Do you use reversals?

[shelikes2read]

... I didn't really get the hang of it until i read mary greer's "complete book of tarot reversals". i love how she gives us permission to just make it up as we go.

LOL, that's something for me to look forward to... I just got this book a few days ago and I'll be reading it after I finish with the "Professional Tarot" book that I ordered at the same time.

I understand the concept of "make it up as you go", though. Whenever I go blank on the "standard" meanings of a card in a spread, for lack of a better word, I take that as a sign that the card's meaning in that particular reading is something a little outside the normal range of meanings.

At that point, I look hard at the card, particularly at the illustration (as my decks are either RWS or RWS-clones), and ask, "What does this card mean to me, right now, at this moment in time?" The answer is, normally, a reasonable one, and I go with that.

Then when I'm done with the reading, I go look the card up to remind myself what its traditional meanings include.

 

[shelikes2read]

Oops. Did you know that if you hit the "back" button one too many times, you might end up sending a duplicate post?

I didn't know that. I know it now.

 

[caridwen]

I never shuffle for reversals but sometimes I get a reversed card anyway and I pay special attention to that card. I think my 'reversed' cards are jumpers - they leap from the deck saying look at me!!! And I do

I'm getting to the point though, where I think reversals might be useful but for some reason I fear them, at least that's what I think is holding me back...

 

[Depereo]

I don't read with reversals at all, for a few reasons. Mainly because I just don't like the way the cards look upside down. It just looks wrong to me, and I can't read normally when there's an upside down card sticking in the corner of my vision and my thoughts. I also believe like many others seem to after reading this thread, that the cards can have a 'reversed' meaning even if they're not physically reversed. I did try reading with reversals for a while, and it disrupted my readings more than added to them, so I'm just gonna stick to reading upright.

 

[Sulis]

I used to read reversals but I don't anymore - don't feel as if they're needed.

That said, if a card does turn up reversed then I will pay attention to the fact that it's reversed and I will usually find that it means that the querant is somehow blocking or denying the energy of that card.

 

[firecatpickles]

I also believe like many others seem to after reading this thread, that the cards can have a 'reversed' meaning even if they're not physically reversed.

This is precisely the reason I had to stop reading reversals. Meanings can be positive or negative depending on their contexts.

KK

 

[Tara2007]

It depends on the reading

Generally, I do use them. However I voted "sometimes" because I do keep some positions as reading "upright only". For example, if I'm doing a reading about something very complex, especially those about a coming influence, I will reserve the outcome card as upright only, usually stating this out loud when I'm shuffling.

Also, I do a 5 card reading that is my own making, using it for different types of situations. I keep the first 4 about the question itself, and leave the 5th as a Special Message card. That is always read upright.

I find it to a bit harder to leave all cards upright. I was taught that if you do that you must use both positive and negative aspects about each card and I find that to be confusing for me, as a beginner/intermediate reader.

 

[Leighanna]

reversals

I use reversals because that it how I originally learned...and the cards seem to make sense. I wouldn't know how to do a reading without them...it would just seem incomplete.

 

[manda78]

i typically dont use reversals. I see Tarot as something I use to deliver to myself knowledge I already posess- it just puts it in the forefront of my mind. The ARE negative cards- if the message were meant to be a warning of some sort, then I think i would know by the whole spread- not just the presence or lack of reversals.

 

[webmuse]

Yes. I always use reversals, even when the entire reading comes up reversed and I just want to walk over to the other side of the table and pretend it isn't.

/weep