Bronwyn Posted June 16 Posted June 16 I've been studying Tarot for about a year now and I've just now started to use reversals more often in my readings. I definitely see how they add more depth to a reading. I'm using Benebell Wen's WIND mneumonic (weakened energy, inverted meaning, negative effect, delay), which I find works pretty well. Just curious as to when more experienced readers felt comfortable using reversals consistently. Did you use them right from the beginning?
FindYourSovereignty Posted June 17 Posted June 17 1 hour ago, Bronwyn said: I've been studying Tarot for about a year now and I've just now started to use reversals more often in my readings. I definitely see how they add more depth to a reading. I'm using Benebell Wen's WIND mneumonic (weakened energy, inverted meaning, negative effect, delay), which I find works pretty well. Just curious as to when more experienced readers felt comfortable using reversals consistently. Did you use them right from the beginning? I tried right in the beginning, but it was actually blocking me. I only recently started trying them again and it has been years of only reading upright cards. I also like Wen's WIND approach.
Misterei Posted June 17 Posted June 17 1 hour ago, Bronwyn said: I've been studying Tarot for about a year now and I've just now started to use reversals more often in my readings. ... ...Did you use them right from the beginning? I learned back in the old days from Eden Gray book which teaches to read with reversals. When I was coming up EVERYONE read reversals and so I memorized all the reversed meanings for every card. I don't know when I got the courage to stop using them };> As I became more myself with Tarot I realized I hate seeing the artwork upside down. So I stopped using reversals and it set me free to truly develop my personal style. Nowadays I rarely use reversals, but in some special types of spreads I might use them. Usually only in simple spreads, tho. Like a 3-card significator spread or whatnot. I seldom to never use reversals on larger spreads like Celtic Cross. If I do use them, I tend to read reversals like a retrograde planet in astrology. No other system ever made sense to me.
WhelanAurenna Posted June 17 Posted June 17 I started using reversals a few years into my Tarot journey. In the beginning, I’ll admit they overwhelmed me a little. I was still building my relationship with the upright meanings, and reversed cards felt like an extra layer I wasn’t quite ready for. But over time, I noticed certain cards would land with a different kind of energy, even when upright, and I started to feel that nudge to explore the subtleties. That’s when I slowly began introducing reversals into my practice, one or two at a time, just to get a feel for how they spoke to me personally. Now, I use them when it feels right. Not every reading calls for them, but I love how they can reveal blocks, internal processes, or quieter aspects of a card’s energy. They’ve become less about "bad" or "opposite" meanings, and more about depth, tension, and reflection. I always encourage readers to follow their own rhythm. You’ll know when it’s time.
DanielJUK Posted June 17 Posted June 17 Ideally, when learning tarot, it's best to study and learn the system and the cards. It is "better" to wait until you have a basic knowledge of the system and have explored all the cards. Then try some new methods and explore if reversals work for you or not. I did learn reversals with the basics and it's really not ideal but I always included them from the start.
Chariot Posted June 17 Posted June 17 As usual with me, my tarot reading methods are driven by practical considerations. Back in the day, when I was first learning tarot, I didn't know how to riffle shuffle! 🙂 I still shuffled cards the "kid's" way ...the way my sister and I used to shuffle playing cards for card games. We just spread all the cards out face-down and smeared them around, gathered them together and dealt them. Of course many tarot cards appeared upside down using that method, and for some reason it didn't feel right to me to turn them right-side up ...so I began working with the 'opposite' meanings right away. The little white book I had (the only book I could find back then) certainly used reversals, so I used them as well. It never entered my head not to! I've expanded my interpreting method a little in the 45 years or so that I've been reading tarot, and reading ABOUT tarot, but not a lot. I still normally see a reversed card as the 'opposite' of the upright card—but I sometimes now feel a reversal can indicate the upright card's quality is simply missing. (A reversed Emperor can indicate a person who does not exercise benevolent authority (for whatever reason) ...but it can also indicate I NEED a person with upright Emperor qualities just now, and they just aren't around.) I never interpret a reversal as a more intense version of the upright card. If I tried to consider both ...opposite/missing or intensified ...I would just end up being unsure. Which meaning am I supposed to take? I don't want the card to simply be a topic to ponder. I want to know how this topic applies to the situation in the reading. I read tarot because I want reliable guidance. So I try to eliminate as much of the guesswork as possible. My cards 'know' that I don't pay attention to jumpers, that I don't read reversals as weakened or intensified versions of the upright meaning, etc. Our mutual language has been established. I do relate to @Misterei's dislike of the upside-down artwork though. But I've learned to live with it.
