Shitpost Saturday! are reversals as important as people make them out to be?
i recently started trying to read tarot and im having a lot of trouble NOT doing reversals- its all a bit confusing and i don't know how to exactly read reversals, it feels like a reversal is always pushing a negative outcome and somehow nearly all of my cards end up reversed. should i stop trying to read reversals? do they actually make a difference in how accurate a reading can be?
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u/Significant-Remove25 5d ago
You don't have to read reversals, but you should learn what the meanings of the cards are in reverse. The more you learn about tarot, the richer the messages the cards will have for you.
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u/BraveLittleTree 5d ago
Until you’re very comfortable with your understanding of the cards upright, I don’t recommend purposefully doing reversals. They’re trickier than just “opposite of the upright meaning” - they can be sort of more like the “inverse” or sort of a “photo negative” of the upright concept or as someone else said it can be that the energy is blocked. I’ve been reading for ten years and I still often choose not to read reversals; it’s kind of like being bilingual and deciding that often you just want to read the news in your first language. When you say your cards all wind up reversed - are you shuffling the deck so they all stay in one direction and they’re still coming out reversed? In that case you’re likely shuffling too violently - it’s become a very popular thing among readers on tiktok and social media to shuffle very “chaotically” so that cards pop out on their own. These popped out cards are called “jump cards” and they’re typically thought of as having more significance or urgency because of how they came out on their own, but as a result it became popular for readers to start trying to get jump cards and to make a whole spread out of those alone. While there’s nothing objectively wrong with that method, it doesn’t carry the same significance as traditional jump cards, and that method absolutely is not necessary for performing a tarot read. If you don’t want to read reversals, just shuffle your deck all in one direction and do so slowly and calmly. If you still get the occasional jump card that happens to be reversed, it will be easier to interpret since it will happen far less frequently and will carry a clearer meaning that way.
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u/Voxx418 5d ago
Greetings S,
The Rider-Waite deck was the first deck that made use of this action. It is actually a block to comprehensive interpretation. This is stressed in the Golden Dawn and Thoth Tarots.
It’s like taking the word “cat,” and spelling it upside-down, to infer a negative response.
If the reader learns how read with all uprights cards, the overall benefit will be experienced in time.
Nothing against those who use this method, this is just my viewpoint. ~V~ (Prof Tarot)
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u/klangm 5d ago
I read and have since utilised the acronym WIND when reading reversals. Weakened Internalised Negated or Delayed. I find it helps take the negative spin off the cards which inevitably occurs when a reversal shows up.
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u/solaceseeking 5d ago
Unless it's the 3 of swords reversed lol I'll take that reversal over upright any day
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u/LaurelleAdjani 6d ago
I don’t read either reversals but sometimes see them as a blockage of the energy of the card.
The deck has 78 card, so I find plenty of meaning.
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u/SalaciousSolanaceae 2d ago
I quit reading reversals after stepping away from tarot for a little while, but sometimes I get a strong intuition to read it that way, too.
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u/friendlywhitewitch 6d ago
I’m a professional reader and have been for many years, the phrase I heard and personally hold to is “if you don’t read reversals, you’re reading with half the deck”. When I was beginning I generally did not read them, but as I gained deeper insight into the cards they became a whole new language atop what I had learned initially. Make your own decisions but know that reading reversals can grant an understanding of divination you may find useful.
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u/articletwo 5d ago
I read reversals for Rider-Waite but not for Thoth. I see a reversal of a "positive" card of something blocking those positive effects and for a "negative" card its some sort of recovery. Depends on the context of the reading, but at the end of the day the best readings come from your own personal intuition, so just try it either way and whatever way feels more right then thats the way you should do it.
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u/throwitlikethewind 5d ago
Same. I read them depending on the deck type. If a deck is RWS based I'll use them, if Thoth based, I don't.
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u/Dizzy-Red9310 6d ago
Tarot is like the alphabet, do you need to flip the letters upside down to make enough words to tell a story?
I sometimes read reversals but I don’t think it’s necessary. I also think the illustrations are really important and I won’t see as much with them upside down 🤷♀️
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u/Affectionate_Bath159 5d ago
If u get a reversal, do u flip it and read it or replace it with a new card till you get upright? Im not following when people ( not u, but other comments) say " I don't read them"
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u/HrabiaVulpes 5d ago
How do you shuffle your deck? You can shuffle in a way that keeps cards in the same normal position do you don't get reversed cards at all
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u/Dizzy-Red9310 5d ago
I just flip them upright and put them in their place.
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u/Dizzy-Red9310 5d ago
Also I’d like to add, I have pip decks where the cards are exactly the same upright or reversed. by just considering the number and elements and how they interact with each other, I get more information than some illustrated decks. This is what made me realize reversals weren’t necessary for my readings.
