How do you decipher between a (+) and (-) card?

I recently picked up a book called Tarot: Plain & Simple by Anthony Louis and find it interesting that he distinguishes a difference between positive (+) cards in a spread and negative (-) cards in a spread.

For example:

"Eight of Cups Reversed: In it's positive aspect, the Eight of Cups reversed means you have succeeded in putting a difficult situation behind you and are now ready to celebrate a new phase in your life. In its' negative aspect, you may be having trouble letting go of an unsatisfactory relationship...."

a) When doing a reading, is it merely intuition that tells you whether or not a specific card should be read with the (+) connotation rather than the (-)?

b) How do you decide whether the energy is "blocked", "opposites", or "up-side down", with reference to the reversed card interpretations found here:
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/reversals/ ?

I appreciate any feedback I can get. I understand that it is probably my intuition I need to use on reading these cards, but I just want to make sure there isn't something I'm missing.

Roxy

Basically, yes, it is intuitive.

Sometimes it is also contextual. Meaning... things you already know from the question or about the person, cards aside.

As it happens, I've been doing readings lately about someone I admire and this very card comes up a lot. (Eight of cups, reversed.) I don't read reversals so I turn it over, but I know exactly why it comes up for him and that is indeed the meaning that applies. He left where he grew up in his late teens and pursued his dream, because he wanted a different kind of life and to be in a different place. He just didn't fit with where he was raised and he knew it very early on. He's had great success ever since, too. It was an excellent decision. I think he must be very strong, brave, and intuitive to have done that in such a big way, at such a young age.

In less specific cases, eight of cups usually means a need to move on to where you're appreciated and valued, and it often pops up in relationship or work related readings. So, 'reversed' it would mean you're resistant to doing so or stuck. It's usually pretty easy to tell from the question, the person or the other cards whether the person is stuck or whether it just hasn't occurred to them yet. For the latter, the card would be a message of advice.

ETA: The only thing I'd add about trying to use a system for reversals instead of intuition is that there are too many options of what system to use. When will you know which one to use? Which leaves you relying on intuition anyway, so why sit there with upside down cards in front of you? lol

As you pointed out, there's blocked, lacking, opposite (though not everything in life has an opposite), beginning, ending, looking to the card before it in the deck, etc. Many, many different options as to what a reversed card means.

Tarot is primarily about intuition once you get a handle on the basic traditional meanings so you have a base from which to work. I wouldn't downgrade that as 'merely intuitive'. It's the whole point, really.

To learn to read, you learn the alphabet, phonics and grammar; and as it turns out, later on you can read just as well even if a high percentage of the letters are not there or are out of order. Once you learn it, it's yours. It's so ingrained, it becomes instinctual. Tarot is the same way, just with images.

Hi Geminimoon87,

I will spare you from the compulsory, "The only thing Tarot books are good for is a table-leveler or fire kindler and you should just read the cards for strangers and trust your own meanings for the cards" speech.

...

Oh...I guess I kind if just gave the speech just then...sorry...

Anyway!

I suppose it all depends on how much you want to glean from the image on the card vs your own feelings. Some use a "dignifications" method which utilizes the elements associated with the cards. For example, if a wand (fire) card and a cups (water) card appear side by side or in some sort of alignment together depending on the spread you use, then the cards are negative or ill-dignified. Of course then you have to figure out what element each suit represents, and there are some books that disagree on that point. You'd also have to decide on what element each Major represents.

The problem here is that there are so many different styles floating around in these books, all of them are only slightly different and yet all seem to be based upon one another. The same tired ideas being rehashed over and over again.

If you want to base the positive or negative meaning of the card on something in the arrangement or alignment of the cards, then I suggest coming up with your own method of determining this.

The problem I have is that to label a card "positive" or "negative" is to accept an unrealistic view of reality. Tarot is about life, and in life there are more shades of grey than stark opposites.

Well just to add a different opinion, first I personally don't use reverals in that way. I use them either to show a delay or blockage, to show internal or exerrnal processes or another method that is so long to explain that I will leave it out now. But I never use reversals to mean the oppositve of the upright card or a negative version of it.

As for how I decide if the energy is blocked, IF I am using reversals to show blockages... the upright card means the energy is not blocked and the event is set to happen, the reversed card means the event is trying to happen, but something is blocking/preventing/getting in the way of it happening. Then the trick is to find out what that is (you can ask in another question) and if the event is a desired one, you ask what steps you can take to eliminate the blockage so that the event is free to manifest. I hope that makes sense. LOL

It is my belief, that there are no negative Tarot cards. They are all good and helpful and there to teach us how to live our best possible lives. There are no negative cards, to me. Even the Death card means something ending to make room for something better. And the Tower clears away a negative situation on one's life to make room for hope of the Star card that follows it.

Although in answer to what a card does mean, I do mainly rely on my intution to tell me.

Babs

I don't use reversals for the main reason that I don't want to impose a negative meaning on any card. There is good in every card and that includes the notorious ones.

When I read I lay the cards down and look at the pattern... I look for the story. There is always a story. The more experience you have the better you will be at seeing the story. So READ READ READ and not just for yourself read for whomever you can find.... write it all down and go over it later.

In the beginning I wrote out a tarot meanings journal .... I kept it with me when I read.... I had all sorts of meanings for a card.... my intuition told me which ones were on and off.... I made a couple of copies of the book and kept it with my cards. There is a page for each card. My meanings. Every now and then I look thru it.... it reminds me of what I learned.... but now when I read I just look at the cards and get lost in them.

I know you want to have a structure in learning but there will come a time when you will notice that the set meaning of the card is not what is being said.... so as you learn remember to keep an open mind and listen to the feint things thoughts that pop in your head - that is your intuition.

Because of AT I read all of the time. I sign up for COS every week and the intuitive circle etc and the oracle readings - I offer readings in the exchange. I play Mystery person which is purely intuitive and an awesome way for you to break the mold of a card... for you to see it differently.

Getting different people from different worlds and situations is key to me - then the cards will pop differently and give me a little start. I read face to face publically and then the cards really spark differently. Go for it and you will see - the more you read the richer it is.

Sometimes a card will be negative or positive because of its position in a spread. There's the second card in a Tirage en Croix, and I suppose the "this crosses you" card in the CC. (Not sure about that one, I don't use that spread.) Or for example, a three card spread for a "Should I move, or look for a new job, or shift to the new coven in town," sort of question. If the positions are 1=biggest advantage in making that change, and 2=biggest disadvantage, and 3=most important thing I need to know but don't; then I'd call the cards on positions 1 and 2 positive and negative, respectively.