reversals, should we or should we not?

starrystarrynight

As a rule, I don't use reversals anymore. When I started reading, I did (even though it made it daunting to learn, and I was quite a young teenager when I first became interested in the metaphysical.) But a few years ago, I acquired the Thoth deck which doesn't use reversals. I read with that one exclusively for quite awhile. Then, when I moved on to other decks, I never went back to using reversals.

I do feel that one can read quite well without using reversals--there are enough cards [read] upright to spring one's intuition into action, I think.

I do sometimes find myself considering what "other" card, if it had turned up in the position, would carry more meaning or lean a reading more toward the way I am seeing the whole of it and question why that card hadn't appeared in the spot. That makes me question whether or not I am to read the more positive or negative (or blocked) meaning of the card I'm looking at or the spread as a whole. It usually all comes together that way without having any reversals in the deck.
 

Seafra

Lately I've been getting a few spacefic cards reveresed a lot and I think they're blocking me from reading.[/QUOTE]

Have you tried reading off those cards that keep showing up? Tarot has always amazed me as I watch one or two cards that show up often move their way around my layouts until they disappear, cycle their way out, if you will. I find they represent a type of theme regarding the area I'm exploring.

Am helping a few young women get acquainted with tarot and they are amazed as their cups move around their layout. When, do you suppose, I should bluntly tell them that they are in love with love?!? lol - Sea
 

sleepingcat

Seafra said:
Lately I've been getting a few spacefic cards reveresed a lot and I think they're blocking me from reading.

Have you tried reading off those cards that keep showing up? Tarot has always amazed me as I watch one or two cards that show up often move their way around my layouts until they disappear, cycle their way out, if you will. I find they represent a type of theme regarding the area I'm exploring.

Am helping a few young women get acquainted with tarot and they are amazed as their cups move around their layout. When, do you suppose, I should bluntly tell them that they are in love with love?!? lol - Sea[/QUOTE]

Naw, it's like I can feel them doing that postivly irritating thing where some one puts their hand on your forhead at arm's length and you cant go forward. It's the hirophant and the high preistess doing it to me. They want me to work for it, but they arent going to tell me what they want me to do. -.-; "If you have to ask them I'm not going to tell you" deal and the clarifers or having some one else do the spread for me results in gibberish.

Usually reversals come clearer to me than non reversed, I can suspend what I think I'm looking at for a moment and actually see the picture. >.>; Not hanged-man at alllll.
 

raeanne

Hi all,
You might want to do a Search on the topic of 'reversals'. This has been talked about over and over again. Personally I'm not big on using words like 'should' and 'shouldn't'. As far as I know there is no such thing as the Tarot Police. If I want to use reversals, I am welcome to use them. If I don't want to use them, well, that's fine too. It is just personal preference, nothing more.
 

Dolphin_Dreamer

Hi all

I been using reversals since the day I began reading tarot 23 yrs ago. I don't tend to see or read all reversals as a neg form of the upright version and I've found that often times even the neg view doesn't necessarily mean it's negative for the reading. If taken in light of the reading, it usually adds a dimension or better explains what is going on. I've had 1 person tell me I shouldn't use the reversals and that persons wasn't too keen on the fact that I picked her deceptions up so well in the cards, the pendulum and my own abilities. Since reading some of the threads on reversals in this forum I did start to add the idea that a reversal just merely means that the lesson of the previous card is still a focus, again it adds another dimension to the meaning possibly and found that my original way or the new may apply better. I can't say I do readings to just tell ppl what they want to hear, or how they want to hear it, cause sometimes and more often then not, it's the blunt truth they need to learn.

In retrospect tho, if I were to follow different rules (ie not using reversals or going back to the lesson of the previous card), then I don't think the reading I did for person who was bothered by my finding her deceptions would have turned out so well, nor in other readings would I have been able to help the ppl as accurately as I did.

As an aside I have noticed that the cards, how they fall, often tends to follow my style or interps at the time (but sometimes not often the client's beliefs). IE When I first started out I was more strictly following the book interps, in later years using diff books & diff interps. I found that my old interps didn't fit when I 'updated' my meanings, my beliefs etc.

Basically I'll second raeanne with my explanation lol
 

SunChariot

I use reversals...sometimes. I never use them to mean the opposite of the upright card, or the negative side if a positive card.

I have two methods that I have tried for reversals:
1) I usually use them to show a delay or a blockages, meaning the energy of the upright card is there trying to manifest itself but there is something in the way stopping it. That usually means that the events described by the card will happen, but it will take a while. The querent will have to wait and be patient. Unless they can find what they blockage is and remove it,which can often be done.

2) I have also used reversals to show inner processes, with the upright card showing outer processes. This has worked well for me. I once did a reading about someone who was stressed. And got a card called Retreat in my Osho Zen Tarot. As it was reversed that shows that the person had retreated too much into her own mind, had become too introspective, "what iffing" .... and she needed to focus more on other things. If Retread had been upright, it could have meant that she should get away of a vacation/retreat.

As for reading the cards upside down, I never do that. When all the cards are drawn, I write down what landed where, which were reversed or upright, then I turn all the reversed cards upright again and read them normally, with the added meaning of whichever of the two methods I am using that day.

