Do Oracle Decks Need Reversed Meanings?
Asked by
Moonlight_Wanderer
I've recently started using the "Magical Spirit" oracle deck by Alexis Rakun, and I've really enjoyed it as my first oracle card set. However, I've noticed that unlike many other decks, mine doesn't provide reversed meanings for the cards in the booklet. Since I'm still learning about oracle and tarot, I started with tarot cards, but I find oracle cards to be more free-form. My question is: with my deck lacking reversed definitions, does that mean reversals aren't crucial for my readings? Should I focus more on my intuition instead? Any guidance or advice would be super helpful!
Answers
If reversed meanings are something you're interested in, you can definitely create your own! For example, think of a reversed card as indicating that the energy associated with that card is blocked. Another option is to design your spreads in a way that positions can serve as 'reversed meanings' without literally flipping the cards. Using positions like "what to avoid" or "what negative trait am I showing in this situation" might help you avoid complications with reversals.
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I typically don’t use reversals with oracle decks because they often already include cards with more negative connotations. But if you feel the need for reversed meanings, you can just consider the opposite of the upright meaning.
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It's actually quite uncommon for oracle decks to include reversed definitions. For some systems, like Lenormand, reversed meanings just aren't a thing. Reversals aren’t a universal practice in cartomancy or divination, so it’s perfectly fine to go without.
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Using just the 22 Major Arcana of the tarot for readings is pretty similar to how oracle cards work. That said, whether to use reversals isn't really something that's commonly questioned in oracle readings since there's no set structure like in tarot. It's not as rigid, so you don't need to stress about it!
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