TarotCeline Posted June 17 Posted June 17 When? More than 30 years ago! Right from the start, I have been reading with the Majors only, 22 cards, in the upright and reversed positions. I learned from the French scholar Kris Hadar, who has written books about Tarot. He taught that the majors were about major characters, situations, and events, and should not be read with the minors. I often wonder, when people read with the majors and minors combined, if they remain fully aware that the majors carry a much more powerful energy. And if they let the majors lead the way as much as they should, in the interpretation of the reading. I have also noticed that some who read the majors solely in the upright position, do see some cards as negative, for example, The Tower and The Devil card. To me, these two cards are always extremely positive in the upright position, and only negative when they show up reversed. Some readers will also interpret these cards as a "warning" and will talk about the positive and negative sides of the card. There is no bad or good major arcana. Each major represents a powerful energy that is mastered in the upright position, or not in the reversed position. Reading the majors in the upright position only? It deprives the reader of the full spectrum of the meaning of each card. It often turns the interpretation of the reading into "maybe this or that" and creates confusion. Reading the majors in the upright and reverse positions allows the interpretation of the reading to be crystal clear. For example: If The Tower is upright in the position that represents you (the querent) in a reading, I will see a person who has the power to create something big for herself. I will not warn you that you may go too far with your drive and ambition, and "be careful that this may turn against you". I will congratulate my client for her tremendous and focused creative energy. I would do her a disservice by having her worry about what is not going to happen. Is the Tower upright? She is on the right track! For example: If the Devil card shows upright in the position of your significant other, I will see a magnetic man who has the power to influence others. I will not warn you that he can be manipulative or forceful in getting his way. That would only be the case if the Devil card showed up reversed. I will tell my client that I am not surprised she is attracted to him, as he has a lot going for himself. Isn't the Devil known to have power over the material world? I would do a disservice to my client by having her worry that he may not turn out as he seems. He shows up as the Devil upright? Her significant other has the qualities of the Devil, not his flaws. I will post how I shuffle the cards in DanielJUK's post "Shuffling with Reversed Cards."
Misterei Posted June 18 Posted June 18 (edited) 15 hours ago, Chariot said: ... a reversal can indicate the upright card's quality is simply missing. (A reversed Emperor can indicate a person who does not exercise benevolent authority (for whatever reason) ...but it can also indicate I NEED a person with upright Emperor qualities just now, and they just aren't around.)... This is an interesting take. I never thought of them that way but I get it. Now I want to experiment and see if it hits for me 😉 Edited June 18 by Misterei
Chariot Posted June 18 Posted June 18 52 minutes ago, Misterei said: This is an interesting take. I never thought of them that way but I get it. Now I want to experiment and see if it hits for me 😉 I find this happens quite often for me ...and often happens with a court card, for some reason. Not so much the other cards.
