No, I do not and I go to great lengths not to 'mess up' my cards as I shuffle them. It is just another layer to master and also it can freak people out. I have a hard enough time calming people down when unfavorable cards show up right side up. The added stress is unnecessary.
I do but not with all of my decks. I have the Goetia deck and that's one I don't because I can get a feeling off of the cards if it's something internal, block, etc. I do read with reversals because I read them as blockages, shadows, etc. I don't read reversals with oracle decks because the are advice and more upbeat.
Very well done video! Aside from the fact that I do predictive readings and sometimes go free-form we seem to have the same reading style. I like to take my cues from the surrounding cards and, when applicable the spread position rather than using reversed cards.
I never reads reversals. It’s something that I decided by myself and without listening to any other people. It was an unconscious choice. It was something my intuition told me to do. I never had any opinions about it being good or bad doing it. I just woke up one day and I was like “why should I read reversals???…that doesn’t sound right to me”. I never did it since then. I’m happy to see that I’m not the only one. I’ve never seen a discussion about it before.
My Aunt taught me how to read tarot. She does in depth fortune telling, and uses the whole deck, not layout/spreads. Reversals don't really fit into her style of readings, and this has left an impression on me. I see how using reversals especially when doing X amount of cards in specific layout/spreads can add depth to a reading. I don't read like this, I read more in line like how my aunt taught me.
In my long experience, the upright cards contain all of the necessary negative or counter meanings, and they present these concepts much more clearly visually and intuitively than any reversed decoding/interpretation.
I read reversals when I was first starting with tarot, I was a teen and saw the world as very black and white, so reversals worked for me (not saying that everyone that reads reversals sees things as black and white). As I got older and understood the worlds nuances better, it just made sense to keep all the cards upright and look at all the meanings within the cards to get the right message.
I always read with reversals. I don’t think people have to at all, but I find for me I feel it gives the reading more nuance. I highly recommend the Revelations tarot for those that want to read reversals as it has a right side up and upside down image, so can really help to remember the reversed meanings.
I am on the same page as you, Katey! I don't read predictively, and so focus on creating a dialogue between my client and the imagery of the cards...And so what a reversal might represent will come up anyway naturally in that kind of conversation :)
I'm so early! I was just thinking about this topic while I made coffee😂 I don't read with reversals because honestly I find that the question and spread position give me enough context to understand what the card means, but I also don't see cards as being inherently good or bad so using reversals for "opposite" or negative meaning feels redundant. Personally I find that the more challenging expressions of cards are part of them as is, if that makes sense? Also physically turning the deck upside down to shuffle in reversals feels like I'm purposefully manipulating the deck to get them (because I am!) and it gives me that getting stuck in your head feeling. I'll only have reversals in my readings if they somehow come up on their own, though it has only happened a handful of times.
I don't read reversals either and I shuffle for only upright cards. On a rare handful of occasions a card has somehow come up as reversed in a reading. I take that to mean !!!!!!!!! for that card. Pay super extra ultra attention. 😊 It's so fascinating what that happens because it typically is spot on in meaning.
“Your tarot practice is yours.” Sets my heart a-flutter! 😍 I enjoyed listening to the various points on reversals and also the incorporation of other unique viewpoints you’ve found. I so appreciate your videos!!! It’s like a one-stop-shop: info, background, personal experience, more info, and suggestions! ❤️
I love this! I don't read reversals. I used to when I was younger and first starting out, but I didn't know there was another option, I just figured that's what I had to do. I dropped tarot again before really commiting anything to memory, so when I came back to it last year and I saw someone saying they didn't, it really resonated with me. And the more I think about it, the tarot has quite a bit of balance already and 78 cards is a lot to remember without throwing reversals into it. So I figure if the deck I'm working with wants me to get a certain message, it'll figure it out with the cards available.
I'm just starting to learn tarot and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed just trying to learn all 78 cards and their meanings. The idea of learning 156 meanings is just too much for me right now. So I'm going to give myself a break and just stick with no reversals and then I can add it later if it feels something is missing. Thanks for all the different perspectives though. I've seen other videos where readers are just like "I don't do it!" but they never explained why. This was helpful.
As a neat freak and a person with OCD tendencies, reading reversals makes me cringe and it ruins the visual image of the card when it's upside down. I also like to be traditional and simple. A very insightful video, thank you! 🌟🌟🌟
I do read reversals because I like a healthy balance between Light and Dark. It helps to enhance the reading and help me see that life is not one note.
Some reversals are positive and their upright meanings can be negative. So honestly you can read them all upright because in 78 cards there’s enough of them to give you the messages you really needed without having to read reversals.
I read reversals, but only if they come out that way . I tend to put all my cards upright before I shuffle, so if a card is drawn reversed I will read it that way. I was taught to read reversals when I learned tarot as they have a different meaning to an upright card. But I do agree that it a challenging subject 🤎
I dont read reversals - I think I already have a pretty good skill at seeing two sides of a Situation, so I wouldnt need the card to turn a certain way to consider the uppersit meanings of the cards. Also I only read to myself, so I dont feel like I need to adress really fliping over a card to better see it. Still learning though, so I might like reversals at a later point in my divination journey.
i always mix in reversals, mostly in the worry that i won't be able to tell otherwise which aspect specifically is coming up. it's definitely easier for me to read the imagery upright, so oftentimes i'll note that the card came up in reversal and then flip to get a look at the imagery both ways and think on it, but overall having reversals can just help me with where the card is leaning more, if something's blocked or not, and so on. i feel like this is partially due to how when i was first learning tarot, pretty much all my sources had reversals and people i've seen around on the internet would use reversals, so that's what i went for as well. but i do also, unfortunately, struggle with being able to tell intuitively what the card might be talking *specifically* about, so when i tried a reading or two without reversals a year or two ago, it kind of ended up throwing me off / confusing me as i could not tell for sure which it is / what it is, and i do read predictive things at times and not only introspective. i really like your idea of trying a month this and that way though, so i might eventually give no reversals another try. mostly because the upright imagery definitely makes more sense to my poor little brain haha. i feel like in the end it might probably end up being up to how i feel about a certain reading - if it's a spread and positions are very clear, i really might not need reversals. otherwise, they do really help me avoid looking at things way too positively or way too negatively and like, to pay more attention to the nuanmce of what it might be trying to say (which without reversals, as i said, can become a bit confusing to me otherwise haha)
You might find it helpful, if you try no reversals, to use card pairs or trios in place of a single card in a spread position. I find that gives a lot of nuance and context that way, when you relate the cards to each other. 😊
Thank you for sharing your experiences with reversals and some of the reasons why they help you in your readings! So interesting to hear other people’s experiences! 🥰
Most generally I don't read with reversals because I am partial to spreads as well. That usually shows the energy and relationships of the cards. I think it is already a more balanced system as is. I loved this video. Thank you for sharing. 💖
I read similarly to you in that I don't read reversals either, but if the deck comes with reversed meanings in the guide then I take them as the 'shadow' meaning, depending on whether the spread question requires a more challenging answer - ie what is blocking me, or what am I lacking, etc. If a card comes out as reversed from shuffling, I turn it back the right way up, but make a mental note that there is perhaps more behind that card than face value.
