Let me be completely honest I am a HUGE supporter of Tarot readings using the reversed cards.
Your Tarot reading gains a whole new level of complexity with reversed cards. They can highlight areas with energy imbalances or barriers, underlying problems, untapped opportunities, and internalized energy (as opposed to externalised energy).
If you prefer giving “yes or no” Tarot readings, they can also offer clarity. As opposed to upright Tarot cards, which display a “yes,” reversed Tarot cards make it simple to spot the “no”s.
And once the upright Tarot cards have been mastered (although do we ever truly “learn” the Tarot card meanings? ), reading with reversals gives a fresh approach for more experienced Tarot readers.
However, not all Tarot readers should always read with their cards in reverse.
In This Article...
Is it important whether tarot cards are turned over?
It basically indicates that you’re missing some of the energy of the card’s turned-right-side-up meaning when you get a reversed tarot card, which can happen accidentally or on purpose by flipping the deck upside down and choosing. The queen of cups, for instance, denotes both excellent intuition and emotional security. Therefore, a reversed queen of cups could represent emotional insecurity and a blockage to intuition. (You might think about purchasing a tarot book or visiting a tarot website to confirm the precise significance of a reversed tarot card you pulled.)
You are free to select whether or not to interpret a card as a reversal. Maria Sofia Marmanides is a tarot reader.
According to astrologer and tarot reader Maria Sofia Marmanides, you are under no obligation to interpret reversed tarot cards when you are dealt them: “Whether or whether you interpret a card as a reversal is entirely up to you. You can choose how you want to approach your tarot journey because it is a very individualized endeavor. Among the options available to you is whether or not to read reversals.” You’re learning various things depending on where you are in your tarot journey, “Adds she. “In the beginning, it might be best to merely adhere to the upright meanings rather than the reversed ones. Why, if you don’t have to, would you want to increase the amount you need to learn?
What does it signify if every Tarot card is turned over?
This method might also highlight areas that require adjustments or where action is required. You’ll know you’re dealing with outside circumstances and interpersonal interactions if the majority of the cards in your Tarot reading are upright. You know you’re dealing with yourself and that any necessary acts or adjustments must first take place within you if the majority of the cards in your Tarot reading are reversed.
Method #2: Too Much or Too Little Energy
Tarot cards that are reversed frequently indicate an energetic imbalance. In other words, there is either too much or not enough energy.
For instance, consider the Queen of Wands. She stands tall and embodies a person who appreciates social interactions. What does this, however, appear like when there is too much or not enough of this energy?
Perhaps, especially in social situations, she is arrogant and overconfident (too much of the Queen of Wands energy). Or possibly, while in a room with people, she is a wallflower or a “shrinking violet” (too little of the Queen of Wands energy).
I frequently ask a question when I read the cards in this manner for a client. For instance, “What function does social confidence serve for you? Are you overconfident or lacking in confidence?
And, I frequently add, “How can you use your confidence in social situations to your advantage? In other words, how do you rebalance and align this energy? (Really empowering, no?)
Method #3: Blocked Energy
This approach is somewhat different from the “too much or too little” energy approach.
We all experience energy in our lives, yet it frequently becomes blocked or isn’t used in the most positive ways.
For instance, the reversed Temperance card may represent your desire for balance and moderation in your life, but that there is currently a barrier preventing you from properly utilizing that energy in a beneficial way.
What prevents you from obtaining moderation and harmony, ask? Find out what is preventing the energy, in other words.
Then inquire, “How can you dissolve any obstacles to moderation and harmony? Maybe you should remind yourself to keep everything in moderation. Perhaps you could choose your battles more carefully to promote peace. Maybe you should stop expecting that everything will always be in perfect harmony.
You can just engage in an open discussion or ask the Tarot to reveal its interpretation in order to learn the answers to these questions.
Method #4: Upside-Down Imagery
When I wish to connect more intuitively with the situation, I especially enjoy using the images on the Tarot cards.
Look at the artwork of the Tarot card that is upside-down if it appears in reverse, and then just let your intuition guide you.