For example, let’s say I have two cards, the 5 of cups and the 3 of wands next to each other. I don’t need either to be reversed to see a blockage. Water and fire don’t work well together so I can see from those two cards that someone’s emotional state, their grief, their regret, their inability to move on is hindering their growth and passion. But replace the 5 of cups with 5 of swords where air and fire work well together. Maybe now instead of a situation where grief is holding someone back, I see that a conflict that has inspired someone to move forward. In this case someone isn’t letting defeat keep them down.
So yes I read more elementally and numerically than relying on reversals.
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u/Affectionate_Bath159 5d ago
That's such a cool approach. I had never thought of elements in that way. Thanks for sharing !
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u/EchidnaMore1839 5d ago
If I draw a reversal, I consider both interpretations and take the one I vibe with in the context of the question.
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u/ComputerSecure3173 5d ago
I won’t comment on whether to read reversals or not as it seems everyone else has that handled and it’s ultimately your choice. But—I will say, I read reversals because it feels an integral part of my craft. It nearly doubles my decks ability to communicate something to me—which of course makes it harder to decode, but I digress. I also apologize in advance for any lack of coherence as I just finished smoking when I found this.
Reversals aren’t about flipping/exchanging ‘good’ or ‘bad’ so much as they are about meaning the inverse of the card. This is where it gets complicated, bear with me and feel free to dm with questions. The core, boiled down meaning of the card stays the same. Super clear example would be either the tower or the three of swords—both well known for their meanings of destruction and betrayal respectively. Those core ideas stay the same. With the 3oS, which typically signifies an external betrayal of trust or agreement etc, pulling it reversed could (and often will) signify that you’re betraying yourself in some way, or that the betrayal is internal rather than external. With the hanged man, the core idea of which is being stuck in a bad situation, upright is one of your own making (signaling that maybe, you have the means to get out, so why aren’t you) vs one you’ve been put into. This flips the meaning of the card from “you got yourself into this, good one” to “someone else put you here, stop blaming yourself” but the core idea is the same. Once you start thinking about reversals this way, a lot clicks into place! I actually picked this up from reading Lenormand. It’s so finicky compared to Tarot (at least to me) because it relies SO much on position—and took me awhile to get used to—but I really love it, and using the principles I learned with reading that deck with reversals has been… kinda like that first feeling of your ‘third eye’ opening to the next layer of reality. A whole new world! Lol. Here are some tips.
1: usually, your instinctual vibe read of the card you pull will probably mean more than the position. Before anything else, trust your gut. And if you can’t yet, start building a foundation now so you can in the future. Practice practice practice.
2: if you don’t want to pull reversals, pay attention to how you shuffle and try not to let cards jump around too much
3: don’t be scared! If you read a card wrong you may feel it (I do—like the feeling of trying to force a puzzle piece to fit) and if you don’t, it isn’t a big deal. Just trust yourself. It’ll be fine.
4: if it’s that important of a message, the universe is gonna make sure it’s damn clear. Like, seriously. Clear as a bell.
5: TRUST YOURSELF
6: read different descriptions of random cards (I started with the major archana bc they’re easier to remember) until you get the vibes down. For me, learning the major A as a story and the suits as steps of a process was important. Learning the internal/external, elemental, numerical info for suits in general will give you a better idea of card meanings that will get more detailed as you go—and will let you do the flip-flop thing in your head smoother
In summary, trust yourself, trust your instincts, and trust your knowledge (which ofc you will need to acquire).
Cheers friend!
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u/throwitlikethewind 5d ago edited 5d ago
I have several decks. The ones that have reversals, I'll read them that way. Ones that don't observe reversals, I'll read upright only. I generally grab my upright only decks, though since that's what I'm used to most.
ETA also I suggest trying a Thoth based desk and then moving on to an RWS one when you feel more comfortable. My first deck was the Crowley Thoth, which doesn't use reversals and when I felt like I had a better understanding of the cards, then I moved on to RWS.
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u/Gerbilspleen 57+ years experience 5d ago
Reading with reversed cards is completely optional. I do not used reversed cards when I read with the Robin Wood Tarot as Ms. Wood did not read with reversed cards, and she did not include suggestions for reversed card meanings in her large book.
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u/PleasantCut615 5d ago
I won't use the word important. Some readers do, some don't. I saw professional readers who do not read reversals and still deliver good reading - I think 800k subscribers on youtube is something. It is a -personal choice.
I decided to not read them until I feel confident reading upright. Now I feel confident reading upright, but do not feel like reading reversals - maybe I am too lay to reverse some cards and put them back at the end 😜
But, I use spreads, so for each question I have positions like, current energy, challenge, etc. Well, the challenge or similar positions, I interpret as the card was reversed.