No I don't read reversals I don't fully understand reversals and how to interpret them I can't wait to watch your video watching now all your videos and informational thank you so much
When I read RWS-based decks I always use reversals, it's just how I was taught because it makes full use of tarot's possibility of expression. But I rarely read RWS. If I read random pip decks I will mostly use reversals, but if I read Marseille tarots or old Italian decks I don't, because my method for reading those doesn't require/incorporate reversals, it's not based on meanings. In the past few years that has been the way of reading that excites me the most.
i originally didnt want to read reversals and then when doing a reading i got a reversed card and flipped it around and then discovered the reversed meaning resonated more, so i decided id use them
Totally agree with you for your opinion about reversals, like a 100%!! 🤗☺️😘 My method is to turn down 6 cards while shuffling - 3 than shuffle and again 3. In some cases I turn 1 or 2 cards again in upright position, which is quite interesting, like this question is not that complicated. I do this for particular readings, when there are problems or obsicals. In case no card appear in the reading, I pull them out and read them as hidden treats, underwater stowns or hidden difficulties, the person is not fully aware of. This is my personal method of reading reversals. I hope you like it ☺️
I also don't read with reversals! I read similar to you, Katey, in that I pull a card and will get either the "upright" or "reversed" meaning based on my intuition, the question asked, or the surrounding cards. I tried reading with reversals and found that when I pulled a reversal, it boxed me into reading the "negative" meaning, and reading with just upright cards and using my intuition allowed for more accurate readings for me. Thank you for another lovely video and discussion!
I use reversals. I never shuffle them in, they just turn up lol so I figure they should be there. How I interpret them depends on the energy of the reading and my intuition, but it doesn't tend to be prescriptive ie it's shadow or opposite, etc. It tends to be more fluid for me. I also see them sometimes as influencing or progress cards like old style playing card readings. I rarely use spreads as I find most are weighted towards light or dark - or just have 1 or 2 positions that are challenging. I like my readings to have practical actions to take. I have created my own spreads but find it a phaff lol - and just slap the cards down any way they come 😂
Thanks for sharing, Sue. I really enjoyed reading about your thoughts on this topic. Super interesting that even though you don’t intentionally shuffle them in, reversals still pop up for you!
Have been reading Tarot off and on since 1982. Learned from a woman who only used upright cards as she thought reversals made readings too negative. Followed her method up until a few years ago when I decided to try reversals. To me, reversals have made a world of difference, allowing for much greater insight into people and situations without using a whole lot of other cards. I will never go back to the uprights only method. However, I totally understand where you are coming from, Katey. Oh, and just one more thing…..reversals can actually be positive!
I only have one deck that I read reversals. It just feels completely different when I hold that deck. I shuffle it differently and draw the cards differently from that deck. I struggled with that deck until I treated it completely different and now it's one of my favorite.
I'm loving these videos! I've been reading tarot for almost 20 years and never felt the pull to read reversals until very recently. At the moment I'm alternating using them and not using them. To me this depends on the reading, the deck I'm using, and whether I'm using a spread or not. I think reversals can be very helpful in a more predictive style reading, or one where a spread with assigned meanings isn't being used; then, the specificity and added layers of reversals can be very useful. I like the challenge inherent in the appearance of the reversed cards, but I don't always need it. I think for those of us who use more predictive styles of cartomancy, we may end up reading with reversals because this way of reading feels a bit closer to using those types of decks (Lenormand etc). Also, one thing I always found off-putting was the huge variety of methods on how to read reversals (you made a great list of them in your video). It was so overwhelming, it was just easier to read upright and rely on my intuition. But one day I realized I wanted to read with reversals and that's when my own way of reading them revealed itself to me. So I think if using reversals is helpful to you, if it enriches your practice and makes your readings more accurate - then by all means, use them. If you're not using them and you are happy with your practice and with the readings you produce, then don't use them. There is no wrong or right way, and it doesn't just differ person to person, it differs depending on where a reader is in their practice, their life circumstances, needs and so on. Either way, please don't box yourself in with "should"s and do what feels right and enjoyable to YOU, not anyone else.
Thank you! I really enjoyed this. I loved Eternal Athena’s perspective on reversals referencing the lessons not learned from the prior card. As someone who also studies astrology, it’s like the card is in retrograde. I love this so much I might actually start calling them retrograde cards instead of reversed! 😀🤣. Like….Man, when is my Tower going to move out of retrograde??? This issue, like most other things in life, is not black or white. You don’t to have to choose to work exclusively this way or that way. For example, there are some decks I read reversals on and others I do not. I work this out with each deck in our “getting to know you” phase 😁, then set that intention with the deck. I also do not limit how I read each reversal, sometimes it might be an exclamation point, other times it might be the “shadow” aspect… part of the fun is figuring it out. I have also found that my reversed cards often mean that card is referencing another person.
