Should you use reversals?

The reason I don't use reversals is because they don't fit in with the way I prefer to use the Tarot. For me, they are completely unnecessary because as keys to the subconscious and Higher Self, the cards are complete in themselves without having positive and negative aspects.

I read reversals for 1 or 2 card draw, but feel it is not necessary in 3 or more cards drawing.

closrapexa said:

Like clarifying cards, I find them a type of crutch, and a needless one at that. There is nothing a reversed card can tell you that an upright one can't. On the contrary, a reversed card limits your perception to a vague, small part of a card that is already whole and complete. While one may get results from it, I find it simple bad form, a kind of cheating that does more harm than good. If reading upright cards according to context is difficult, the answer isn't to "give up" and use reversals. More study is needed of the intricacies of the cards.

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I do feel like people should do whatever works for them lol but I like your honesty and I can admit I agree with you wholeheartedly. I don't understand why it's standard to read reversals in the tarot world.

It seems this debate always winds up a little contentious: the "anything goes" crowd against the strict literalists. Since I have a foot in both camps, I think I'll just turn the cards sideways and read them as 90 degrees out from how I would normally see them, sort of split the difference. It wouldn't surprise me if that's more accurate than either of the other options

You can use whatever method you want. No one can tell you what works best for you. But reversals work very well for me and are always quite fitting with the reading. They tell me that there are blockages or negative extractions from the cards that need to be taken into consideration.

Some people say that they don't use reversals because they can't read upside down, which makes me laugh. Just take note that the card was reversed and then flip it upright -- from there, take into consideration that there might be some blockages or extremes of the card (i.e. Six of Cups Rx -- being trapped in the past as opposed to just looking back admiringly).

Whether you use reversals or not, I think a reader should be mindful that every card has a wide range of meanings to it -- negative, positive, blocked, repressed, extremes etc. So the reader must find a way, if not reversals, to compensate for not using inversions (elemental dignities, intuition, etc.)

There was a thread on here with a reader who didn't use reversals who got the Six of Wands, Page of Cups, and Ace of Wands when asked if she should "spill her guts" about how she felt about a good friend of hers.

She took those cards to mean a green light (they are rather lovely cards), but she ended up being heartbroken with the guy running away. Had she taken into consideration that those cards were ill-dignified or at least could have blockages, she would have read them as "I will end up feeling rejected (Six of Wands Rx + Page of Cups Rx) and nothing will spark from this friendship (Ace of Wands Rx)" Not "Go for it! You'll feel on top of the world (Six of Wands), he will accept your proposal (Page of Cups)and be flattered, and there will be passion sparked (Ace of Wands)"

So you shouldn't have to use anything. Use what works for you, but again, I would suggest using a method that takes the blockages of said card into consideration, too.

kell said:

Like some others have said, there are no 'shoulds'. Whatever feels right for you. And it doesn't have to be an 'always' or 'never'.

As long as I set the intention before the reading, I find whatever cards come up answers the question.

My advice would be: relax, set your intention, and know the cards will answer.

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I agree, except that I don't always follow the intent of the deck creator. I only read the Thoth deck upright, but I may or may not use Elemental Dignities with it as intended. The first time I use a new deck I usually just read it upright, in order to get a feel for its perspective - how it gives me the message. Mostly I use reversals with decks with which I'm already comfortable. If I'm using the book as an "oracle" (deriving the message largely from the book) then I'll read upright/reversed as the authors have intended.

When interpreting reversals with the decks with which I'm comfortable doing so, I always consider first the upright meaning and then consider how the card is 'not acting as usual.'

I think I just hit the "ring pass not" barrier on my enthusiasm for using reversals.

I've been developing a large life-reading spread (23 cards) built on my adjustments to Eden Gray's "sephirotic Trumps" model, and just ran a trial reading with the spread. The write-up came to five typewritten pages: an 11-card "Tree of Life"-style storyline; two six-card "side stories" - one for supporting action and the other for underlying contemplation on the matter; nine 3-card "qualifying" combinations between the main storyline and the parallel side stories; a 2-card "social interaction" combination (mainly because I had no place to stick Aries and Libra in the model) and two optional 3-card combinations amplifying the outcome in terms of emotional and material satisfaction.

Needless to say, there is already plenty of detail here (including a number of less positive indications) without introducing reversals. The broad view of a life reading seems to be somewhat impervious to their potency, kind of like the Lenormand Grand Tableau. The lesson seems to be "the larger the spread, the less likely reversals are to add a lot of value." I might still use them for the main story-line in the future, though, just not for the qualifiers.

I also mainly use a Kabbalistic spread which doesn't really allow for either reversals or EDs. EDs I use mainly when doing a sequential spread like the OOTK, which of course isn't often. Reversals wouldn't really fit in a Tree of Life, not only because of too much information (too much, actually) but because they fit more in the Qlippothic sense, and I don't use those either (all existence is pure joy).

closrapexa said:

I also mainly use a Kabbalistic spread which doesn't really allow for either reversals or EDs. EDs I use mainly when doing a sequential spread like the OOTK, which of course isn't often. Reversals wouldn't really fit in a Tree of Life, not only because of too much information (too much, actually) but because they fit more in the Qlippothic sense, and I don't use those either (all existence is pure joy).

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I hadn't thought of it that way, but I agree. You've just convinced me to not use reversals with this spread.

Enlightenment23 said:

There was a thread on here with a reader who didn't use reversals who got the Six of Wands, Page of Cups, and Ace of Wands when asked if she should "spill her guts" about how she felt about a good friend of hers.

She took those cards to mean a green light (they are rather lovely cards), but she ended up being heartbroken with the guy running away. Had she taken into consideration that those cards were ill-dignified or at least could have blockages, she would have read them as "I will end up feeling rejected (Six of Wands Rx + Page of Cups Rx) and nothing will spark from this friendship (Ace of Wands Rx)" Not "Go for it! You'll feel on top of the world (Six of Wands), he will accept your proposal (Page of Cups)and be flattered, and there will be passion sparked (Ace of Wands)"

So you shouldn't have to use anything. Use what works for you, but again, I would suggest using a method that takes the blockages of said card into consideration, too.

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See now that bothers me. Let's say she had decided not to read reversals and told that to the cards beforehand. Now even if she has shuffled in a manner she gets a reversal, she ain't gonna read it reversed. Or she is going to make sure all cards are upright before drawing any.

In any case, if the person decides not to read reversals, with the lovely cards as you put it, how on earth would they feel (until of course they are highly and accurately intuitive, but then why would they use cards at all?) that these "positive" cards are spelling disaster? They are bound to take it as a positive, right?

Just like yesterday, I did a reading where someone asked "Are they falling in love with me?" and a card we got upright Page of Cups + 2/Cups. Now I am also reading reversals. But in general, let's not consider the immaturity etc that comes attached with these two cards -- as an answer to the question, wouldn't you consider 2/Cups as a YES to "falling in love"? I would, at least as a beginner. Otherwise, this won't make any sense.

Doesn't this make you question the cards? I'm sorry if I'm pressing any buttons here, but I'm genuinely curious.

BEM