Using Reversals in The Wild Unknown Tarot

Maveriker

I love this deck too!

For me, this deck has really taught me the positive and negative and everything in between of every card. Something about the starkness of the black and white that elicits that polarity and encourages me to find the balance between the two within the overarching theme of each card.

In this way, I feel like I'm reading reversals with the cards anyway, but have not yet played with ACTUAL reversals. Like you, I sometimes wonder if I'm missing out on something afforded by reversals, especially putting cards in context with each other, and if my view of the upright meanings having equally positive and negative results is just keeping me in my comfort zone (which I'm OK with for now since that comfort zone is pretty rich as it is)

I can't tell you what you should do, but for now I'm sticking to uprights :)

I'm curious to know what other readers are doing with this deck though!
 

Ace of Stars

Until I had The Wild Unknown Tarot, I didn't use reversals. However, this deck so beautifully lends itself to reading with them. It just packs such an energetic punch, and the punch is altered when it's upside down. I gravitate towards Gail Fairfield's method of using reversals, which focused on the inner world more than opposite/blocked; very psychological.

I hope Kim Krans writes reversed card interpretations and keywords some day :) In her guidebook she mentions that she doesn't use reversals herself... so we'll have to see.
 

Maveriker

slfrank67 said:
i have only received my deck in the mail as of today, but i immediately have to say yes, differentiate reversals. when i look at the 6 of cups and the wheel of fortune in particular i see a new emphasis of the message when upside-down... it feels quite deliberate.
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Come to think of it that is very true. One of the first readings I did for a friend I did use reversals, and the first card that came up was the 9 of Cups. Her question was about happiness, and I knew that she was emotionally drained at the time. The card summed up the current situation perfectly, which it wouldn't have in its upright orientation.

Time to reconsider my position!
 

wildgreenmagic

I'm not sure if I want to use reversals yet, to me they feel off.
 

lark

Always use them upright.

I solved this reverse or not dilemma for myself like this.

1. If the creator intended reversals then I use them if they come up, if not then I don't.

2. I always shuffle my decks with all cards upright...IF as I am doing the shuffle a few cards have flipped for some reason then I read them reversed.
This feels for me like they truly were intended to be reversed.

The practice of taking half the deck flipping it and then shuffling it is not in my opinion the universal energies flipping a card you are.
It's you deciding you want half your deck upside down.
Reversals are kind of strange when you really think about them.
Would you read a book upside down, or look at a painting upside down...
Here we are trying to get the feeling, emotion, information out of a card and we are looking at it upside down.
I don't know, over the years it has just come to feel wrong or off to do that...so I let them come up if they need to, but not because I have in a conscious way flipped them to have some show up in the spread.
 

danieljuk

I bought the physical and digital app of this deck recently and really love it! I keep my physical version of the cards upright but I decided to have some reversals in the digital deck to see how I found it! I know it's not Kim's intentions but I do read with reversals in some of my other decks and some I don't. It's tricky though! in the app, they have a page of text about each card and keywords to help your learning, but when you get it reversed it just says "you should see the energy differently" and an explanation of reversal reading but no actual interpretation or key words! I guess cos Kim doesn't use them. So there is no official guidance for it.

I will see how it goes, the deck was not really intended to be used that way but it has given some important messages of the upright being blocked or the opposite to the usual meaning in some of my readings. I wouldn't like to read for someone else with my physical deck with reversals though, it's experimental for myself at best :) It's tricky art to read upside down!
 

starburst_au

I've recently purchased this deck, and I friken love it!

I've been having a flick through this thread and reading a few people's perspectives about reading reversals. I always read reversed cards - for me there is a different feel / energy about the card if it's not in the upright position.

I guess it's just personal preference and how the reading resonates for the individual.
 

Michellehihi

lark said:
Always use them upright.

I solved this reverse or not dilemma for myself like this.

1. If the creator intended reversals then I use them if they come up, if not then I don't.

2. I always shuffle my decks with all cards upright...IF as I am doing the shuffle a few cards have flipped for some reason then I read them reversed.
This feels for me like they truly were intended to be reversed.

The practice of taking half the deck flipping it and then shuffling it is not in my opinion the universal energies flipping a card you are.
It's you deciding you want half your deck upside down.
Reversals are kind of strange when you really think about them.
Would you read a book upside down, or look at a painting upside down...
Here we are trying to get the feeling, emotion, information out of a card and we are looking at it upside down.
I don't know, over the years it has just come to feel wrong or off to do that...so I let them come up if they need to, but not because I have in a conscious way flipped them to have some show up in the spread.
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Lark, your message had me thinking. I read reversed cards, including with the Wild Unknown, and I had very profound and clear readings. You are right, who reads a book upside down? but then I thought of the wonderful practice of asemic writing and I thought yes, there is something to be captured by the subconscious even if the conscious doesn't understand. And with the Wild Unknown, the images are non-figurative so this makes it a perfect deck to read reversed cards, this is my opinion.
 

lark

Michellehihi said:
Lark, your message had me thinking. I read reversed cards, including with the Wild Unknown, and I had very profound and clear readings. You are right, who reads a book upside down? but then I thought of the wonderful practice of asemic writing and I thought yes, there is something to be captured by the subconscious even if the conscious doesn't understand. And with the Wild Unknown, the images are non-figurative so this makes it a perfect deck to read reversed cards, this is my opinion.
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I agree really...that is why I just let them appear.
Some decks it seems like to flip...I've been working with the Hezicos deck and even though I keep them up right when I am shuffling they are always flipping a few in each reading.
So I feel it is of significance and read them reversed.
I'm not opposed to reversals...I just don't flip half a deck to get some in there on purpose, like some of the readers I work with do.
 

Michellehihi

lark said:
I just don't flip half a deck to get some in there on purpose, like some of the readers I work with do.
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I wouldn't do that either; when I shuffle I just put them on my bed and mix them at random, like I would stir a soup (sorry I don't know how to express it in English, do you see what I mean?)
 
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