This was a wonderful video about the controversy over reversals. I can relate to everything you said about approaching it. I have grown very open and fluid about reversals. Like you said, I set the intention of if I will read reversals and what they will mean before I sit with the cards. So sometimes I read them, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes the card is upright, and my hand just kind of reverses it so I can see it from a different perspective. Staying open about it has helped me stay in touch with the openness of meanings too. Also, I love the bongo sound between segments. :-)
I ask each deck how reading reversals will affect my readings, and if it’s beneficial. I have two decks that clearly told me not to read reversals. Most of my decks say it’s neither wrong nor right, and won’t affect the readings. Then I have decks that were insistent on my reading reversals. I ask each deck during my deck interview, and find that my asking the deck and using the deck in the way it wants to be used is just easier for me because I’m not always wondering if I’m getting the full meaning. At the same time, when I use the decks that want to be read upright, it’s not difficult for me to get the gist of the card, especially with the other cards in the spread.
“Ultimately upside down pictures are weird” 🤣🤣🤣 to true. This has been the main reason why I can’t seem to e corporate reversals in my practice. It just looks weird to my eye.
This was a fun and thought-provoking video💖 I read reversals but I don't always reverse cards in my deck. Sometimes I'll spin a few around if I feel like it, but there's a "right side up" to my deck. This actually allows reversals to have more meaning for me because they're rare. I'm of the "pay attention" and " something's off" school when that happens.
I learned with reversals, but now I only use them about half the time. I agree with what you were saying about clear spread positions -- when I have them, I don't use reversals because the position guides me; when I read more free form, I'm much more likely to use them (I also do that more with pip/Marseille decks). I'm perpetually experimenting. Regarding nuance, Robert M Place wrote about how many more possible interpretations you can get by having three cards per spread position (and reading them in combination), as opposed to doing reversals -- this made so much sense to me that now I never draw a single card per position.
I don't use reversals. I use 2-3 cards for each spread position read in relation to each other, if I use a spread, so it gives very nuanced meanings for each position. 😊
I go back and forth with reading reversals. I *MOSTLY read reversals but I do have a few decks that when I work with them, they just don’t feel right with reversals, so I do upright only with those decks. That just feels right sometimes But when I do read reversals , it’s never “the opposite” of the card meaning. It’s usually a gentle nudge like “hey…you’re not quite there yet, but almost” and it’s literally sometimes a small attitude adjustment and snap! You’ve turned the card right side up. It really depends on the other cards in the spread with how I interpret the reversals.
So interesting to hear that you have some decks that work best with you without reversals, and others better with! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Can't get enough of your work - as far as I'm concerned the best tarot youtuber. Thanks for sharing, Katey. Just starting my tarot journey and your videos have been really helpful.
What an insightful video! This was great. I do not read with reversals. My philosophy is very much akin to yours, Katey. I find looking at an upside down image to be jarring. I believe every card's meaning has a spectrum of possible interpretations. For example, one of the meanings of the Empress is nurturing someone or something toward growth. But are you not nurturing something enough? Are you smothering someone? Are you self-insulating? Are you ignoring your need to be nurtured? There are so many different ways you can go. For me, the meaning of a card in a particular reading is based on spread position, surrounding cards, context, and intuition. Reversals are basically an indicator. And for me, personally, I use other indicators as ideas for how I interpret a card. Like you, I have also experimented over the years and have found that not using reversals gives me clearer readings that are layered and nuanced. Definitely a personal choice.
Excellent video Katey ...I have been reading foe some years no reversals, the past 18 months or so I started to feel in my readings (in a specific Layout) using uprights I wasn’t getting it or feeling the reading, I wasn’t reading it right or perhaps a block? It was all to upright and right...wired!!! So started including reversals 😤🤨 not sure I like it especially if they all come out in reverse 🥴🙄. I think I’ll go back to upright only. Too much with the shuffling etc then I’m not relaxed? I needed this video. 🌟😀💜🍒
Hi Katey. I don't read reversals. I've tried but I hate looking at an upside down card and my brain just wants to turn it right side up. Currently I read cards in line without a spread in a Marseille style. I'm looking to find an answer to the question, so reversals don't really matter. I came to this after a lot of experimentation. Great idea to add reversals to fluffy oracle decks...If my brain can stand looking at an upside down card!
Hi Katey. I love this topic. I read reversals most of the time, though it does depend on the deck. For me, I have an internal agreement or intention that a reversed card represents a shadow aspect of the card meaning (or the meaning I have assigned to it) or an indication that something is blocking the given energy of the card. The rest of the reading will tell me which. I feel like using reversals makes tarot easier for me now. I certainly didn’t feel this way in the beginning as reversals felt intimidating to me. But, once I found my comfort level with tarot in general, the idea of reversals suddenly made sense to me and it all came together. I agree with you, though…it all comes down to the reader. Do what works for you…it’s refreshing to see people doing their own thing and not being dogmatic about it. Thanks for all the videos. I watch often but don’t usually comment. :)
Thank you for sharing this video! I feel like I'm discussing with a friend *who-gets-me* when you talk about tarot practices and your insights. As a tarot newbie, I'm still learning how my reading style would be and your advice on experimentation sounds like a good idea to gauge if I would like to continue reading reversals, if i'd rather not, or if maybe it would depend on something else (like non-reversible card backs, or my mood that day. LOL)
So thorough! I also had no idea so many readers interpret reversals differently, that's so cool. I have a few decks that don't like being read with reversals, and others that 100% do, so I almost let the deck chose which way I read it. It's pretty neat. xx
@@KateyFlowers I guess the best way to describe it, is as a feeling once I start to use a deck. I almost always start out with reversals in a deck, but sometimes (and it's usually the art style that might be the cause of this) the interpretations fall completely flat with reversed cards, like the deck won't let me in when cards are reversed. But other decks I have absolutely no problem reading reversals. It might have something to do with how close the images are to RWS imagery or how well I know the deck and how long I've used it, but other times I'll have had a deck for ages and know it like the back of my hand, and it just doesn't want to be read topsy turvy. I will say it also urks me when the backs aren't reversible, particularly when there are reversed meanings in the guidebook, which leads me to believe the creator intended the deck to be read both ways. But that just might be a 'me' problem. Haha
Thanks Katey! What a great video. There were several ways of using reversals that you mentioned which I had never heard of before. I don't read reversals (or jumpers). Like you, I want to see the artwork (or, in many pip decks, I can't really tell which is upright or reversed and don't want that stress), and I also tend to consider a whole range of possible meanings for a card, depending on context and intuition.