Chariot Posted June 18 Posted June 18 (edited) 10 hours ago, TarotCeline said: When? More than 30 years ago! Right from the start, I have been reading with the Majors only, 22 cards, in the upright and reversed positions. I learned from the French scholar Kris Hadar, who has written books about Tarot. He taught that the majors were about major characters, situations, and events, and should not be read with the minors. I often wonder, when people read with the majors and minors combined, if they remain fully aware that the majors carry a much more powerful energy. And if they let the majors lead the way as much as they should, in the interpretation of the reading. I have also noticed that some who read the majors solely in the upright position, do see some cards as negative, for example, The Tower and The Devil card. To me, these two cards are always extremely positive in the upright position, and only negative when they show up reversed. Some readers will also interpret these cards as a "warning" and will talk about the positive and negative sides of the card. There is no bad or good major arcana. Each major represents a powerful energy that is mastered in the upright position, or not in the reversed position. Reading the majors in the upright position only? It deprives the reader of the full spectrum of the meaning of each card. It often turns the interpretation of the reading into "maybe this or that" and creates confusion. Reading the majors in the upright and reverse positions allows the interpretation of the reading to be crystal clear. For example: If The Tower is upright in the position that represents you (the querent) in a reading, I will see a person who has the power to create something big for herself. I will not warn you that you may go too far with your drive and ambition, and "be careful that this may turn against you". I will congratulate my client for her tremendous and focused creative energy. I would do her a disservice by having her worry about what is not going to happen. Is the Tower upright? She is on the right track! For example: If the Devil card shows upright in the position of your significant other, I will see a magnetic man who has the power to influence others. I will not warn you that he can be manipulative or forceful in getting his way. That would only be the case if the Devil card showed up reversed. I will tell my client that I am not surprised she is attracted to him, as he has a lot going for himself. Isn't the Devil known to have power over the material world? I would do a disservice to my client by having her worry that he may not turn out as he seems. He shows up as the Devil upright? Her significant other has the qualities of the Devil, not his flaws. I will post how I shuffle the cards in DanielJUK's post "Shuffling with Reversed Cards." A VERY interesting post! It's not at all the way I read cards, but you have grounded your reasons so well, I wouldn't hesitate to get a reading from you, if I were in a position to. You really seem to know your stuff! I especially liked this statement: "There is no bad or good major arcana. Each major represents a powerful energy that is mastered in the upright position, or not in the reversed position." The concept of mastery, in the Major Arcana, is one I will consider in future more carefully than I have been doing. In the examples you gave, I assume if the Tower card appeared reversed you would tell your client that she may be prone to pushing too hard and creating havoc or destruction, rather than creating something else. And the Devil reversed in the significant other would mean he is charismatic, but may either attempt to entrap and dominate the client or lead the client astray? Something along those lines? The reason I would not use this Majors-only method myself is that my readings aren't always of major significance. Some aspects of a situation are relatively trivial and easy to deal with, once they've been recognised and addressed. I do daily 4-card readings for myself (for practice) and am sometimes quite relieved when all the cards—upright or otherwise—are Minor Arcana cards. It means that while the day may go smoothly or be full of frustration, it won't be hugely significant in my life. Sometimes I need that reassurance. Tarot can be prone to presenting everything as Hugely SIgnificant, but more often it's actually not. I like to be aware of the difference. Very interesting. Thanks for your post. You've given me a lot to think about. Edited June 18 by Chariot
TarotCeline Posted June 18 Posted June 18 (edited) 8 hours ago, Chariot said: A VERY interesting post! It's not at all the way I read cards, but you have grounded your reasons so well, I wouldn't hesitate to get a reading from you, if I were in a position to. You really seem to know your stuff! I especially liked this statement: "There is no bad or good major arcana. Each major represents a powerful energy that is mastered in the upright position, or not in the reversed position." The concept of mastery, in the Major Arcana, is one I will consider in future more carefully than I have been doing. In the examples you gave, I assume if the Tower card appeared reversed you would tell your client that she may be prone to pushing too hard and creating havoc or destruction, rather than creating something else. And the Devil reversed in the significant other would mean he is charismatic, but may either attempt to entrap and dominate the client or lead the client astray? Something along those lines? The reason I would not use this Majors-only method myself is that my readings aren't always of major significance. Some aspects of a situation are relatively trivial and easy to deal with, once they've been recognised and addressed. I do daily 4-card readings for myself (for practice) and am sometimes quite relieved when all the cards—upright or otherwise—are Minor Arcana cards. It means that while the day may go smoothly or be full of frustration, it won't be hugely significant in my life. Sometimes I need that reassurance. Tarot can be prone to presenting everything as Hugely SIgnificant, but more often it's actually not. I like to be aware of the difference. Very interesting. Thanks for your post. You've given me a lot to think about. Edited June 18 by TarotCeline