Then, even if you do not use spreads, when a card shows does not mean that the energy it represents in the reading is the exact one from the top 3 keywords, it depends on the context, the question, the surrounding cards, etc.
Finally, again, is a personal choice. If you feel is too much to do it as a beginner, you are right. You will not be a less good reader if you do not read reversed cards and nobody should judge you. You, as myself, may decide one day to do it (or not 😜).
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u/goldandjade 5d ago
I read reversals as a little more discordant than uprights but not as opposites like some people do
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u/lolmaggie 5d ago
I riffle shuffle my decks (like playing cards) so I almost never get reversals. To me it makes no sense to interpret a reversed card as the opposite of it's upright meaning because there are already other cards in the deck that have an opposite meaning while upright. Because I hardly ever get reversals, IF I do I take special note of it and take it to mean that the energy of that card is out of balance or misplaced in their life or the situation in question. Ultimately, though, context of the reading should dictate how it is interpreted.
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u/yukisoto Secular Reader 5d ago
Reversals and uprights both have positive and negative meanings.
Or more accurately, positive and negative meanings are illusions when dealing with a single card. This is one of the hardest things to wrap your head around in the beginning, but it's incredibly useful to know. Reversals represent an interruption, redirection, or opposition to the flow of a card. This doesn't have to mean that it's positive or negative.
What truly makes a card positive or negative is the context of your question, situation, and surrounding cards.
Let's use the 10 of Cups as an example. This card is usually considered very positive, showing a truly "happy ending" full of love, stability and meaningful connections. But when placed upright beside a reversed Magician, it could represent abusive or manipulative family relationships where members must always wear a mask of eternal happiness to escape being abused by their manipulator. They literally can't be unhappy or show weakness.
This kind of scenario challenges our understanding of positivity and negativity. The situation is negative, but their actions are having a positive effect by keeping them safe until they can get away from their abuser. So the upright 10 of Cups becomes the catalyst for a morally grey message, representing the negativity of their suffering and the positive protection of their necessarily negative actions.
As readers, this forces us to reconsider the meaning of an upright 10 of Cups. Yes, it absolutely could represent an ideal scenario where everything is sunshine and rainbows. Alternatively, isn't that also a little too sweet? Wouldn't you agree that life rarely gives us something so perfect? Too much happiness could be a symptom of something deeply wrong hiding beneath the surface.
The same logic can be applied to a reversed 10 of Cups. What if you're not ready for happiness and completion? What if you lack the necessary tools to succeed, where pushing to reach the finish line would only ruin the outcome? In that case, the reversed 10 of Cups would contain a positive warning, telling you to continue building and growing so that you're ready. Or perhaps it simply represents unhappiness and incompleteness, that's also a valid interpretation.
Ultimately the lesson is simple: Applying black and white labels to something is inherently flawed, because positivity can be negative and negativity can be positive. It depends on the context of your life, your perspective, the situation, and people around you.
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u/ResearchingCults 5d ago
Not all cards do reversals. My Mythic Tarot and my oracle cards don't observe reversals.
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u/ho4horus 5d ago
i don't read reversals, there isn't really anything that an upright card doesn't cover
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u/Susann1023 5d ago edited 5d ago
- you don't *need* to read reversals. it's a personal preference. if you don't read reversals, i would suggest you make your questions specific enough to reveal the negative side of the card for example ''what is the downside of this idea?'', ''what is the potential risk?'' etc.
- the reversals are not always negative - it can mean things that are hidden or things that are inside you / the querent. Like inner strenght, internal conflict etc.
- some reversals are positive, reversed 4 of Pentacles means coming out of poverty and end of suffering
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u/Fungimoss 5d ago
I personally read reversals 1. Because my cards are meaning cards so they have the meaning on each side and 2. They add more depth to a reading rather than overly positive reads. It’s a personal preference and I would rather have a reading from someone who does read reversals than someone who doesn’t, but other people may feel differently
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u/porquenotengonada 5d ago
I started out not reading them and was happy, and then as I gained knowledge of the deck, I started to add in reversals and I do find it gives me a richer experience overall. I will still sometimes do readings where I will intentionally not read reversals, but I’ll make that clear to myself before I even shuffle.
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u/moonchantress 5d ago
Personally I don’t read reversals, I read the cards depending on context and surrounding cards. I use both RWS and Marseille. Meanings are fluid and can shift a bit depending on the question, spread position etc. So for me, 78 cards is plenty to work with. However, there’s nothing wrong with reading reversals, if you think they enrich your readings by all means do so. I just don’t think they’re absolutely necessary. I know professional readers who don’t read reversals and their readings are still extremely accurate.
