So I have no doubt at ALL that I am opening up one heck of a can of worms on this one, but this is definitely one of the sort of subjects that I kind of joined the forum to ask since it's been kind of percolating in my brain the last few weeks. I also didn't see a thread on this super recently when I did a search but if I missed it, my bad!
The thing is that I, to date, have never read with reversals. It always seemed, to me, to be somewhat disruptive to the reading, even possibly making the images harder to interpret because they're upside down. On top of that, I always liked to keep my decks neat and orderly. On top of THAT, while I'm very much a fan of believing in the fate of things when it comes to the cards (ie, I always take into account cards that drop out of my hands, etc.) the idea that I could get more or less upright or reversed cards depending on how I picked up the deck just seemed too arbitrary to me.
Now, I've always read the cards using proximity and relationships of location to help augment the cards and help me figure out which shades and echoes of the meanings and associations are really the most pertinent. But it was only really recently, reading through a few more books and by extension, reading through a few example readings, that the idea of reversals really seemed all that attractive or useful to me as a prospect. Mostly because they've been very clear to treat it as a subverted or on-it's-head version and/or using it as an indication that the energy of that particular card has been stymied as opposed to giving it what seems like a whole new meaning, which fits my brainspace better. Obviously everything with the tarot has a lot of subjectivity to it, but the explanation I've found more recently just jives better than the stuff I read earlier.
But, while I do want to grow as a reader, those original points still stand to some degree. So I suppose I was wondering how people felt about the concept of reversals in general, how they tend to deal with them in a greater deck sense (do you shuffle them straight up and let fate accidentally reverse them? mix them all up on the table and see what ends up flipped? bridge the cards so that they're practically 50/50 at one point?) and if, say, they'd feel it's disrespectful to the cards or to the messages to, after NOTING that a card is reversed, perhaps manipulating it to see the images more easily.
I'm still sort of warming up to it but I'd love to hear people's thoughts (now that I've rambled for four paragraphs).
Here are my thoughts and opinions, as requested.
First of course reversals are never necessary. It really is about personal preference, but you can read by whichever method you choose and the cards will send you the answer using that method.
Also I totally agree that it would be disruptive to have to try to read upside down cards. As as lot of the meaning from directly from the card images, that would not work for me either. I DO usually use reversals, but I DO NOT read them upside down. Once all the cards for the reading are chosen I then write down which ones were reversed and upright them once again. All the cards are upright when I actually read them, but I use the reversed MEANINGS for the ones which came up reversed.
I can take notes because I only read online. But if I had to read in person I think I would just stick a marker (like a poker chip of something) next to the reversed cards to remind myself which one they are, then upright them all and start the reading.
There are many many ways and methods to use reversals. if it calls to you at the moment and it interests you, to me the best thing is to experiment. When it is calling to you, that too is your intuition calling. And I always say when it comes to Tarot, always follow your intuition.
That was my first method of using reversals too. A reversed card would say that the energy of the upright card was present and trying to assert itself...but that something was blocking it and delaying the event from occuring. That left the querent with 2 choices. IF the event was something they want to happen, we could then ask how to remove the blockage so it was free to flow our way. IF the event was not something they wanted, we could then ask how to block it permanently and prevent it from happening. But that method left 2 choices.
I've also used reversals in relationship readings to specify between the 2 people in the relationship. Upright = the querent, reversed = the other. This can be very handy sometimes in questions like....If you asked what will happen in the future between the two people and you got The Empress upright and the Chariot reversed, for example. These could say that the querent will feel caring, nurturing and the desire to do for the other. But the other person will have difficulties with it. Maybe feeling smothered or something. But you get the drift. You can use reversals to specify WHICH partner the cards want to talk about.
Or sometimes I have used reversals to specify between what is going on inside the querent vs coming from outside them. Upright = the querent. Reversed = coming from outside them.
Eg The Lovers upright would talk about loving feelings they are feeling for someone. The Lovers reversed would talk about loving feelings someone else is feeling for them. Or sometimes even the love-based energy in the world around them.
I even find reversals the easiest way to do yes/no questions. Simple. Upright = yes, reversed = no.
And of course you are always free to invent your own methods to do anything you want in Tarot, including reversals. Whatever works for you, works for you. Wherever it came from.
Babs