For instance, the swords appear to be falling out of the man’s back in the reversed Ten of Swords. Perhaps the client is now able to enter a new cycle because the anguish they have endured in the past is finally being released (especially since this is a Tenthe end of a cycle).
Or the coin appears to be about to fall out of the man’s hands in the reversed Page of Pentacles. He doesn’t appear to be paying attention, and his grip is not firm. It can be an indication that without the required attention and discipline, money is merely sliding through your fingers.
If you’re a visual person, this method for reading reversed Tarot cards is highly effective. Your conscious and unconscious minds frequently instantly connect when you see something, which enables you to access your intuition.
Here are my four personal favorites for reading reversed Tarot cards.
You’ll adore my online Tarot training course, Master the Tarot Card Meanings, if you want to genuinely master the reversed Tarot cards and understand not just 4 but all 8 approaches.
In my bestselling course, I’ll teach you how to read Tarot cards both upright and inverted using your heart as well as your book. And I’ll show you the “must know” techniques that are hidden in the Tarot cards and that make learning the art incredibly simple. You’ll have everything it takes to develop into a charismatic and gifted Tarot reader by the end of the course!
Should all Tarot cards face the same direction?
There is no right or wrong way to interpret tarot cards, as anyone who knows me will attest.
The fact that I think there is no right or wrong way to shuffle your tarot deck also shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is not necessary to face all of the cards in the same direction, cut it sideways, or shuffle it seven times.
Seven times of shuffling a 78-card deck is the “Who has time for the ideal number of shuffles needed to distribute cards evenly? You can shuffle your deck as often or as little as you choose.
Either you or the person you are reading for can cut the cards. Or not. Although it actually doesn’t matter, it’s always pleasant to include others in the reading process if you are doing it for someone else.
It is time-consuming and useless to face the cards in the same direction. Simply flip the card to the upright position when you place it on the table if you decide not to read reversals.
Don’t feel obligated to send the cards back to their owner either “following a reading, right order. Until your next reading, they can sit tangled up in a mound, making new friends with the cards nearby.
Does the tarot card order matter?
Because so many subsequent cards drew inspiration from its iconic artwork, the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is a fantastic starting deck. The deck is referenced in practical tarot books like 78 Degrees of Wisdom. Start with the Rider-Waite deck and then add more decks that speak to you to your collection. Although it is available online, you are welcome to visit your neighborhood occult shop to see what appeals to you there.
What does “reversed” mean?
1a: to totally reposition oneself or change course. b: to invert, or turn upside down. she caused herself to adopt the opposing stance on the matter. 2: negate, undo: for instance. A legal decision is overturned, set aside, or rendered invalid by an opposing decision.
What number of tarot cards do you draw?
Howe advises to be calm and believe in your own agency if this sounds daunting. “In order to see it less as “This holds all of these secret meanings that I have to do all this work to access” and more as “I know all the meanings; it’s just a matter of establishing the connections and being able to articulate them,” use language or knowledge that you already possess. She points out that the four elementsearth, water, fire, and airplay a significant role in the tarot, which is advantageous because the majority of people already have an understanding of the meanings of each element. ” If you do that, your viewpoint will be more personal, and you will be able to express yourself more freely.
Howe suggests the Celtic Cross and the three-card pull as the two fundamental spreads for beginning readers. In the former, three cards are chosen at random from the deck to symbolize the subject’s mind, body, and spirit, or past, present, and future. According to Howe, you could even up the stakes and use a six-card draw, with one card for each location.
My Tarot deck needs to be cleaned.
There are occasions when you might want to perform something more particular and ritualized rather than simply shuffling the tarot deck to purify and clear the energy of the cards. Cleaning your deck could seem like a nice place to start if you’re just starting to understand tarot.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. To keep the link strong and clear, think of it as a little spiritual hygiene. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t worry about it if you don’t think your deck need it. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). Although an hour would suffice, I prefer to let it rest like this for the entire night.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Shuffle in chaos. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