TarotCeline Posted June 18 Posted June 18 (edited) Edited July 27 by TarotCeline This showed twice in the feed, it was a response to Chariot which is still there
Chariot Posted June 18 Posted June 18 19 minutes ago, TarotCeline said: Thank you for your feedback, Chariot! And thank you for your pertinent question, since we are talking about reversals! And yes, you got it right for the reversed interpretations, and while the Tower Reversed can be destructive to herself and others, how does she feel in position one, the Self? - The meaning of the position in a particular spread (position 1, position 2, position 3, etc), - What the spread is about (question about love, money, career, etc) - The card itself (its meaning upright or reversed) - And the other cards in the spread, that is, the whole story All of it will determine how I interpret a card. So let's say the Tower Reversed shows up in position one, and it has been determined that position one in the spread I am using means: "Who the querent is at the moment, how the querent feels about the present situation." Tower Reversed/Character: The querent is completely devastated. Tower Reversed/The Event: Whatever she is/has been trying to create falls apart/has fallen apart. Tower Reversed/The Situation: Herself, her whole world is collapsing, and she is in a million little pieces. In short, you are dealing with a client who is unhappy with herself and pretty devastated about the situation that the reading is talking about. I view the Tower upright as "a strong desire to create and achieve, the power, the drive, the focus, and the ambition to create and achieve (something)." So with the Tower reversed, and in the position of the Self, the least we can say is: This client does not feel that she has what it takes to succeed in her actual desire. Since the tower is the most "physical" card of the majors, it may even represent how she feels about her body, not good. (If the reading was about her health, the least we can say is her body is out of whack at the moment.) Since the Tower Reversed is definitely about "sudden bad news", note that all of these feelings your client has may refer to a situation that has just happened. If the reading is about love, she may not feel that she looks good enough or that she has what it takes to be loved. Or she is destroyed by what has happened to her regarding love (past or recent experience). For example, the loss of what she hoped to create with another person in a love reading. If the reading is about money, she is likely going through a huge loss (maybe she just lost her home, since the tower is a building). If the reading is about career, she does not feel competent or good enough to succeed (maybe she just lost her job). It is the other cards in the spread that are going to tell us the whole story of what is happening, what has happened. Since the Tower Reversed was in position one in this spread, "Who the querent is at the moment, how the querent feels about her/his present situation", the goal of the reading will be to help this person to "rebuild": trust, self-confidence, a more positive self-image, hope and faith, as he/she feels like a total failure at the moment, and in the specific area of concern that the reading is about. There is a lot of negative "self-talk" with the Tower Reversed, so the tone of the reading will have to be compassionate and soothing, that is, talking to her like she has to start talking to herself. I promise I will do some detailed writing about The Devil Reversed in the upcoming weeks, but let's just do a quick preview in the actual context: Let's say this reading was about Love, and that position 2 represents "what she is facing, who her significant other is." Position 2 Devil Upright: A man who has it all: charismatic, magnetic, powerful, successful, and an influencer. I tell her, "You feel like he is so much above you and what you have to offer" (because she is Tower Reversed). Position 2 Devil Reversed: Despite appearances of him "having it all", be very careful, as the only person he cares about is himself. Egoistical. He is prone to abuse and loves to have other people under his thumb. You may even feel "down in the dumps" right now because of the impact he has on you, or because of how he treats you. If you want to rebuild yourself, you need this man out of your life (and immediately, because she is Tower Reversed: destroyed.) Thank you for your time and interest, Chariot. Very nurturing to me, and I hope I can do the same for you! Thank you. I am in awe. 🙂
Misterei Posted June 18 Posted June 18 22 hours ago, TarotCeline said: ... I have also noticed that some who read the majors solely in the upright position, do see some cards as negative, for example, The Tower and The Devil card. To me, these two cards are always extremely positive in the upright position, and only negative when they show up reversed. Do you find your method it skews the Trumps toward positive? For example, how do you read Empress which is generally considered benefic? Or does your method hold true for all the trumps? You read the benefic aspect of the card as upright and the malefic aspect as reversed? Which I suppose maintains statistical neutrality--22 possible benefic vs. 22 possible malefic ???