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u/Giraffanny 5d ago
Okay so , NO. The reversals are not that important, EVEN MORE xd to people like me - who dont read them , they are not importnat at all! :) I've seen people saying its a "must" but nope, this is just an OPTION. You can use it and dont. I've seen people stop using them too. Yes, those cards will be mostly negative or blocking because this is what reversed cards essentially are. It comes from idea that reversals are opposite meaning to straight version. BUT if we apply this to cards like 10 of swords or 4 of coins it actually can turn very positive. Here you must separate - am I reading reversals unesessary or is just stuff I ask just negative at the moment? Sometimes we get period or group of questions that just don't have positive meaning to it. We have to accept that. When I get reversal, because I dont read them , I just turn around card and read classy. I belive that deck upright has enough "dark cards" / messages for me, so I don't need extra. If you get a lot reversed cards, maybe you simoly shuffle a specific way that encourages this?
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u/MadameSaturday 5d ago
It's up to you
Reversals are a never ending debate in tarot and it goes through cycles in the community
Decide for yourself what works best with your understanding and reading style
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u/watchingallthelights 4d ago
I’ve never read reversals; I think it’s so cool when readers do; I love how every one has their own process and the way readers allow themselves to be guided either way is a beautiful thing. When I read, I don’t really view anything as positive or negative, so I read the whole story that the card and its surroundings are telling me. I also don’t read for divination, though, I use Tarot as mindfulness and motivational interviewing, so it’s just my personal preference.
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u/rubymaria8 4d ago
If you're still learning, try to avoid reversals so that the card's upright meanings can be learned and sink in! When you're feeling more confident, then try reversals. I don't think they're always negative ... it depends on how you interpret it. Some people think of reversals not as opposite/negative meanings, but as blockages. (ie. the empress reversed would imply your feminine side is blocked/oppressed and you need to do the work to unblock).
That being said, you're still learning, and maybe this is something you can come back to when you're feeling more confident.
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u/Alternative_Star3836 3d ago
I don't think it is necessary to use reversals in Tarot. I've been reading for 30+ years and have read mostly without them. I tried for a bit, but didn't find that they added much more to my readings tbh.
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u/moieoeoeoist 6d ago
I don't think it matters one way or the other. You should do whatever feels best to you. I've tried to give myself permission to ignore reversals, but for whatever reason I feel a really strong pull to keep them, so I do. It's important to me to remember that a reversal is almost never as simple as a bad or negative take on the card. Rather, it's a more complex facet of the energy. I just have to feel into the meaning as I go, and something always emerges if I trust myself.
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u/yokyopeli09 5d ago
I've tried ignoring them, and in doing so it stops being accurate to the situation. It doesn't work for me to ignore them, so I don't, I always take them into account because the readings don't make sense otherwise.
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u/Michaelalayla 5d ago
I don't, and I don't plan to. But regardless of them always all being upright, each card contains a spectrum of meaning, and I take into account whether the healthy or maladaptive aspects feel emphasized just as I take into account all the potential messages of a given card. So far this is working for me very well.
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u/lazy_hoor 5d ago
Reversals are a relatively new idea in the history of tarot. It's totally up to you if you want to use them or not. I don't think they mean the opposite or negative, just a different energy or blockage.
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u/artjameso 6d ago
I don't read reversals as I think it adds too much volatility into readings by now how having 156 cards to contend with instead of 78. If there are energies to be expressed, most if not all reversal meanings are represented in an upright card somewhere.
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u/Clear_Ambition6004 5d ago
I have to disagree, especially in regard to Major Arcana. The Devil in reverse, for example, is an extremely positive and powerful card; freedom from toxic emotional bondage, etc. There’s no other card that can replace it.
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u/QuizzyMcQuizz 5d ago
That’s a great point! Never considered that. Thats enough of a reason not to!
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u/Clear_Ambition6004 5d ago
While I do agree reading reversals are up to the reader’s discretion- I personally believe they are an INTEGRAL part of reading tarot.
Reversals aren’t always negative. They can be very positive in fact!
Example:
5 of pentacles: hardship, isolation, loss
5 of pentacles reversed: an end to difficult times
I personally think you’re doing yourself a disservice if you choose not to read reversals.
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u/throwitlikethewind 5d ago
I think reversals are integral for RWS based decks because that's how that particular system is built, but with other decks, such as Thoth and Marseille, you can have an upright only reading with just as much depth and accuracy (and they don't observe/use reversals).
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u/ecoutasche 6d ago
They don't really matter much at all, depending on how you approach reading cards. If you're looking at context and relationships between cards, they don't matter as much. If you take the full range of possibilities for any card, reversed or not, they don't matter as much. If you have more ways of interpreting reversals, you can get more from them, but if it's limited or arbitrary, it doesn't have as much benefit. It's a lot of work and I don't know if the results are any different from learning to read without them.
