Smith, in his book Tarot Masterclass, who first introduced me to the idea that reversed cards represent unfinished business from the previous card in the sequence. Thus, if you get the 5 of Pentacles reversed, you still have accounts to settle with the 4 of Pentacles before the Five will … Continue reading Half-Steps and Stepping Stones
Should I or Shouldn’t I? – A “Measure of the Moment” Reading
After having spent most of the last month in my house, going nowhere but into the back yard, I've been itching to get into the outdoors and do something active. The governor here has been encouraging it, but so many people are following his advice that the parks and trails are crowded, defeating the purpose … Continue reading Should I or Shouldn’t I? – A “Measure of the Moment” Reading
A “Hanged-Man Moment”
I've been immersed lately in one of the more active Facebook tarot pages, where the question of reversed cards comes up with predictable frequency. New readers who don't use them wonder anxiously if they should, while more experienced diviners who do are confident that they are worthwhile (I've been one of the latter for almost … Continue reading A “Hanged-Man Moment”
The “Hopscotch” Multi-Tier Situational Awareness Spread
As is most likely apparent, I enjoy spreads that take unexpected twists and turns at some point in their journey from question to answer. This one uses reversed cards to change the direction of the flow from a typically linear, left-to-right model to a more complex, multi-tiered affair that can descend into situational ambiguity as … Continue reading The “Hopscotch” Multi-Tier Situational Awareness Spread
The Fool’s Dilemma (or “Reversal to the Rescue”)
That pesky Fool just won't stay put. Modern tarot enthusiast are accustomed to seeing it at the head of the trump-card cycle as the null, Zero, but it hasn't always been that way. In decks that predated the esoteric tinkering of the 19th-Century "Occult Revival," the Fool usually remained unnumbered to permit its use as … Continue reading The Fool’s Dilemma (or “Reversal to the Rescue”)
Reversals? Why Not?
I'm constantly encountering people who say "That deck has non-reversible backs. You can't do reversals with it." and "That's a Golden-Dawn-based deck, they didn't use reversals so you can't either." My unspoken response is "So? Rules were made to be broken." Another favorite excuse for not learning to use reversals effectively is "I don't need … Continue reading Reversals? Why Not?
The Significance of Reversed Cards
The appearance of reversed (“upside-down”) cards in a tarot reading is a source of endless confusion for novice readers who are still struggling to understand the upright meanings. Many simply throw in the towel and avoid dealing reversed cards, which is often recommended by tarot teachers and books, at least until more experience has been … Continue reading The Significance of Reversed Cards
