Thoughts on Tarot Reversals
Tarot Reversals – some people use them, others don’t. Many people don’t use the term “Reversals” and include all variations of a card in a reading. And, reversed cards? Yes, reading reversed cards is different than reading Reversals. You can read a Reversal for a reversed card–a card that’s upside down. But, you can also read Reversals for cards that aren’t in their reversed positions if you flip them right side up after you draw them. And what exactly is a Reversal? Does it always have to be the opposite of the card’s upright meaning?
Confused yet?
It’s time for me to take a sip of tea. It’s almost bedtime you know.
I’ve read Reversals with cards in their reversed positions. I was considering reading Reversals after I turned the cards right side up since I find reversed cards unaesthetic to look at when compared to upright cards. But, I don’t need to worry about that now! Last night, my Bohemian Gothic Tarot taught me a lesson: I realized that I do not want to read Reversals. Why? I tend to read the cards using many meanings, including some of the darker and optimistic side of things. I find them restricting in many ways. I will interpret the cards and how they relate to the reading or question by using their position among other cards, by experimenting with elemental dignities, and by leaving the door open to intuition.
Oh, and I also discovered a great shuffling method…by accident. And, it will keep all of my cards upright. But, if one happens to come out in the reversed position, I’ll take that into account and will place a small quartz stone under the card in the reading as a reminder that this card beckons to be noticed. But that’s another post. Stay tuned!
Do you use Reversals? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments about Reversals. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way. Use what works best for you.
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I use reversals, but it depends on the deck. If the backs of the deck are such that the view is not the same no matter the orientation, then no I do not use them. When I do use reversals, they are not memorized as I do not memorize meanings. Sometimes it is just special emphasis on that card. Sometimes it is the opposite meaning of the upright card, sometimes the reversal just accents a nearby card. I rely a lot upon my intuition.
I don’t use them. I’ve found that the cards just fall where they need to be anyway. If it’s a so called “reversal” meaning that’s needed, the right side up version of that meaning will just show up there for me anyway.
I have done spreads though where cards are placed down in at all different angles and then, the angles matter. But even then I wouldn’t say I read in a way that would be considered reading a reversal of the card. I use my intuition to tell me how the position and angle matter is all, especially in relation to the other cards in the spread.
I look more at the energy of the spread and how it flows from card to card. Cards that are reversed I see as more blocked energy than an inversed meaning. I use the “righted” meaning to show how it is holding the quarent back, working against them, misunderstood, or just being ignored. So I guess that is a yes and no? I guess I use it as more of an adder on the meaning of the position in the spread than the card itself.
You must use reversals. Without reversals, you are missing fully half the possible combinations of cards. And don’t give me that bit about how you want to avoid “some of the darker” interpretations. Reversals are not always negative, in fact many of them are positive. And when interpreting reversals in combination with other cards, you might be depriving people of warnings, or how to overcome their troubles. Sometimes people don’t even realize their problems, so why would you play along with their delusions?
Hi Charles,
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Sometimes what one views as a “reversal” is indeed part of the meaning of the card or cards in a spread. I take into accounts many parts of what I see being depicted in a card. And, by that, I don’t use “reversals” as a complete opposite of the meaning potentially depicted when reading the card upright. Readings are multifaceted and include a wide range of meaning; this includes both the positive and the negative.
Warmest regards, Nicole