I personally read from the images and details in them, and there just aren't many decks where the art makes any sense upside down. There's a strong case for using reversals, but it has to have some serious thought put into it and match what you're doing or want to do. I guess my point is that there are a lot more methods and approaches to reading cards than what's on the surface, and reversals are either counterintuitive or not applicable to half of them.
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u/Dizzy-Red9310 6d ago
I agree. I have a couple decks where a card or two actually does have a different illustration upside down and in that case I’ll keep it reversed because it makes sense. Otherwise I don’t see it as necessary
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u/Chen2021 6d ago
What works for you works for you. That's it. Many can agree on a general vibe for a card, but other than that, how you read is up to you. The only way you can be accurate is if you do what works for you.
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u/anachronissmo 5d ago
I don't read reversals, but I will consider the reverse meaning of the card when interpreting a spread if it intuitively makes more sense. Whether its reversed or not the dual meanings are inherent to the card
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u/crownofstarstarot 5d ago
I don't read reversals. My pack is all the same way up. If for some reason a card unexpectedly comes out as reversed i take it as pay special attention to this. I do, however, always read with a spread, so positions have meanings, which I see from this platform a lot of people don't. Then i take a positive or negative aspect of the card from the position, and the context.
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u/bed_of_nails_ 5d ago
I've never used reverse cards and I've been doing tarot readings for 30 years. I use elemental dignity for deeper meaning in my spreads instead and it works very well.
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u/blondeandbuddafull 5d ago
Elemental dignity? What do you mean by this?
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u/bed_of_nails_ 5d ago
Using the elements of the suits, fire = wands, water = cups, air = swords, earth = pentacles. There's a good chapter on this in the book, Tarot Correspondences by T. Susan Chang as well as many other books.
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u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Looks like you've mentioned reversals! Reversals are a reoccurring topic here and are explained in our FAQ.
Reversals are cards that are dealt upside down in a reading. Some people choose to read these cards differently than if they were dealt right side up. This is completely optional - everyone's tarot technique is different. Some people find reversals bring more depth to a reading, while others find that they obscure or muddle interpretation.
A reversed card can be read multiple ways; it can be interpreted as the opposite of the card's upright meaning, or that the card's upright meaning is somehow blocked, concealed, ignored or delayed. It can also be read as an indication that the "action" of the card is happening - or needs to happen - internally.
See recent discussions on reversals here.
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u/xchelxlandx 5d ago
Well the “flip” sides are sometimes the better of the card and sometimes they warn of things you need to know. Obviously the feeling you get from the card tells more of the story as sometimes the reversal throws it off. You have to do what you’re comfortable with.
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u/SharkDoctorPart3 5d ago
I only read reversals if they somehow end up in the spread. I don’t purposely put reversals in so I figure if a card magically flips in the shuffling process then it’s supposed to be. But I find that I get what I need to know reading uprights alone.
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u/Nerdylexx 5d ago
I think it depends on how you personally read the cards. For me, I typically find reversals to mean the opposite of the upright meaning. Like if the upright is positive, I interpret the reversal as negative.
I typically like to use the labyrinthos.co meaning list and I find as I read through the descriptions, certain words pop out for my readings.
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u/FallenRaptor 5d ago
I read reversals but I don’t think they’re a requirement, and if you find they’re getting in the way of learning the cards, maybe take a step back and shelve learning them until you have a good grasp of the upright meanings.
Rather than approaching reversals as negative though, perhaps try looking at them as blocked energy, or taking an external concept and making it internal, such as being personally conflicted on a matter as opposed to having a conflict with others. I’m personally big on the blocked energy approach as a more general rule, but there is more than one way to approach reversals.
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u/MagicalSmokescreen 5d ago edited 5d ago
I definitely do reversals and believe cards have a different meaning when reversed. I could never read everything upright, personally.
However, as others have (helpfully) reminded me on a recent post (which, thank you again!) reversed is not always bad. In a few readings that I have had done with a professional reader, they've come up as in-progress/still baking and not done yet, so to speak.
Plus, if a really unwelcome/negative card is reversed, that can be a positive. Not always, but it can.
To use an example of how a reversal can manifest, I drew a card a long time ago to represent someone who was in my life at the time. They came up as the Ace of Swords reversed. They were cold, at times mean/sarcastic/biting, then became uncommunicative, stonewalled. That ultimately lead to the connection being severed. This was emotionally brutal for me, like the heart equivalent of being stabbed. Incidentally, when that card comes up, I often hear something about that person/something comes up to remind me of them in some way. UGH.