This is very helpful. I'm coming to tarot late in my life and I like the idea of keeping it simple and reading without reversals may be a way to do that. Also, like you I am also too in my head.
I do read reversals. Actually I also made a video about how I read reversals this week. I don’t know if I have strong opinions although I feel any extra info is useful. Which is maybe a strong opinion as a strongly sag influenced Gemini lol.
Great video, very useful, very instructive. Thank you!! I don't read reversals but I have one oracle deck, the Mystic Martian, where cards stubbornly show up in reverse. How? Jumpers mostly but not only. Cards are big and sturdy, and I shuffle gently, and the backs show direction but cards somehow find a way to present themselves upside down. Weird. I tend to interpret them as unseen elements, far away in time or as approach this from a different perspective. The book to the oracle provides the reversals' meaning so the author intended the cards to be used this way, I guess. I tend to interpret cards my own intuitive way.
Really interesting video. As you know I read reversals but not in a traditional way. For me the reversal brings in a different flavour of the cards, sometimes it means a warning, sometimes it shows a misalignment or sticking point. I haven't tried reading without reversals, that might be an interesting challenge. X
The only deck I read reversals with is the tarot of oppositions, because it's made that way and it's a fun change. But mostly, I read upright because I find there's enough light and shadow in the fool's journey to give clear messages and understanding.
I love the deviant moon book and don't pull reversals BUT when I read from a book I read both and usually enjoy the duality. This is speaking in reading for myself
I teoritically dont shuffle cards for having reversal but today ex. My card fell from deck (while shuffling) and layed reversal so i was like "okay so This want to be read this way" im flexible, what i feel is the way
Like "souk decks" and "deck collections" "reversals" is a cyclical topic. Haha! I'm loath to say definitively yes or no, because it is all about context. For me deliberately mixing in reversals seems - stressful. Lol. However if one or two turns up in a read it will cause me to pause. How is this reversal impacting the overall read? Is it inhibited or exaggerated? Is it seeking attention? For example I had an reversed Justice card and in a position below to the right, was the King o Wands pointing his skeletal finger to the reversed justice's cythe, not the scales. OK then tarot, way to emphasise a point. At other times I've just righted it and picked the card up to look for details I might've missed before. It's all gravy. 🥣
The querent can also tell us which aspect (positive or negative) The card is suggesting. If the Hermit comes up and this querent already feels isolated and too introverted , then that would tell us that the Hermit card is pointing out that imbalance. Or, another indication of the so called reverse meaning of an upright card will be determined by the following card. Like the Chariot followed by the Hanged Man. Right there you have a lot to discuss about going forward or needing to wait. Victory or sacrifice. It's all there in the 78 cards. Great video Katey. Thank you. Anne
@@annerobinson2288 yes! Totally! I just liked what you added to the conversation, especially for people who do get to engage with the person they’re reading for. 😊
Great video Katey. So many good suggestions and insights. I don't usually read reversals. Like you I feel like I can get a sense of what message a card has for me through context. For me all cards have a spectrum as you mentioned. The 10 of Swords could mean I'm at the end of a tough cycle, I'm making things difficult for myself with my perspective, or I may be headed that way if I don't pay attention to my choices and actions. And then sometimes I mix it up. A reversed card will come up and I feel it's a strong message I need to pay attention to. Thank you for sharing your Tarot journey. I find it so helpful and fun. :O)
Thank you for pointing out that we don't have to read reversals. I've worked with tarot for 7 years and it's only now that my intuition is strong enough for me to decide whether to read them based on the art/directionality, as an opposite, as growing energy, receding energy, or as just "pay extra attention to this card!" Some decks I like reading reversals with and some I don't. You also make a good point that the 78 cards already cover the human experience, so reversals are really not necessary unless you enjoy them.
Hi there! I am kind of a newbie in tarot and I used to read reversals. It was quite overhelming at first and confusing on top of that. Especialy when all of the cards were showing up upside down. It was when I designed my tarot deck for myself, as an exercise, that it actually felt really wrong to use reversals (with this particular deck). I decided then, to leave the reversals out for a given time. It was nice to hear from your own experience (it gave me sort of a confirmation on how to judge if reversals do "work" or not for me) and your approach on this topic. Thanks for this great video!
Very interesting and informative video, as always! 😉 I don’t use reversals for my readings but I bring some nuance to certain cards depending on their position and the cards to their left or to their right.
You read my mind as if these last 3 weeks I began questioning if I should continue using reversals or not. I did a reading to someone after months of not doing readings for others and one of them came in reversal... I relied on intuition for that card because I was, at that moment, doubting if I should use reversals... I did read it on reversal at last, lol. Still don't do readings for others very often now and decided to do readings for myself and there's my subconscious telling me: “Don't do reversals for yourself, further cards pulls will explain why”, hahahaha. So this video was helpful. But I have yet to read the history of Tarot. Is reading reversals stated in Tarot history such as RWS and the Golden Daw era? Traditional ways of doing things is lowkey important for me, hahahaha. Plus... I read someone belittling someone for not reading reversals a few months ago and that kind of influenced me to read reversals, lol. Foolish me though. The downside for me reading reversals is not the negativity, blockage, etc... Meanings but memorizing 156 meanings and also because having the artwork in reversal throws me off doing readings, most of the time, if I don't (and still) remember the meaning of the already 78 cards. Of course I've been watching other people's opinions but still not convinced so I guess, for now, NOT reading reversals is winning, lol.
Glad my timing was good for you! I have heard mixed things about the traditions associated with reversed cards and, to be honest, that matters less to me, so I haven't spent too much time looking too deep into it. So I don't have an answer for you on that front I'm afraid! But one of the reasons I wanted to make this video is that I have encountered quite a bit of snobbery with some tarot readers feeling very strongly that others should read with reversals, and that choosing not to somehow makes you less of a tarot reader. And I wholeheartedly disagree, and I think it's sad that so many people try to force themselves (as I did for years!) into a way of reading that maybe just isn't ideal for them! So whatever you decide to do, I only hope that you do what works best for you! That belittling you witnessed is so ignorant and small minded I think, and it's sad that some people can't appreciate that while reversals can be a wonderful practice for some, it doesn't make it a requirement for us all.
