Reversed tarot cards are exactly what they sound like: you occasionally get an upside-down card rather than a card that is right side up. Additionally, the specific meanings included in reversed tarot cards may be particularly significant.
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How do you recognize a reversed Tarot card?
Do you understand the fundamentals of Tarot cards? So you’re prepared for reversals now.
Tarot cards’ upright meanings might have a whole different meaning when they are turned over. A reversed Tarot card doesn’t necessarily portend negative news, contrary to popular belief. The main message of the upright card is frequently strengthened, weakened, or otherwise redirected by reversed Tarot cards.
You must trust your intuition and consider the cards around the reversed card in order to interpret what it is trying to tell you when it appears in your Tarot reading. It might be telling you a lesson you need to learn, whether it’s good or bad or neither.
The following are the top four methods for deciphering reversed Tarot cards:
Opposite meaning of the upright Tarot card
Many people who use reversals in Tarot merely think that the information conveyed by the reversed card is the exact opposite of that of the upright card. For instance, the Devil card can represent being trapped in a reading, while the Devil card reversed can represent being set free. Although it may not always be the greatest interpretation, this is the simplest approach to read reversed Tarot cards.
Do Tarot reversals need to be read?
It basically implies that you’re missing some of the energy of the card’s turned-right-side-up meaning when you draw a reversed tarot cardwhich can happen accidentally or on purpose if you flip the deck upside down and choosebecause you’ve lost some of the energy of that meaning. 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 that you selected.)
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: “The choice of whether or not to interpret a card as a reversal is yours. You get to choose how you want to approach that trip because tarot is a very individualized discipline, and one of the things you can pick for yourself is whether or not you read reversals.” You’re learning various things depending on where in your tarot journey you are “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?
If a card is reversed, what does that mean?
Every card in a tarot deck has two meanings: the upright meaning and the inverted meaning. With the average deck having 78 cards, there are 156 meanings to become familiar with.
Concerned that you’ll spend all of your reading time engrossed in a book? Fear not, you will be able to set the book down and play with reversals on your own once you get familiar with the upright major and minor arcana meanings. 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.
Cards that are upright often refer to aspects of life that are going well and don’t require much effort. Reversals may be a sign of problematic or difficult characteristics.
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.
The Situation: Take a look at the nearby cards. What enhances and what diminishes the card in question?
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 could that possibly indicate about the reversed card(s)?
Do you deal Tarot cards?
Because the left side is connected to intuitive and receptive energy, traditional tarot readers used their left hand to shuffle the cards. For similar reasons, some people think you should deal and shuffle tarot cards with your nondominant hand. I’ve never done this, though, because I can’t shuffle with one hand!
Apparently, it takes seven precise shuffles to get a completely random tarot deck, although in all honesty, you don’t have to follow that rule. As they focus on their query, some people prefer to shuffle their tarot deck a few times, while others prefer to shuffle for at least a minute. Use a non-traditional shuffling technique if it works for you. The most crucial step is to simply shuffle the cards.
Lay some simple ground rules with yourself
Before you even pull your card, Marmanides advises you to consider what your gut feeling is telling you about the solution.
We are expected to consult the tarot guides for knowledge or direction, but we should also trust our instincts. Therefore, whether you’re performing a tarot card spread or just picking cards, you should follow the High Priestess’ advice and go inward. Concentrate on the directions you want to be led in and the feelings you already have about a specific circumstance, then channel that energy into your reading.
Are you able to read your own cards?
Is it feasible for a beginner to perform Tarot spreads on themselves? Yes! It most certainly is. Tarot is a technique that aids in deepening our understanding of the present moment, honoring our intuition, and predicting future possibilities.
How are tarot cards facing?
There is no “correct” response, as there are numerous things 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!
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 interpreted as a roadblock by those who read the cards.
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. Additionally, you might combine different approaches in your readings. 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.
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.