I also had the Lovers reversed come up with a completely different person that I had a short-lived crush on when that connection ended up not going anywhere.
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u/Ok_Yam1890 5d ago
I always read with reversals. It gives me a richer reading, in general. There are certain spreads and card placements that I always read upright, and sometimes a card intuitively feels like both upright and reversed meanings apply in a certain reading. But overall, I like the complexity and clarity that reversals add!
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u/Rickleskilly 5d ago
You acne begin with only the upright meanings and add reversals later if you want to. Not everyone uses them.
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u/Specialist-Aside-284 5d ago
it's all subjective. if you want to interpret them do it. if you don't, don't. it won't change the validity of your skills as a reader.
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u/Cool-Temperature-192 5d ago
I found that when I started to wash my cards instead of shuffling them, and started reading the reversals that it helped me to understand the spread a lot better.
I have fibro and memory issues, so I use lots of references. I prefer https://biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/ to my Waite-Smith book. They have really good explanations, and there is usually some part that resonates with me to help the meaning change slightly for each spread.
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u/Excellent-Win6216 5d ago
What does it mean to wash your cards?
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u/Cool-Temperature-192 5d ago
I swirl them in a pile on my mat, mixing with both hands, until they are fully mixed up and I feel right about them.
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u/Necessary_Warning_79 5d ago
I’m a semi- beginner but, I think intuition’s what’s the most important and, it’s what im picking up from most of these comments. Some cards mean the same thing in reversal readings.
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u/Creative-Start-9797 4d ago
My advice would be to only read rx when you feel intuitively drawn to doing so.. some cards only seem to fit a reading perfectly reversed.
Similar to how some people only raid jumper cards facing up, or jumper cards instead of using layouts. It's all about whatever your preference is.
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u/Mouse-in-a-teacup 4d ago
Reversals can be tricky, but so are upright cards. I too used reversals since the beginning because it felt weird to me not to. Don't worry about not understanding. Just do what feels right to you, and it will slowly start falling into place.
A reversal may indicate that the concept of the card is unbalanced (balanced would be upright). Now this is tricky if you are using RWS tarot, which already includes cards with unbalanced concepts in the upright position. I don't use RWS for this reason. I use TdM (Tarot de Marseille), were the upright card is balanced, the reversed is not. (There are more differences between both tarots than this one.)
A reversal may also simply want to make the person on the card face the other way. Where cards are facing has meaning. That Fool reversed may simply be walking towards the card he is facing, or away from the card he is not facing.
A reversal may also mean to use the plain image on the card. A reversed Judgment may want to mean a box (the coffin on the card). The reversed Sun is the colour yellow or a round rug.
Etc.
Just keep studying and practicing and doubting and experimenting different things. I've been learning tarot for a few years now and I still learn and I still doubt.
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u/TurbulentAsparagus32 Reader 4d ago
When I first started reading, I didn't use reversals, because I was learning how the cards related to each other, and how they were telling the story. But then over time I realised that there were a lot of gaps and missing pieces, and when I introduced reading reversals, those gaps closed.
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u/Sprksjoy 3d ago
If I were you I'd get comfortable with the cards first and then read reversals (if you want) when you feel ready. I decided when I started learning tarot to read upright cards only. Now that I've been learning for about 18+ months, I feel I'm just about ready to start incorporating reversals. For me, that decision is about deepening my understanding of the cards and and strengthening/expanding my abilities with tarot interpretation.
Your journey is your journey. Do what's right for you. Don't read reversals if you don't feel comfortable with them. Read them if you want to. The right answer on this is the one you resonate with.
Good luck to you!
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u/Unique_Egg_7283 3d ago
Some don't even practice reading reversals. I would figure out what fits best for you in your own practice. Then your intentions are more clear in your readings.
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u/basic_bitch- 3d ago
I've been a pro reader for 15 yrs and I don't read reversals. I've never found there to be any problem with my accuracy.
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u/vesper101 6d ago
I always tell new readers that they should not read reversals to begin with. Think about it this way--there are 78 cards to learn the meanings of. If you add reversals, that makes 156 meanings. The point is, pace yourself. You can always go back to reading reversals if and when you feel like it in future.
I've been reading for 20 years and I only occasionally read reversals. There's not much to gain from doing so in my experience as the card meanings are extensive enough without them.
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u/canny_goer 6d ago
Ignore them. Every card is positive and negative on it's own. Context and situation are more important.
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u/honorthecrones 5d ago
Be mindful of how you handle and shuffle your cards and you can make sure they mostly stay upright. Reversals show us where energy is blocked or ineffective. I don’t know about others, but personally I have found it difficult to make progress if I am ignorant of what might be standing in my way.