Esclarmonde Posted June 24 Posted June 24 Very interesting posts and a very interesting take on the card meanings from TarotCeline. I find, however, that reading only with Major Arcana is rather limiting, and the Minor Arcana provide often much needed nuances and additional information that helps a great deal with interpretation. The Major Arcana do indicate significant aspects of the situation being analysed in the reading, and when reading I always look at the Majors first, to see what is the most important issue/aspect (and sometimes, when only Minors appear in a reading, that is significant too). As for reversals, I've been reading with them from the beginning, because that is the way I learned. I don't always interpret them as negative, sometimes it's about "not now", or "not this way".
TarotCeline Posted June 28 Posted June 28 On 6/18/2025 at 10:25 AM, Misterei said: Do you find your method it skews the Trumps toward positive? For example, how do you read Empress which is generally considered benefic? Or does your method hold true for all the trumps? You read the benefic aspect of the card as upright and the malefic aspect as reversed? Which I suppose maintains statistical neutrality--22 possible benefic vs. 22 possible malefic ??? Thank you for your request for precision, Misterei. Because of the way I mix the 22 major arcana, the cards that are picked will either show upright or reversed. So yes, by mixing/picking the cards face down on the table (in every possible direction), you obtain “statistical neutrality”, that is, 50-50 chances that the individual cards will show upright or reversed. But of course, the amount of “upright” versus “reversed” cards that come up will never end up half and half. And this simple fact, “a lot more upright cards” or “a lot more reversed cards”, gives you information about the status of the situation that the reading is about, “pretty good overall” or “not so great overall”. (To stay within topic here, I have posted the way I mix the cards in DanielJUK's post entitled “Shuffling with Reversed Cards") For me, there are no “mainly benefic” or “mainly malefic” trump cards. Each trump card represents a powerful energy that is completely mastered in the upright position, and a powerful energy that is uncontrolled/unbalanced in the reverse position. Do you subscribe to the principle that the trumps represent the “journey of the soul” toward its full realization, represented by the World card # 21? If yes, the energy of each trump will become more and more powerful, as we start moving up from the Magician, card # 1. That is, more powerful in the positive, and more powerful in the negative, depending on how far up the numbers go. So yes, the Empress Reversed # 3 will be a lot less “dramatic” than the Devil # 15 reversed, and the Tower # 16 reversed. Again, if the trumps represent each one of the steps one must master to get to the soul’s full realization represented by the World card # 21, then how could the Devil card # 15, or the Tower card # 16, be “bad cards”? Reading the trump cards upright and reversed allows for a more “clear-cut” interpretation. Yes, it is 22 trumps, but 44 different meanings, as opposed to reading 22 cards in the upright position only, and telling your client the positive and negative side of some cards when delivering your interpretation. I honestly “cringe” when I hear a Tarot card reader giving the pros and cons of the Tower card to her client, simply because she reads the cards in the upright position only. Here is how it may sound with the Tower: “You have this strong desire to create something big for yourself at the moment, but beware, you may go too far and this may turn against you.” And if the Devil (upright) shows up to represent her significant other, it may sound like: “Your significant other is a powerful man, but beware, he may be manipulative or abusive”. Ouch! For me, if this client shows up as the Tower upright, and her significant other shows up as the Devil upright, it's fantastic! The advantage of reading the cards upright or reversed means: “no watered-down” readings, that is, a mix of positive and negative interpretations for some high-power cards, such as the Tower and the Devil. I have a problem with the idea that when reading the trumps in the upright position only, some trumps are considered positive while some others are considered negative. Again, if we consider the trumps to be the soul’s journey toward its highest achievement, every step of the way should be seen as a more and more powerful energy that is “mastered” or not. Please allow me, Misterei, to answer your question about the Empress reversed in a separate post soon and right here, as it is a “touchy and delicate” question that deserves its separate answer.