In "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot," Waite provides both upright and reversed meanings for each card. This indicates that he believed reversed cards could offer additional layers of meaning and nuance to a reading. Do we not need to follow his view since today’s the tarot cards are mostly based on his deck?
Because of the way I shuffle, I rarely get a reversed card, so if a card comes up reversed, i see it as a stop card. For me it means there is not enough info at the time to proceed with the reading or that a question is wrong at that time. Just my opinion.
Reversals are helpful in my opinion . But it’s actually giving me anxiety in regards to using my cards at all. I mainly do daily draws on myself . I don’t think it makes sense to have deck loaded with reversals . I don’t need or want the shadow aspect in every reading lol. I think I will incorporate the court card method going forward . It makes sense to me . Thanks for the great video !!!
Excellent video! Overall, I do not read Tarot with reversals. My brain needs the images upright in order to process and to work with my intuition. I typically work with Tarot cards in pairs or trios, so relating the cards to each other adds nuance and helps me interpret both the positive and negative aspects of the cards. That being said, I have 1 Tarot deck I work with for personal readings that I do read reversals with, the SpiritSong Tarot. I tend to interpret reversals in that deck as the upright meaning blocked. I also rely heavily on the book for working with that deck. Right now I only use this deck for personal readings, not readings for others. I will work with reversals in some of my Oracle decks. If the accompanying book includes reversals I'll use reversals with that deck. I typically use the accompanying book with my Oracle decks when I read with them. I DO absolutely LOVE the idea of incorporating reversals into an Oracle deck that might seem "too positive." I adore my positive Oracles and typically know intuitively if I'm blocking the upright energy of a card. However, hearing you mention this made me want to try incorporating reversals into at least a couple of my Oracle decks, especially my Affirmators decks, interpreting them as the upright meaning being blocked. I just might try that for a bit and see how that goes. It feels like something fun for me to try. 😊💖
Love this. I'm glad you are pumping out such great content. I personally don't read reversals as I plug in numerology in a spread. I tried before and have read books and chapters in books about reversals but it just didn't gel
I choose to reject reading reversals recently, though I'm pretty much a tarot newbie. Last week, I suddenly noticed the conclusion is the same regardless whether some of the cards are reversed or not - yet reading reversals add unnecessary analysing processes and make the reading wordy, repetitive. Each card already contains both negative and positive sides. The other cards on the same spread or the bottom card(s) on the deck in a single card reading can already suggest whether the upright card's energy is blocked or influenced or repressed or not. I intuitively get more insightful dynamics through only reading the upright cards.
This is totally valid! although it's work pointing out that the reversed card meanings are not typically negative. The meanings that are generally taught are simply another layer of interpretation, it's not the case that those meanings are inherently negative.
That was a very well thought out and especially well organized and clear presentation. Thank you. I read with and without reversals. It depends on the deck and the context. I especially like to use reversals when reading for other people because we can explore what it means together. When reading for myself, I use reversals less. It also depends on the system - i.e, RWS, TdM, or Thoth.... So there's my non-answer.😁
Thank you for this! I'm still pretty new to Tarot (been reading/studying for over a year, but really infrequently due to various life circumstances), and I just recently started incorporating reversals but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep that practice. Your video shed a lot of light, and I'm going to have to rewatch it several times while I figure out my own thinking around it! 😁
In theory I would read reversals, but only if a card just happened to have got itself upside-down somehow. But I’m so fussy about keeping my decks organised that it hasn’t happened yet! I would also only read the reversal if the deck creator had made the deck with reversals in mind. (Reversible backs, reversals in the guidebook, etc.) If the creator didn’t intend for, or facilitate reversal readings, I think I’d feel that a reversed card in their deck would just be empty of meaning until I put it back upright. This video was really thought-provoking. Thank-you. :)
I recently bought cards and I’ve seen people read reversals and not. I shuffled the cards and I didn’t look before I pulled the cards… I had the entire deck upside down so the card I pulled was reversed. Is it ok that I don’t want to take is as a reversal?
I am weird maybe; I don't read reversals even though I read both for self-insight and predictively, though I try not to do the latter too much (tldr if I do too much of it my gift for mild and refutable prophecy becomes oracle at delphi levels of prophecy and it's super not fun). I actually can read reversals and it's something I study despite not using them because it helps me understand the full scope of a card, because what I do use is elemental dignities and that requires a fine-tuned sense of where on the "meaning-o-meter" a card may or may not fall. I actually am also weird about elemental dignities because I incorporate the relationships between spread positions when I evaluate which influences from other cards to take into account, and not just physical proximity. And even with elemental dignities, sometimes which cards are "partnered" overrides any influence map. I came to the conclusion recently that elemental dignities are a shortcut for evaluating the full meaning of a card interacting with everything else-like it's really the common case that a water card and a fire card will affect each other negatively, but not always. Some of this flexibility flows from how I interpret I-Ching hexagrams, which doesn't rely on the many guidebooks available. Apparently that's how the first I-Ching readings were done, and the guidebooks codify a specific school of approach towards interpretation in somewhat specific situations. But you know, this breaks so many common rules. I even use tarot apps due to sometimes overwhelming chronic pain and apparently you're not supposed to do that either. Basically I do everything wrong and weird and arguably stupid, but whatever I do, it works and in the past has also ironically worked too well. I am never going to recover from a specific reading I did at the height of my oracle of delphi stage; and by the way, that reading only completed this summer after 14 years of pretty shitty world events. I dunno. I always want to learn more anyways. My approach has shifted through the years into what it is now. Sometimes I think maybe every ritual and rule we make for ourselves is just scaffolding because it's just really hard to interact with the metaphysical world. So we gotta be flexible with it, even if it might mean we misinterpret until we learn to ride the bike again.
No no no....no reversals! And as far as " negative" goes, if you know the cards....you can identify any problems for your querent w/o the aid of a reversal. Historically, my ancestors did not read reversals. I however do not judge those who do!
There is one point on which I dont agree with you. And that is that you can actually be really predictive and accurate not using reversals. ONCE I Predicted for a lady who was getting divorced that finally she would not divorce and would even get pregnant. And thats what happened and I only used right side up mayor arcanes.
