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 strong 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 meaning 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?
In This Article...
What distinguishes Tarot cards that are upright from those that are reversed?
Each card has two meanings: upright and reversed, which you may find in any tarot book. There are 156 meanings to become familiar with with the usual deck having 78 cards.
Concerned that you’ll spend all of your reading time engrossed in a book? Fear not – once you come to know the upright major and minor arcana meanings, you’ll be able to set the book aside and experiment with reversals on your own. Naturally, as you develop and broaden your tarot practice, you can go back to the written interpretations.
There are several ways to interpret reversals, many of which are dependent on intuition or the upright meaning of the card. That is to say, there is no one right way to read reversals, and mastering the skill doesn’t require you to commit a term to memory.
You come closer to mastery and figuring out your own unique style the more you read, practice, and try different ways.
Here are some ways to explore reversals as you get started:
Look at the position while keeping the significance of the card that you have learnt so far in mind. Consider the energy entering your life or the querent’s life if you are upright. Consider it to be reversing if its effect is waning.
Consider upright cards as characteristics, individuals, or elements that have a significant influence on the current situation. The card’s reversed meaning denotes anything with a weak influence.
Think of upright cards as fully realized facets of a circumstance, subject, or character. Cards that are reversed point to a personality trait or aspect of life that needs work.
The positive aspects of life that are going smoothly tend to be addressed by upright cards. Reversals may be a sign of problematic or difficult aspects.
The Point: Reversals frequently serve to make the current situation more clear. Consider viewing reversals as areas you need to improve upon or qualities you need to foster, for instance, if you are conducting a reading for self-improvement.
Look at the nearby cards to understand the context. What supports the card in question and what detracts from it?
The Position: Does the reversed card represent the past or the future? Or a trait to value? Make use of this knowledge to direct your interpretation.
Does the reading have a dominant suit? What does that possibly indicate about the reversed card(s)?
How are tarot cards facing?
There is no “correct” response, as there are many questions in the Tarot. The best course of action is to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of all your options before choosing the one that feels most natural to you.
You have a choice here between dealing cards with yourself or the client facing you. This is crucial when using reversed Tarot cards since you need to be able to distinguish between the upright and the inverted cards. Therefore, be cautious to choose your strategy before you lay down the cards.
Dealing the Cards to Face You
It is simpler to read the cards if they are dealt face you. It happens frequently that an image will attract your attention and communicate a certain tale, which you can then share with your client. If the card is upright, the image will seem differently and might convey a different message than if it is inverted. Therefore, facing the cards allows you to witness the story as it is being told.
In addition, I think it’s crucial for you, the reader, to see the cards as they are being set out rather than your client because it is you who will be giving the cards their meaning. Similar like trying to read a book upside-down to a young child, it is possible, but it is more challenging!
When a tarot card is pulled from the deck, what does that mean?
An old tarot proverb states that if something falls to the ground, it is at the door. Typically, we interpret this to mean that when a card is drawn from the deck, it signifies an impending event.
Can you interpret Tarot cards on your own?
It’s normal to be a little clumsy when you first start practicing the tarot. Tarot study is similar to learning a new languageit takes time to become proficient. But what happens if you no longer require the booklet and have intimate familiarity with the deck? Are you able to read yourself? No, except in a few rare cases. Simply put, it’s a horrible idea.
You see, the majority of us turn to astrology or tarot when we’re looking for clarity during a period of ambiguity. Tarot card interpretation is subject to our consciousness, as opposed to astrology, which is extraordinarily technical. Working with your personal interpretation of the cards, you are not constrained by short- and long-term cycles like the planets’ orbits. It can be challenging to look beyond your current circumstances when using the tarot to better understand a trying situation. Even if all the cards are spread out in front of you, putting them together requires such a broad perspective that it is all but impossible to fully understand the meaning of each card. Basically, any biases you already have will always be reflected in your tarot reading!
How can the shuffle of the tarot cards be reversed?
There are many various ways to shuffle the Tarot cards, despite the fact that it may appear to be very straightforward at first glance. Here are a few examples:
The most typical approach to shuffle a deck of cards is in this manner. Shuffle the cards in the main deck from one side to the other while holding the deck in one hand.
The deck should be divided into numerous piles, then the piles should be reassembled.
After placing the cards face-down on the table, spread them out into a large, jumbled pile with your hands. Bring the cards back together into a single pile after that.
Which approach is thus the best one? So, give them a try and decide which works best for you. In your readings, you might also combine different approaches. As an illustration, I shuffle overhand, divide the deck into three piles, turn one pile 180 degrees, reassemble the piles, and shuffle once more.
You might be curious as to why I rotate a stack 180 degrees. That’s because I deal with reversed cards and prefer to shuffle them while turning them both upright and reversed.
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.
Do you reverse-read oracle cards?
Oracle cards that are turned over need not be interpreted as reversals. The reader’s choice in this matter is often their own. While reading reversals in tarot is common, only a few oracle decks are made specifically for this purpose. Reversals are frequently perceived as a roadblock by those who read the cards.
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
- Doing readings for others
- 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.
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.