TarotCeline Posted June 28 Posted June 28 On 6/16/2025 at 3:49 PM, Bronwyn said: I've been studying Tarot for about a year now and I've just now started to use reversals more often in my readings. I definitely see how they add more depth to a reading. I'm using Benebell Wen's WIND mneumonic (weakened energy, inverted meaning, negative effect, delay), which I find works pretty well. Just curious as to when more experienced readers felt comfortable using reversals consistently. Did you use them right from the beginning? And yes, Bronwyn, these meanings (weakened energy, inverted meaning, negative effect, delay) do work pretty well when it comes to reversals.
TarotCeline Posted June 28 Posted June 28 On 6/24/2025 at 6:50 AM, Esclarmonde said: Very interesting posts and a very interesting take on the card meanings from TarotCeline. I find, however, that reading only with Major Arcana is rather limiting, and the Minor Arcana provide often much needed nuances and additional information that helps a great deal with interpretation. The Major Arcana do indicate significant aspects of the situation being analysed in the reading, and when reading I always look at the Majors first, to see what is the most important issue/aspect (and sometimes, when only Minors appear in a reading, that is significant too). As for reversals, I've been reading with them from the beginning, because that is the way I learned. I don't always interpret them as negative, sometimes it's about "not now", or "not this way". And yes, Esclarmonde, sometimes it's about "not now, or not this way."
TarotCeline Posted June 28 Posted June 28 The magic about cards is that they will always show up based on the understanding of the reader.
EMarieHasADHD Posted July 16 Posted July 16 I used to hate the thought of ever reading reversals. But, I will read them now if they come up and I no longer dread them. I think my issue was that I was making it too complicated. I had always thought when I was learning that I had to remember 156 different meanings (78 cards x 2) because a few books I read said that’s how it was-156 completely different meanings. Having ADHD and a poor memory, that was very overwhelming. Now, I see it as 78 upright meanings plus 78 reversed meanings, which are just blocked or weakened energy of the upright card, or ‘not’ that card, e.g. the reversed Magician= either the blocked/weakened meaning of the upright Magician or the opposite of what the upright meaning is, i.e. ‘not’ personal mastery, success, manifestation, etc. My point is that it doesn’t always have to be as complicated as your brain tries to make it. Also, you don’t NEED to work with reversals. Many readers don’t bother with them, and I have seen famous and accomplished readers say you can just turn them right side up if you want to.
Grizabella Posted July 17 Posted July 17 (edited) I don't use reversals. I've always been kind of uneasy seeing the cards upside down, so what I do is just make my spreads include enquiries that address the negative aspects of the possible answers. I've never been convinced that purposely reversing cards would give me a reading that was what the cards meant to tell, because after all, what if you do a reading and leave the cards as they are and then you take the deck out to read again and you take it out "upside down" Or if, as some will advise, you restore the cards to an upright position and then, reverse a portion of the deck while shuffling---that could work but I'd still be looking at upside down cards. I've ordered Wen's book and it will be here Tuesday. I'm sure I'll learn a lot from it and maybe I'll try using actually reversed cards again. I've been reading cards quite a long time. It's a lifetime study, I've found. I think my learning has gone in cycles. I study awhile, learn more, take a break and then come back again to learn still more. Edited July 17 by Grizabella
EMarieHasADHD Posted July 17 Posted July 17 (edited) 2 hours ago, Grizabella said: I don't use reversals. I've always been kind of uneasy seeing the cards upside down, so what I do is just make my spreads include enquiries that address the negative aspects of the possible answers. I've never been convinced that purposely reversing cards would give me a reading that was what the cards meant to tell, because after all, what if you do a reading and leave the cards as they are and then you take the deck out to read again and you take it out "upside down" Or if, as some will advise, you restore the cards to an upright position and then, reverse a portion of the deck while shuffling---that could work but I'd still be