I didn't say you can't be predictive without reversals. I was only making the observation that people who tend to do overtly predictive readings seem more likely to prefer reversals.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Do you read with reversals? Why or why not? 🙃
No, I do not and I go to great lengths not to 'mess up' my cards as I shuffle them. It is just another layer to master and also it can freak people out. I have a hard enough time calming people down when unfavorable cards show up right side up. The added stress is unnecessary.
@Wise Owl Cafe I haven't heard of that reasoning before - super interesting! Thanks for sharing :)
I do but not with all of my decks. I have the Goetia deck and that's one I don't because I can get a feeling off of the cards if it's something internal, block, etc. I do read with reversals because I read them as blockages, shadows, etc. I don't read reversals with oracle decks because the are advice and more upbeat.
@@faithrosepetal4794 lots of flexibility in your approach it sounds like! Nice!
Very well done video! Aside from the fact that I do predictive readings and sometimes go free-form we seem to have the same reading style. I like to take my cues from the surrounding cards and, when applicable the spread position rather than using reversed cards.
I never reads reversals. It’s something that I decided by myself and without listening to any other people. It was an unconscious choice. It was something my intuition told me to do. I never had any opinions about it being good or bad doing it. I just woke up one day and I was like “why should I read reversals???…that doesn’t sound right to me”. I never did it since then. I’m happy to see that I’m not the only one. I’ve never seen a discussion about it before.
That’s awesome that you were able to come to that conclusion for yourself so effortlessly! Thanks for sharing :)
My Aunt taught me how to read tarot. She does in depth fortune telling, and uses the whole deck, not layout/spreads. Reversals don't really fit into her style of readings, and this has left an impression on me. I see how using reversals especially when doing X amount of cards in specific layout/spreads can add depth to a reading. I don't read like this, I read more in line like how my aunt taught me.
In my long experience, the upright cards contain all of the necessary negative or counter meanings, and they present these concepts much more clearly visually and intuitively than any reversed decoding/interpretation.
100% agree. I found it easier to read with reversals at first, but now after several years find it completely unnecessary.
I read reversals when I was first starting with tarot, I was a teen and saw the world as very black and white, so reversals worked for me (not saying that everyone that reads reversals sees things as black and white). As I got older and understood the worlds nuances better, it just made sense to keep all the cards upright and look at all the meanings within the cards to get the right message.
I always read with reversals. I don’t think people have to at all, but I find for me I feel it gives the reading more nuance. I highly recommend the Revelations tarot for those that want to read reversals as it has a right side up and upside down image, so can really help to remember the reversed meanings.
I am on the same page as you, Katey! I don't read predictively, and so focus on creating a dialogue between my client and the imagery of the cards...And so what a reversal might represent will come up anyway naturally in that kind of conversation :)
Hello Dreya! Thanks for sharing - lovely to hear someone I really respect has a similar approach! :)
I'm so early! I was just thinking about this topic while I made coffee😂 I don't read with reversals because honestly I find that the question and spread position give me enough context to understand what the card means, but I also don't see cards as being inherently good or bad so using reversals for "opposite" or negative meaning feels redundant. Personally I find that the more challenging expressions of cards are part of them as is, if that makes sense?
Also physically turning the deck upside down to shuffle in reversals feels like I'm purposefully manipulating the deck to get them (because I am!) and it gives me that getting stuck in your head feeling. I'll only have reversals in my readings if they somehow come up on their own, though it has only happened a handful of times.
Hello! It does make sense, and I totally agree with you. Sounds like you and I are pretty much on the same page! :)
I don't read reversals either and I shuffle for only upright cards. On a rare handful of occasions a card has somehow come up as reversed in a reading. I take that to mean !!!!!!!!! for that card. Pay super extra ultra attention. 😊 It's so fascinating what that happens because it typically is spot on in meaning.
My personal approach is to use them, but not overthink them. I let them nudge my intuition in certain directions I suppose.
“Your tarot practice is yours.” Sets my heart a-flutter! 😍 I enjoyed listening to the various points on reversals and also the incorporation of other unique viewpoints you’ve found. I so appreciate your videos!!! It’s like a one-stop-shop: info, background, personal experience, more info, and suggestions! ❤️
Thank you! That was my intention when creating the video, so it’s lovely to hear! ❤️
I love this! I don't read reversals. I used to when I was younger and first starting out, but I didn't know there was another option, I just figured that's what I had to do. I dropped tarot again before really commiting anything to memory, so when I came back to it last year and I saw someone saying they didn't, it really resonated with me. And the more I think about it, the tarot has quite a bit of balance already and 78 cards is a lot to remember without throwing reversals into it. So I figure if the deck I'm working with wants me to get a certain message, it'll figure it out with the cards available.
I totally agree! And I had a similar experience! ❤️
I'm just starting to learn tarot and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed just trying to learn all 78 cards and their meanings. The idea of learning 156 meanings is just too much for me right now. So I'm going to give myself a break and just stick with no reversals and then I can add it later if it feels something is missing. Thanks for all the different perspectives though. I've seen other videos where readers are just like "I don't do it!" but they never explained why. This was helpful.
Wow, thanks for all the info! I love how you explain how reading tarot is so personal. I don't read reversals, because it confuses me.
As a neat freak and a person with OCD tendencies, reading reversals makes me cringe and it ruins the visual image of the card when it's upside down. I also like to be traditional and simple. A very insightful video, thank you! 🌟🌟🌟
I do read reversals because I like a healthy balance between Light and Dark. It helps to enhance the reading and help me see that life is not one note.
Great to hear reversals help you in that way.
Once again - Tarottube's voice of reason.
Some reversals are positive and their upright meanings can be negative. So honestly you can read them all upright because in 78 cards there’s enough of them to give you the messages you really needed without having to read reversals.
I have enough with regular readings. No reversal works good enough for me.
Thanks for sharing!
I read reversals, but only if they come out that way . I tend to put all my cards upright before I shuffle, so if a card is drawn reversed I will read it that way. I was taught to read reversals when I learned tarot as they have a different meaning to an upright card. But I do agree that it a challenging subject 🤎
Ahh so do you intentionally shuffle your deck in such a way to incorporate reversals? Thanks for sharing :)
@@KateyFlowers not intentally, but I guess my shuffle does from time to time incorporate reversals 🤭
Thanks for clarifying! That is really interesting! :)
I dont read reversals - I think I already have a pretty good skill at seeing two sides of a Situation, so I wouldnt need the card to turn a certain way to consider the uppersit meanings of the cards. Also I only read to myself, so I dont feel like I need to adress really fliping over a card to better see it. Still learning though, so I might like reversals at a later point in my divination journey.