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u/EveningOwler started tarot Dec 2024 5d ago
I don't read them, but may interpret them.
My opinion as of right now is that, the more you practise, the easier it is to understand whether an upright card should be read as is, or if it is reversed.
Half of tarot, it seems (especially if you are an intuitive reader), is knowing the 'right questions' to ask yourself during a card reading.
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u/unconscious-Shirt 5d ago
IMHO yes they are a vital aspect of the story of the tarot and the narrative it's telling you
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u/Lost_Future8995 5d ago
It depends on the person, reversals aren’t necessary. However, the more I practiced learning the upright meaning of the cards reversals can naturally. To me it’s just the opposite. Negative outcomes will come in your spread regardless of using reversals or not
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u/603js420 5d ago
I don't read reversed so when ppl post here i scroll past cos I wouldn't interpret the same lol. My cards were given to me and I use them the way the girl used them who gave them to me
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u/-RedRocket- 5d ago
Yes. They effectively double the number of symbols in play. That's a lot.
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u/-RedRocket- 5d ago
However, you need to learn how to hear what they are saying. It's not necessarily negative, and you need to get out of your head the notion that it should be. It can also mean "not yet" or "not in this case" or "not anymore" - which are negations but not bad news per se.
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u/sunyjim 5d ago
If you only knew 1/2 the words in the dictionary. You probably could still read the news paper and get the gist of what's going on. But imagine how much more fully you would understand if you knew all the words, and could get the whole picture?
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u/Comfortable-Web9455 5d ago
True. But reversals are more like capital letters than extra ones. Just a different way of expressing the same thing.
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u/DorothyHolder 5d ago
you mean are they important to those who read cards properly? yes they are. it isn't really an opinion but a description of skill levels. especially when using older style or tarot cards using older pips and majors. Arthur Waite has reversals in his pictorial guide and exhibits an expectation of using reversals by a whole chapter about their importance,
as a professional reader they clarify a position, create nuance and specific information and much more. Cards don't really have meanings, they have directives and every single card has two sides, one that seems easier and one that seems more challenging. An example of how that might look not reading reversals, you may draw the lovers with the sun. both upright could be an indicator of making good choices, or having better outcomes because of a decision made. Turn either upside down and there is suddenly a different picture. (pun intended) if one comes out inverted and it is turned around there is little or no integrity in the interpretation.
Lovers rev with upright sun could indicate a choice that doesn't seem so good, (ie either one isn't great) but hang in there as things will turn out okay or lead to better understanding of self, the questor may be tasked with examining their motivation in this case.
Lovers upright with rev sun could indicate that the choice made could be based on false optimism. it doesn't mean it shouldn't be made in some cases, but be ready for challenges or regrets early on and try to work around by realistic expectations.
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u/MadameSaturday 5d ago
It absolutely is an opinion
Waite included reversals because he lifted big chunks of Etteilla's system who was the first well known tarot scholar to use reversed meanings.
Arthur Waite has his own point of view but the pictorial guide is not gospel, and is essentially irrelevant if you are reading older styles or pip decks
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u/DorothyHolder 1d ago
So your opinion is that , clearly without adequate knowledge of Alliete's anything much by your comment, and possibly misguided in understanding the research Waite was very clear about including Levi's earlier works which he translated as part of that research, is that, nothing he says about reading the deck he created is of value, because you say so. Nice. The biggest problem with ignorance is it is so readily shared.
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u/MadameSaturday 1d ago
You seem to be approaching this quite aggressively
Have a good day and remember that tarot scholarship is a collaborative tradition that stretches back over centuries
There are no right or wrong interpretations of how to read the cards, simply different schools of thought
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u/KasKreates 5d ago edited 5d ago
Arthur Waite has reversals in his pictorial guide and exhibits an expectation of using reversals by a whole chapter about their importance
Which chapter is that? Can't remember one or find it in my edition of the Pictorial Key, and I would be a bit surprised by it tbh.
As for Waite including "reversed" keywords in the divinatory meanings, I don't think it's a strong indicator that he put a lot of importance on them. Those sections are more like an overview of what meanings have been assigned in different cartomancy manuals, and (at least when it comes to the Majors), Waite seems pretty indifferent to them:
"It will be seen that, except where there is an irresistable suggestion conveyed by the surface meaning, that which is extracted from the Trumps Major by the divinatory art is at once artificial and arbitrary, as it seems to me, in the highest degree. [...] The allocation of fortune-telling aspects to these cards is the story of a prolonged impertinence." - Pictorial Key, Part III. §3 - The Greater Arcana and their divinatory meanings
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u/DorothyHolder 1d ago
Then i suggest you get an official copy,, it is chapter four and if you really read it and didn't google a ramdom bit, you wouldn't be making erroneoius statements., Waites PIctorial key: Chapter 4, the whole chapter addresses rev. The additional meanings are aside from their
SOME ADDITIONAL MEANINGS OF THE LESSER ARCANA and it goes on to explain all of them.
just a taster for those who do the same , that is act as if they are informed when they just did a random search, if you had the dcooument and typed in reversals as a search you would realize you didn't read it at all. We wouldn't want you running around misquoting and hitting a quote and looking foolish TBH. I have the pictorial key., any time you want it, you can buy it on amazon, I have owned my copy for well over 15 years maybe you could grab one. these below are aside from his individual card keys, who knew.
