pendulum vs one card reading

[Tanga]

...A reversal of definition seems natural to me. For example, an upright card is balanced, and a reversed card unbalanced in my system.

Sure. But interpretation doesn't have to be "fixed" to that.
Depends on the subject matter and one's intuition in the moment IMO.

 

[CrystalSeas]

Curious to know how you read reversals. A reversal of definition seems natural to me. For example, an upright card is balanced, and a reversed card unbalanced in my system.

I learned using an older tradition where reversals were related, but separate, meanings for each card. So there is no binary "upright = balanced, opposite of balance is unbalanced, therefor reversed = unbalanced".

Instead, after learning the basic upright meanings, I was taught the basic reversed meanings. Sometimes that meaning was the opposite, sometimes it was simply a less intense version of the upright meaning, sometimes it brings out and strengthens elements that are suppressed in the upright meaning.

Many people have adopted a simpler way of reading reversals, such as reversed=opposite or reversed=the upright energy is blocked. Whatever system works for you is the one you should use.

But if a system isn't working as well as you hoped, it might be time to adopt a broader system of reading reversals

 

[nisaba]

I have this conversation in another forum.

<smile> And it's been asked many times here.

Can the tarot be used for yes/no questions with the right mindset?

It *can*, but Tarot is chatty and talks about things.

A positive card may not be a yes, and a negative card may not be a no.

Imagine a case where a client asks a yes/no about a relationship with someone they desire. They might think a positive card would be a yes, but what if a potential relationship between them would lead to violence and misery? Then a positive card might indicate that they narrowly escape getting into a bad relationship, whilst a negative card might indicate that they end up with that person, and spend years regretting it and trying to escape.

So use a pendulum. And if you are so very addicted to Tarot cards, take the Ace of Pentacles/Coins out of your deck. Hold it between two fingers high above your reading-table and drop it onto the table, flicking it to put a bit of spin on it. If it lands face-up, that's a yes, whether the outcome of a yes is positive or negative. If it lands back-up, that's a no, even if a no is positive in the situation.

Or just ask questions about the nature of a situation, which Tarot is really good at, not yes/no questions. It's easy enough. In the example I gave above, you might ask for three cards to describe how life will be if you do get involved with that person, and three more to describe how life will be if you don't get involved with that person.