I totally agree with your opinion. Thank you for showing pros and cons of different approaches in a neutral way!
i always mix in reversals, mostly in the worry that i won't be able to tell otherwise which aspect specifically is coming up. it's definitely easier for me to read the imagery upright, so oftentimes i'll note that the card came up in reversal and then flip to get a look at the imagery both ways and think on it, but overall having reversals can just help me with where the card is leaning more, if something's blocked or not, and so on. i feel like this is partially due to how when i was first learning tarot, pretty much all my sources had reversals and people i've seen around on the internet would use reversals, so that's what i went for as well. but i do also, unfortunately, struggle with being able to tell intuitively what the card might be talking *specifically* about, so when i tried a reading or two without reversals a year or two ago, it kind of ended up throwing me off / confusing me as i could not tell for sure which it is / what it is, and i do read predictive things at times and not only introspective. i really like your idea of trying a month this and that way though, so i might eventually give no reversals another try. mostly because the upright imagery definitely makes more sense to my poor little brain haha. i feel like in the end it might probably end up being up to how i feel about a certain reading - if it's a spread and positions are very clear, i really might not need reversals. otherwise, they do really help me avoid looking at things way too positively or way too negatively and like, to pay more attention to the nuanmce of what it might be trying to say (which without reversals, as i said, can become a bit confusing to me otherwise haha)
You might find it helpful, if you try no reversals, to use card pairs or trios in place of a single card in a spread position. I find that gives a lot of nuance and context that way, when you relate the cards to each other. 😊
Thank you for sharing your experiences with reversals and some of the reasons why they help you in your readings! So interesting to hear other people’s experiences! 🥰
Most generally I don't read with reversals because I am partial to spreads as well. That usually shows the energy and relationships of the cards. I think it is already a more balanced system as is. I loved this video. Thank you for sharing. 💖
I read similarly to you in that I don't read reversals either, but if the deck comes with reversed meanings in the guide then I take them as the 'shadow' meaning, depending on whether the spread question requires a more challenging answer - ie what is blocking me, or what am I lacking, etc. If a card comes out as reversed from shuffling, I turn it back the right way up, but make a mental note that there is perhaps more behind that card than face value.
Sounds like we’re on the same page (or a very similar one)! 😊
No I don't read reversals I don't fully understand reversals and how to interpret them I can't wait to watch your video watching now all your videos and informational thank you so much
Hope you enjoy :)
When I read RWS-based decks I always use reversals, it's just how I was taught because it makes full use of tarot's possibility of expression. But I rarely read RWS. If I read random pip decks I will mostly use reversals, but if I read Marseille tarots or old Italian decks I don't, because my method for reading those doesn't require/incorporate reversals, it's not based on meanings. In the past few years that has been the way of reading that excites me the most.
I agree with you, I don't read reversals because I feel more comfortable letting each card speak to me.
When I had a reading, the reader told me her reversals meant the card happened in the past. Upright meant present.
i originally didnt want to read reversals and then when doing a reading i got a reversed card and flipped it around and then discovered the reversed meaning resonated more, so i decided id use them
Totally agree with you for your opinion about reversals, like a 100%!! 🤗☺️😘 My method is to turn down 6 cards while shuffling - 3 than shuffle and again 3. In some cases I turn 1 or 2 cards again in upright position, which is quite interesting, like this question is not that complicated. I do this for particular readings, when there are problems or obsicals. In case no card appear in the reading, I pull them out and read them as hidden treats, underwater stowns or hidden difficulties, the person is not fully aware of. This is my personal method of reading reversals. I hope you like it ☺️
I also don't read with reversals! I read similar to you, Katey, in that I pull a card and will get either the "upright" or "reversed" meaning based on my intuition, the question asked, or the surrounding cards. I tried reading with reversals and found that when I pulled a reversal, it boxed me into reading the "negative" meaning, and reading with just upright cards and using my intuition allowed for more accurate readings for me. Thank you for another lovely video and discussion!
I use reversals. I never shuffle them in, they just turn up lol so I figure they should be there. How I interpret them depends on the energy of the reading and my intuition, but it doesn't tend to be prescriptive ie it's shadow or opposite, etc. It tends to be more fluid for me. I also see them sometimes as influencing or progress cards like old style playing card readings. I rarely use spreads as I find most are weighted towards light or dark - or just have 1 or 2 positions that are challenging. I like my readings to have practical actions to take. I have created my own spreads but find it a phaff lol - and just slap the cards down any way they come 😂
Thanks for sharing, Sue. I really enjoyed reading about your thoughts on this topic. Super interesting that even though you don’t intentionally shuffle them in, reversals still pop up for you!
exactly i place them all good if its reversed im taking how it comes
Have been reading Tarot off and on since 1982. Learned from a woman who only used upright cards as she thought reversals made readings too negative. Followed her method up until a few years ago when I decided to try reversals. To me, reversals have made a world of difference, allowing for much greater insight into people and situations without using a whole lot of other cards. I will never go back to the uprights only method. However, I totally understand where you are coming from, Katey. Oh, and just one more thing…..reversals can actually be positive!
I like to read reversals with my RW cuz that's how I learned. My first deck is different, and I usually only read the upright meaning.
I only have one deck that I read reversals. It just feels completely different when I hold that deck. I shuffle it differently and draw the cards differently from that deck. I struggled with that deck until I treated it completely different and now it's one of my favorite.
