Reversals in the ancient italian tarot.

tzpet

I've been using my new Ancien italian tarot for a couple of months and I've noticed something really strange. The back of the cards is perfect for reversals. You can also tell if the pip cards are upside down except for the suit of wands (and strangely the 2 of pentacles). These are the only cards which i can't tell if they're reversed. What do you think about it is the deck not meant for reversals or the Wands don't matter? Should I remember the exact pips sa they camein the box? What do you think?

Picture of the mentioned cards: http://imgur.com/BjvYxr4
 

Laura Borealis

This is one of my favorite decks, even though I still have trouble reading with pips! It's so beautiful though, so I keep using it. :heart:

I don't use reversals with it, but I don't with any decks, so it's not an issue for me. If I were going to though, I would probably make a tiny mark at one end of each symmetrical card. The two of coins isn't quite symmetrical, though there's no clear indication which is upright. The way you oriented it in your photo looks upright to me so I'd go with that.

That's my take on it, hope it helps.
 

bonebeach

This is my friendly default every day beater deck! I love it.

My answer is to not worry about it? Hahah. Um. That might not reassure you, but nonetheless. I often read reversals, unless I don't, and so for the wands I just never consider those reversed. Because it's an old deck (1880!) I sometimes justify not doing reversals at all because reversals weren't really a huge deal until Waite in 1910.
 

Metafizzypop

I don't have this particular deck, though I do own other historicals. And I don't read reversals with the pip cards.

Hell, I'm lucky if I can read those things right side up, let alone upside down.
 

Laura Borealis

You know what's funny? I just got a secondhand deck (Swiss 1JJ pattern) and it has been marked for reversals. All the ambiguous cards are marked - with a little B for batons, E for epees and a D for deniers. It looks pretty cool actually.
 

rygD

If you do want to mark them, but don't want it to be permanent, maybe you can do it lightly with a pencil. Reversals aren't my thing, but I have considered marking the edges (on a different deck), however that would be visible from the back of the card, and defeats the whole value of this deck for you with the symmetrical backs with regard to reversals. I also considered a variation of marking it with a pencil. I was going to make a big scribbled blob of graphite on some paper to rub my thumb on so that I could make a little thumb print on those cards where it is hard to tell the orientation, assuming I could easily wipe it off later. All of that was before I decided to stick with my preference of no reversals.
 

Laura Borealis

Here's a pic of some of my marked cards --

I love it, partly because I know someone actually read with these cards! Also they made an effort to make the letters blend in style-wise.
 

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bonebeach

Those are SO. COOL. Whoever did it totally made the effort to blend the letters in!

I love used decks. I've yet to get any that comes so lived in as to have marks, but I would love to.

Glad you caved on the 1JJ. It's a lovely deck.
 

tzpet

You were just wondeful help. I'm probabbly going to mark them with a pencil or something not permanent . Thank you for all the replies. And I just love the letters on the old swiss deck.
 

Richard

Pardon a stupid question: If it is impossible to tell if the image is upside down, why would the meaning of the card change if it is upside down?