Reversed cards

[koolchick]

I know there aare quite a few threads on this which I have read through. I am quite new to tarot I know roughly what each card means on its own I am doing simple spreads like 3 card spread and the cross spread which uses 6 cards.

At the minute I am not using reversals I understand what a card means depends on where it is in a spread ect. I guess if a card is in a position that means things working against you, you read the more negative side of the card and if the position is things working for you, you read the positive side of the card.

My question is say for the out come of a situation which could be good or bad how do you know what part of the card to read, does it depend on the overall spread like if it seems to be a good spread read the outcome as good and if spread is bad read outcome as bad. What if half is good and half is bad then how you know what outcome is.

Also what is the positive sides to 9 and 10 of swords I can only find negative meanings other than 10 of swords means things can only get better which is not that good. thanks for any help.

 

[Fulgour]

hi koolchick

Here is how I think it may work...not using reversals,
the cards that do appear will then be the right ones.

Rather than reverse an upright, let the cards tell you
from an upright position ~ any 'reversals' are there.

As far as positive meanings for such cards as 9 & 10
of Swords ~ many traditions view them as positive!

I have a book by Sergius Golowin with good meanings
for these, at leat upright! (hahaha) Yes, his book has
reversed meanings too... Tarot is a funny place to be.

 

[Lady Orchard]

I used to see some cards as solely negative but realise now that isn't the case at all. There's a positive spin on every card. For 10 of swords, like you said, things will get better - you won't be defeated. There's a real strength in that one I think.
As for the 9 of swords - I see it as a message to stand up to our self perceived failures. I say self perceived because they may only be a result of our own expectations anyway, and we can break out of the prison of our own making. Once we have the courage to do that, then we can start to rise back up like in the 10 of swords.

 

[Dolphin_Dreamer]

I guess if a card is in a position that means things working against you, you read the more negative side of the card and if the position is things working for you, you read the positive side of the card.

That's not always tru. Say you ask about school... and Ace of cups comes up in what is working against you. That would mean that your new love interest or even just your openness to emotions are working against you, not always does it refer to not being emotionally open or a negative in your emotional flow. If you always have your mind on academics then being too open emotionally would be the drawback...
Now if you were working on your relationship and the Ace of cups came up, that would be good hehe

My question is say for the out come of a situation which could be good or bad how do you know what part of the card to read, does it depend on the overall spread like if it seems to be a good spread read the outcome as good and if spread is bad read outcome as bad. What if half is good and half is bad then how you know what outcome is.

I have always used reversal, so I really had a hard time fathoming how someone would do readings not using reversals. My only guess is intuition or strong extra abilities. I have been finding that this method http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=47484&page=2&pp=30&highlight=reversals+previous+card I have been using more and more lately and I find it quite accurate and less confusing.

Also what is the positive sides to 9 and 10 of swords I can only find negative meanings other than 10 of swords means things can only get better which is not that good. thanks for any help.

Well yes the 9 of swords is much more difficult to put a spin on. Like the death card, many view it as negative, but it is healing nonetheless. It holds the meaning of giving a focus to someone who might be totally lost (docs or those with the know, have no answers), a sign to look deeper or shift your view cause you are focusing on what is lost and disregarding your own strong points (so it also directs you to focus on self or inside rather than taking on other's probs or being thier sounding board) and the thing I like is it directs you to turn sorrow into possibilities! 9 of swords is when we turn our sorrows into wisdom. So it can be a good sign of a turning point that we often miss cause we get weighted down by society and it's pain and then neglect to assess our own or rather we don't see our strong points or use them as seeds or 'the wind in our sails'.

The 10 is like the death card in some senses. The death advocates change in a broader sense, the 10 of swords more focuses on change in the intellectual/intuitive sense and points to the negative side of ego (not all ego is bad) and also, like the reverse of the devil, releases you from obsession and illusions but in an intellectual sense.

I hope this helps...

 

[Brammetje]

Only seldomly do I use reversals...

It makes me put all reversed cards in the right position before a new reading: and most of the time I am so carefull shuffling that hardly any appear reversed.

For me the position of the cards work better. In my view the
outcome becomes probable in relation to all other cards in the spread and the meaning of their positions.