So no, I don't find it old-fashioned. I have found, for me, both those methods have added meaning to my readings at the times I have used them.

Bar
 

Seafra

Thought I'd give a few cup examples of opposites I use. These come easily to mind and offer an alternative which can differ totally from upright. For me
they hold meanings that aren't represented in the Upright versions of any of the cards. I use RWS and these are quick thoughts:

Ace cups: Can't "feel"
2 of cups: connection is missed
3 of cups: friends fail or there's too much "sipping" going on (not an addiction as in Devil, just going overboard with pleasure)
4 of cups: gets a notion re cup handed (a version of the Ace, but represents alot of thought re situation first, feeling doesn't come from nowhere, comes from knowledge of past)
5 of cups: turns and sees the two remaining cups
6 of cups: living in the past; altering past to make it "happier"
7 of cups: Veil is lifted, a choice is made and perhaps a goal defined.
8 of cups: not time to leave yet, situation still gives emotional fulfillment
9 of cups: WAY too much good times and an over indulgence as in taking advantage of hospitality, that sort of thing Often, someone's getting fat ;)
10 of cups: ouch, loss is felt in many areas but most often with "family feeling"

For what it's worth there are a few off the top of my head; minor cups, stark as the descriptions are. These have for the most part been found through trial and error, which is how I learned. Reversals call to me, tell me to think, think, think. Pay attention, something's wrong, this situation could be altered, etc.

Also, when reading for ppl who find the cards so difficult to manipulate physically I have them spread them once and again, over and over, on my (clean) hardwood floors, open-palmed, so I get reversals every time even though it truly isn't my intent.

I don't understand the "reversal for or against" that I have found here, and really didn't know there was such a thing. I've just done what's best for my insight and my reading.

- Sea
 

Dolphin_Dreamer

Hi Seafra
Seafra said:
I don't understand the "reversal for or against" that I have found here, and really didn't know there was such a thing. I've just done what's best for my insight and my reading.
Hehe are you an Andromeda fan? (The name made me think of that :party:)

IMHO I agree, I think the best thing to do is to follow what works for you (not that you won't find me trying to do what works for someone else :angel:) For me, as I said previously, the card will often follow your own style and hopefully your style won't be 'over ridden' by someone elses desire.

I find 'the for or against' idea much the same as going to conventional school. There are many who will do/teach things according to an accepted manner and we often are 'conditioned' that way, especially since it's a good fall back when we are stumped. (analogy: math, doing multiplication the long way as opposed to the quick intuition-like answer or just writing it down.) It's been a 'fight' in school for years, some teachers will accept the answers even if they can't see where it comes from, while others won't especially in the beginning years.

And how flukey is it that many chose to do things in secret, much the same as tarot and extra abilities, healing psy etc. :angel: The same with Art and English. Some ppl won't accept what they don't know/see or hasn't been accepted by a 'superior' or commonly said by a book/authority.

I may be wrong, and I'm not sure if others have found this, is that the cards sometimes follow necessity. ie the type of answer to be portrayed. Sometimes trying to get the reader or querent out of a mindset --strange that often is the case when we don't understand what the cards are saying. In other words they don't follow 'assumption' (do not assume for it makes an ass out of u and me hehe) and often not convention. I pay attention when I see the heirophant upright or reversed as that often points to either assumption or don't assume (it's just what it means to me as opposed to the wording the books tend to use). ie you can safely assume (upright) or not (rev'd).

That all being said, my belief is that many eventually, when using the cards find their knowing whether it be the 'fast track' but we all end up 'doing' it in some way or form eventually (by pictures, words, feelings, assumption...), just I think, one is taught and the other is gleaned (sloppy words :confused:). And many discount their knowings/ideas because conventional ppl either don't agree or it's new to others.

PS Seafra, I love your write up of the cups.

PPS In short this is what I like about forums like this is: it is a look at what we might not realize is an issue for another, altho it does teach and often adheres to conformity, and somewhat tries to make a system out of something that is somewhat dependent on individual style and events.
 

Grizabella

coyoteblack said:
I think if you dont use reversals( I do not) then make sure there is a position in the spread where the negative can come out .

This is a good point. I don't use reversals because I don't find them necessary, but if you don't use them and you're not able to read the negatives when you're doing a reading, then providing a position or two within the spread where you can see them is an excellent idea.

I find that my intuition and the cards drawn will tell me what's negative without using either reversals or a position for it, usually. That comes with time, though, so providing a position is a great idea if you're new to the cards or you find it difficult to see negatives.
 

Aladdin

Reversals etc.

I always try hard to keep cards upright when shuffling. If any do appear reversed then i try to glean the significance of this. Have always found the first thought to enter my mind tends to be the most accurate.
This is a fascinating subject. Recently i've done a series of spreads regarding the disappeared little Madeleine Mc Cann. The only reversed card (so far) was the Sun. My immediate thought was that she is being kept in a place where the sun doesn't easily reach. Also that this indicates a delay in finding her and that there is a strong possibility of a a Leo man involved in this.