Reversals a must?

wytchwood

PsychicWitch said:
So is that how you read negative cards? I mean if the card means happiness and celebrations but i get a negative vibe, that you switch it to sadness and an unhappy celebration. Is that right? If i get a negative sense just reverse the meaning?
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The negative sides of card meanings are not literally opposite meanings to their upright counterparts, it's more like a 'twisting' of the original menaing. A 'reversed' meaning can mean the same as the upright meaning perhaps to a lesser degree, or in your example of happiness and celebrations, a negative version may indicate 'too much of a good thing' or an inability to enjoy said celebrations. Sometimes negative cards are made even worse by a reversed meaning, sometimes their impact is lessened. Try to imagine as many different twists as you can of the original meaning- perhaps write some down in a journal- and you will see how many different ways you can interpret a card.

Zoe
 

Sulis

rcb30872 said:
No, they are not a must! I don't use them, simply because I don't like them, I have tried, and for me it just makes things a bit too complicated for my liking.

As for most things, each to their own. There is no one thing that is set in stone, using reversals is a suggestion, it is not a requirement. I don't use reversals and give good readings without them!

:love:

Bec
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What she said :)
 

Sophie

I learnt with reversals, then after a couple of years switched to no reversals, because I wanted to stretch my intuition further. Then I went back to reading with reversals occasionally for others, with some decks, and finally recently, I've started using those decks to read with reversals for myself. It's not at all necessary, but I have found it useful to highlight blockages. However, I don't read reversals with all decks. I keep a couple of decks with cards reversed, the others are all upright.

Some decks - like the Thoth - I'd never read reversed because they were designed not to be read with reversals.
 

wytchwood

That's true, some decks are not used with reversals, notably the Thoth and other GD decks- many are even designed with a one-way-up pattern on the back. That reminds me of something odd I noticed about the Sacred Circle deck. The book gives instructions for using reversals but the backs only go one way up. Obviously you could get round this a number of ways, but it struck me as a bit strange. I love that deck though, and the 'reversed' meanings are excellent, offering a number of different ways to interpret the cards.

I keep meaning to try using reversals, but I can't help thinking I will return to my current method. I don't want to dismiss reversals without giving them a try.

Zoe
 

Daizdy

Personally, I read reversals. I think it makes the reading more concise. I've tried reading using only upright cards and the reading seems more vague to me. Of course, as the others have mentioned, surrounding cards determine whether a card has a more reversed meaning but using reversals makes the negative aspect stand out on its own. There is no deciding whether it should be read reversed or upright. When one lays a spread and stands back to look at it, these negative aspects stand out and are more easily applied to the reading.

Of course, what feels comfortable to you is the way you should read, with them or without them...

Just my penny's worth... :)
 

Water Lady

I am pretty new, but I don't like or use reversals. I like to see the card in the upright position and I want to learn to read intuitively. I do read about the reversal position and meanings and am trying to learn to interpret the card by cards nearby with all posible interpretations.
Hard work at first here.
 

Beru

A good book on dignities is Tarot Decoded by Elizabeth Hazel.
 

Esther

I started out reading with reversals, but then I decided to take a break from them and see what happened. I've had to read a bit more intuitively, but that's probably a good thing. Right now, I'm going on a case-by-case basis. I really try to shuffle intuitively, and it the cards want to be turned upside down, I go with it.

As others have pointed out, context is important. Most spreads give meanings to the positions. Any card can be negative or positive, depending on the situation and its position.
 

BLFO

Yeah, I had two people (not on AT) that told me that they would not help me interprete a few cards, because not using reversals makes my spread reading be in error.

I don't like using reversals, because I can't tell if I am suppose to use 1. reverse meaning, 2. saying that the situation is almost becoming the upright meaning, 3. an excess of the upright position, or 4. I have seen some people use the reverses to mean the upright of a previous card. For instance, I get a 5 Wands Reverse actually means 4 Wands. And Empress Reverse, actually means Magician.

Too many variables in reverses that it will confuse me more. Besides, i don't like the look visually of seeing the card upside down. It is like reading a book upsided down. It strains my eyes.
 

SunChariot

BLFO said:
Yeah, I had two people (not on AT) that told me that they would not help me interprete a few cards, because not using reversals makes my spread reading be in error.

I don't like using reversals, because I can't tell if I am suppose to use 1. reverse meaning, 2. saying that the situation is almost becoming the upright meaning, 3. an excess of the upright position, or 4. I have seen some people use the reverses to mean the upright of a previous card. For instance, I get a 5 Wands Reverse actually means 4 Wands. And Empress Reverse, actually means Magician.

Too many variables in reverses that it will confuse me more. Besides, i don't like the look visually of seeing the card upside down. It is like reading a book upsided down. It strains my eyes.
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Yeah, I know three ways to use reversals and none of them are the ways you mentioned. LOL

If you ever want to use them, all you need to do it pick one (pick the method that seems to you like it would give you the best answers or add the most valuable information to your readings) and stick with it. The cards will understand your intention and will send the answers in a form that fits into teh method you chose to use.

Bar
 
defeating the Three of Swords 5 of pentacles for impressions