Reversals can mean a few different things in tarot readings, however many readers don’t use them (but more on that later). To make understanding the notion of reversals a little bit simpler, I’m rating these options from the most straightforward to the most difficult (fingers crossed).
You should pay them more attention. Reversed cards are placed in an unusual manner, making them “scream for you to notice them.” They merit a second look, a moment of extra thought, and perhaps some loud ALL CAPS if you’re performing a written reading.
They need to reverse their definition. You must interpret the cards’ intended meanings in an upside-down manner because they are reversed. Now what?
I’ll attempt to simplify this for you:
The Fool typically refers to someone who is naive and willing to take chances. Reversed, the Fool refers to someone who constantly takes additional precautions and is worried. Receiving a reversed card entails receiving one that has been turned 180 degrees around.
I think it could be a little difficult to use this method everywhere. Every tarot card has a variety of meanings, as you may have discovered if you’ve ever read a tarot guidebook. How then can you precisely know which Tarot card meaning to apply and turn around when you draw a reversed card? Sincerely, I don’t know. LOL. And there therein lies the issue.
This is also a little difficult for me to accept because it implies that in addition to knowing the meanings of all 78 tarot cards and their corollaries, you also need to know both their exact opposites and the precise opposites of those opposites. This requires you to study a minimum of 156 tarot card meanings all at once, according to the calculations. More power to you if that makes your heart leap with excitement.
Their “shadow meaning” manifests in them. According to my understanding, the “light side” of a tarot card is the positive, upbeat, and cheerful side. On the other hand, the “shadow side” is the grim, ominous, and presumptive “negative definition.
The High Priestess is extremely perceptive and has an innate ability to read people and emotions on “bright days.” Her intuition is confused on “shadowy days, and it almost seems like static interferes with all the insights she professes to be pulling.”
Once more, I think this approach to reading reversals presents some challenges because nobody can be certain whether anything is light or dark. Although it may seem quite philosophic, what one person perceives as dark may appear absolutely hopeful and positive to another. Blanket claims don’t always hold true.
All three of the techniques can be used simultaneously, separately, or any two of them. You have to come to your own conclusions about tarot reading because it is a highly subjective, individual activity. Reversals can be read in one of two ways.
In This Article...
What do the Tarot terms reversed and upright mean?
It’s important to pay attention to how you’re flipping a card over when you’re purposefully reading the significance of one, adds Walsh. “If you place a card face down on a table, Walsh explains, you can flip it up or sideways. The direction of the card will change if you flip it up. You might interpret a card that has been flipped up to be right side up because it was previously upside down.
What does a Tarot card that has been turned around mean?
A nice thing can typically be unhealthy in excess. Similar to life, balancing is typically the most tranquil state for all of us in tarot. Consider a card with a generally positive theme, like the six of cups. Standing upright, it might imply returning home to a warm reunion. Reversed, it could imply that the one asking the question is too caught up in the past and perhaps finds it challenging to be in the present. Although the fundamental meaning of this card remains the same, the reversed tarot card in this instance is useful in emphasizing that one can go too far and that doing so is typically bad to the circumstance. We can learn to live with our memories in a way that benefits us rather than hurts us if we simply turn it back a bit.
What does the Tarot word upright mean?
Congratulations!!! When the last Major Arcana card emerges in a tarot reading, you realize your present path has come to a conclusion. Your hard work has paid off, and you should be extremely pleased of what you have accomplished. It feels so fantastic to persist through challenges and keep moving forward despite whatever that may arise along the way. Recall all the difficulties along the way where you had the option of giving up. But you didn’t; instead, you persisted! You succeeded! Your dreams are now becoming a reality because you persevered through the highs and lows, gained knowledge, and acquired experience. Isn’t that fantastic? Enjoy this moment as it is yours! Enjoy this sense of personal accomplishment and achieving absolute success.
The World Upright Meaning
A long journey filled with never-ending cycles is life. We frequently start something, finish it, and then start again. And much like that famous song from so many late-’90s teen movies that played as the credits rolled once proclaimed, “Every new beginning is the culmination of a previous beginning. Yes, there is always something fresh to try, a different objective to concentrate on, and the desire to advance everything. However, occasionally we can become so engrossed in “Next, what? that we neglect to respect our past or even where we are right now. There is always a door waiting to open just as you close one. But really, what’s the rush, baby? If we are only concerned with the future, life can go by very quickly, so let’s just be here now. You have unlimited chances and the power to make anything happen. But before we tackle what is ahead, let’s first appreciate what you have accomplished.
The World Reversed Meaning
Sometimes events abruptly terminate for no apparent reason and completely beyond of our control. When a whole department at work is removed due to budget cuts, leaving you jobless, or when you get ghosted in a relationship you believed was headed somewhere promising, this can shatter your feeling of grounded reality. In these circumstances, we must face the hurt that comes from something ending before we were ready. Honor the startling disappointment you are feeling while mourning the loss of what may have been. In order to recover and move on to the next opportunity, it’s critical that you establish your own feeling of closure as you gather yourself. Because of this, there is ALWAYS something new to look forward to and be hopeful about. Keep that in mind at all times!
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.
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.
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!
How should I maintain my Tarot deck?
While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.
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. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. 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 stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. 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). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.
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.
Unorderly shuffle. 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 sign belongs to the world card?
The four living creatures (or hayyoth) of Jewish mythologya man, a lion, an ox, and an eagleare depicted as a naked woman hovering or dancing above the Earth while holding a staff in each hand and being surrounded by a wreath in both the traditional Tarot of Marseilles and the later RiderWaite tarot deck. The four creatures in this picture are utilized as symbols for the four Evangelists, just like the tetramorph in Christian art. Some astrological sources characterize these observers as beings from the animal kingdom or the natural world. Tradition has it that the Lion is an astrological symbol for the fire sign Leo, the Bull or calf for the earth sign Taurus, the Man for the air sign Aquarius, and the Eagle for the water sign Scorpio. These symbols, which stand in for the traditional four elements, are the four permanent signs.
Some wreaths have an ouroboros that is biting its own tail. This card is referred to as “The Universe” in the Aleister Crowley-created Thoth Tarot.
Is the world saying yes?
Prepare to become completely interested in something important if you’ve drawn the World card in a yes or no reading. The answer you seek is YES, provided it advances the interests of all.