looking at upside down cards. I've ordered Wen's book and it will be here Tuesday. I'm sure I'll learn a lot from it and maybe I'll try using actually reversed cards again. I've been reading cards quite a long time. It's a lifetime study, I've found. I think my learning has gone in cycles. I study awhile, learn more, take a break and then come back again to learn still more. I understand that, for sure. Whenever I see people purposely turning half the deck upside down before shuffling, or suggesting that others do that, it irks me. It just seems so artificial/unnatural. I feel that if the cards/Universe want me to see a reversed card or two, it will happen naturally, like with ‘jumpers’. ETA: I have ‘Holistic Tarot’ by Benebell Wen. I just wanted to say it’s AWESOME and you’re going to find it very interesting and helpful! Edited July 17 by EmarieWithADHD Adding a thought
Chariot Posted July 17 Posted July 17 (edited) 6 hours ago, Grizabella said: I don't use reversals. I've always been kind of uneasy seeing the cards upside down, so what I do is just make my spreads include enquiries that address the negative aspects of the possible answers. I've never been convinced that purposely reversing cards would give me a reading that was what the cards meant to tell, because after all, what if you do a reading and leave the cards as they are and then you take the deck out to read again and you take it out "upside down" Or if, as some will advise, you restore the cards to an upright position and then, reverse a portion of the deck while shuffling---that could work but I'd still be looking at upside down cards. I've ordered Wen's book and it will be here Tuesday. I'm sure I'll learn a lot from it and maybe I'll try using actually reversed cards again. I've been reading cards quite a long time. It's a lifetime study, I've found. I think my learning has gone in cycles. I study awhile, learn more, take a break and then come back again to learn still more. Even though I have always used reversals, I can certainly relate to what you have said here. If a card method makes you feel uncomfortable, don't use it! As long as you get good, accurate readings with whatever method you use, that's what matters, in my opinion. I always re-order my cards after every reading. But I agree, that artificially turning some upside down during the next shuffle doesn't seem right to me either. That's why I still riffle shuffle for a while, then do the face-down smear. Reversals truly are random then. I hope you like the Benebel Wen book as much as I do. It's not as chatty as some other tarot books I also like a lot (Theresa Reed's, for example) but it is chock-a-block with fantastic information ...including perspectives I had never considered before, and ways of reading cards that stem from cultures I'm not familiar with. I refer to it often. Edited July 17 by Chariot
Tanga Posted July 17 Posted July 17 On 6/17/2025 at 1:19 PM, Chariot said: —but I sometimes now feel a reversal can indicate the upright card's quality is simply missing. (A reversed Emperor can indicate a person who does not exercise benevolent authority (for whatever reason) ...but it can also indicate I NEED a person with upright Emperor qualities just now, and they just aren't around.) On 6/17/2025 at 7:39 PM, TarotCeline said: There is no bad or good major arcana. Each major represents a powerful energy that is mastered in the upright position, or not in the reversed position. Yes, and Yes - reversed can be simply "missing". & The Majors have no polar leaning. I like WIND, love Benebel. I think I was taught to use reversals, but there wasn't a major focus on them and at first I found it too much to remember, as well as getting to grips with card meanings. So... it was quite sometime later. Now - I read reversals when I feel like it. Some days reversals fall and I'll just turn everything upright and carry on 🤷♀️.
rainydayinagoodway Posted August 13 Posted August 13 As a grasshopper, this thread has been so insightful and there is such a wealth of information here! I am just now getting my footing with using my own intuition in my readings and it has been the toughest challenge to decide whether to read with or without reversals. The responses here really show that it is a personal choice based on what feels right, and can change depending on the individual reading and the chosen spread. I particularly find the insight into the reversal of major and minor cards extremely riveting, and hope to direct a good bit of research there. Thank you all for your wisdom!
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