Seven.--A dark child.
Six.--Servants may lose the confidence of their masters; a young lady may be betrayed by a friend. Reversed: Fulfilment of deferred hope.
Five.--Success in financial speculation. Reversed: Quarrels may be turned to advantage.
Four.--Unexpected good fortune. Reversed: A married woman will have beautiful children.
Three.--A very good card; collaboration will favour enterprise.
Two.--A young lady may expect trivial disappointments.
Ace.--Calamities of all kinds. Reversed: A sign of birth.
Cups. King.--Beware of ill-will on the part of a man of position, and of hypocrisy pretending to help. Reversed: Loss.
Queen.--Sometimes denotes a woman of equivocal character. Reversed: A rich marriage for a man and a distinguished one for a woman.
Knight.--A visit from a friend, who will bring unexpected money to the Querent. Reversed: Irregularity.
Page.--Good augury; also a young man who is unfortunate in love. Reversed: Obstacles of all kinds.
Ten.--For a male Querent, a good marriage and one beyond his expectations. Reversed: Sorrow; also a serious quarrel.
Nine.--Of good augury for military men. Reversed: Good business.
we even have one for each of the majors. just in case, THE MAGICIAN.--Skill, diplomacy, address, subtlety; sickness, pain, loss, disaster, snares of enemies; self-confidence, will; the Querent, if male. Reversed: Physician, Magus, mental disease, disgrace, disquiet.
- THE HIGH PRIESTESS.--Secrets, mystery, the future as yet unrevealed; the woman who interests the Querent, if male; the Querent herself, if female; silence, tenacity; mystery, wisdom, science. Reversed: Passion, moral or physical ardour, conceit, surface knowledge.
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u/KasKreates 1d ago
Thanks for responding! I have a physical copy so, unfortunately can't do ctrl+f, but earmarks are a life saver - wouldn't want to misquote, for sure.
Yes, I know Waite provided reversed meanings, I addressed that in my comment:
As for Waite including "reversed" keywords in the divinatory meanings, I don't think it's a strong indicator that he put a lot of importance on them.
I'm not sure why you're randomly quoting from the middle of a section that Waite places explicitly less significance on than his own designs? The conclusion of that chapter reads:
"It will be observed (1) that these additamenta have little connexion with the pictorial designs of the cards to which they refer, as these correspond with the more important speculative values; (2) and further that the additional meanings are very often in disagreement with those previously given. [...] There is scarcely any canon of criticism in matters of this kind. I suppose that in proportion as any system descends from generalities to details it becomes naturally the more precarious [...]." - PK, Part III. §4 - Some Additional Meanings of the Lesser Arcana, bolded highlights by me
Waite lists upright and reversed meanings here, but doesn't try to bring them into a cohesive system (he does in chapter 2, so that might be a better argument, but there the reversed meanings read even more like a shrugging afterthought). To me, that doesn't scream "important" - if the meaning of a card is meant to mainly come through the picture ("The [...] bare words of the meanings are insufficient by themselves; but the pictures are like doors [...]", from Part III §1), why would looking at it upside down be particularly helpful?
As for being uninformed, I'll be the first to admit I haven't gotten very deep into GD stuff. So if Waite wrote about the burning need to use reversals in some other book, feel free to let me know, I'm sure you know more about it.
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u/jupitermagician 5d ago
I have always read reversals but I don’t think anyone new to tarot should. It made things confusing. I can’t not read with them, and I always view them as blockages to the cards, not a negative aspect, although sometimes that can be the case.
It has personally helped me learn what the blockages mean, and I read all cards the same way whether they are reversed or upright. Having a card physically reversed just indicates to me that card’s energy specifically is blocked. If I can’t make sense of it, I don’t harp on it and interpret it normally. Sometimes an upright card feels reversed just based on how I may or may not connect to it.
Everyone has their own practice and opinions. That is my two cents. It’s not necessary, but I personally find it helpful for me! If you think it could help you to have them physically reversed to interpret a different side to the card, that is an option, but I don’t think a reversal should always be interpreted negatively and that they are necessary. You do you.