I have decks that I read reversals, and others that I don't. Guess I go both ways! ☮️
I’m starting to feel like all upright readings have been very samey samey and shallow to me so I’m going to start incorporating reversals for depth
I'm loving these videos! I've been reading tarot for almost 20 years and never felt the pull to read reversals until very recently. At the moment I'm alternating using them and not using them. To me this depends on the reading, the deck I'm using, and whether I'm using a spread or not. I think reversals can be very helpful in a more predictive style reading, or one where a spread with assigned meanings isn't being used; then, the specificity and added layers of reversals can be very useful. I like the challenge inherent in the appearance of the reversed cards, but I don't always need it. I think for those of us who use more predictive styles of cartomancy, we may end up reading with reversals because this way of reading feels a bit closer to using those types of decks (Lenormand etc). Also, one thing I always found off-putting was the huge variety of methods on how to read reversals (you made a great list of them in your video). It was so overwhelming, it was just easier to read upright and rely on my intuition. But one day I realized I wanted to read with reversals and that's when my own way of reading them revealed itself to me. So I think if using reversals is helpful to you, if it enriches your practice and makes your readings more accurate - then by all means, use them. If you're not using them and you are happy with your practice and with the readings you produce, then don't use them. There is no wrong or right way, and it doesn't just differ person to person, it differs depending on where a reader is in their practice, their life circumstances, needs and so on. Either way, please don't box yourself in with "should"s and do what feels right and enjoyable to YOU, not anyone else.
Check out John Ballantrae's YT channel. He is a well experienced reader with several videos on this topic.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you! I really enjoyed this. I loved Eternal Athena’s perspective on reversals referencing the lessons not learned from the prior card. As someone who also studies astrology, it’s like the card is in retrograde. I love this so much I might actually start calling them retrograde cards instead of reversed! 😀🤣. Like….Man, when is my Tower going to move out of retrograde???
This issue, like most other things in life, is not black or white. You don’t to have to choose to work exclusively this way or that way. For example, there are some decks I read reversals on and others I do not. I work this out with each deck in our “getting to know you” phase 😁, then set that intention with the deck. I also do not limit how I read each reversal, sometimes it might be an exclamation point, other times it might be the “shadow” aspect… part of the fun is figuring it out. I have also found that my reversed cards often mean that card is referencing another person.
This is timely for me as I wanted to address reversals myself soon. I liked when you said: ultimately... upside down images are weird! :D
This was a wonderful video about the controversy over reversals. I can relate to everything you said about approaching it. I have grown very open and fluid about reversals. Like you said, I set the intention of if I will read reversals and what they will mean before I sit with the cards. So sometimes I read them, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes the card is upright, and my hand just kind of reverses it so I can see it from a different perspective. Staying open about it has helped me stay in touch with the openness of meanings too.
Also, I love the bongo sound between segments. :-)
Reverse tarot reading is a highly skilful technique recommended for tarot readers
I ask each deck how reading reversals will affect my readings, and if it’s beneficial. I have two decks that clearly told me not to read reversals. Most of my decks say it’s neither wrong nor right, and won’t affect the readings. Then I have decks that were insistent on my reading reversals. I ask each deck during my deck interview, and find that my asking the deck and using the deck in the way it wants to be used is just easier for me because I’m not always wondering if I’m getting the full meaning. At the same time, when I use the decks that want to be read upright, it’s not difficult for me to get the gist of the card, especially with the other cards in the spread.
“Ultimately upside down pictures are weird” 🤣🤣🤣 to true. This has been the main reason why I can’t seem to e corporate reversals in my practice. It just looks weird to my eye.
🙃🙃🙃🤣
What a great, comprehensive overview. I might do a VR although you've said it all. At the moment I read reversals with some decks but not all.
Let me know if you do!
This was a fun and thought-provoking video💖 I read reversals but I don't always reverse cards in my deck. Sometimes I'll spin a few around if I feel like it, but there's a "right side up" to my deck. This actually allows reversals to have more meaning for me because they're rare. I'm of the "pay attention" and " something's off" school when that happens.
I learned with reversals, but now I only use them about half the time. I agree with what you were saying about clear spread positions -- when I have them, I don't use reversals because the position guides me; when I read more free form, I'm much more likely to use them (I also do that more with pip/Marseille decks). I'm perpetually experimenting. Regarding nuance, Robert M Place wrote about how many more possible interpretations you can get by having three cards per spread position (and reading them in combination), as opposed to doing reversals -- this made so much sense to me that now I never draw a single card per position.
I don't use reversals. I use 2-3 cards for each spread position read in relation to each other, if I use a spread, so it gives very nuanced meanings for each position. 😊
Thanks for sharing, Laura! 🤗
I go back and forth with reading reversals. I *MOSTLY read reversals but I do have a few decks that when I work with them, they just don’t feel right with reversals, so I do upright only with those decks. That just feels right sometimes
But when I do read reversals , it’s never “the opposite” of the card meaning. It’s usually a gentle nudge like “hey…you’re not quite there yet, but almost” and it’s literally sometimes a small attitude adjustment and snap! You’ve turned the card right side up. It really depends on the other cards in the spread with how I interpret the reversals.
So interesting to hear that you have some decks that work best with you without reversals, and others better with! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Can't get enough of your work - as far as I'm concerned the best tarot youtuber. Thanks for sharing, Katey. Just starting my tarot journey and your videos have been really helpful.
😭❤️🥰
What an insightful video! This was great. I do not read with reversals. My philosophy is very much akin to yours, Katey. I find looking at an upside down image to be jarring. I believe every card's meaning has a spectrum of possible interpretations. For example, one of the meanings of the Empress is nurturing someone or something toward growth. But are you not nurturing something enough? Are you smothering someone? Are you self-insulating? Are you ignoring your need to be nurtured? There are so many different ways you can go. For me, the meaning of a card in a particular reading is based on spread position, surrounding cards, context, and intuition. Reversals are basically an indicator. And for me, personally, I use other indicators as ideas for how I interpret a card. Like you, I have also experimented over the years and have found that not using reversals gives me clearer readings that are layered and nuanced. Definitely a personal choice.
Excellent video Katey ...I have been reading foe some years no reversals, the past 18 months or so I started to feel in my readings (in a specific Layout) using uprights I wasn’t getting it or feeling the reading, I wasn’t reading it right or perhaps a block? It was all to upright and right...wired!!! So started including reversals 😤🤨 not sure I like it especially if they all come out in reverse 🥴🙄. I think I’ll go back to upright only. Too much with the shuffling etc then I’m not relaxed? I needed this video. 🌟😀💜🍒
Hi Katey. I don't read reversals. I've tried but I hate looking at an upside down card and my brain just wants to turn it right side up. Currently I read cards in line without a spread in a Marseille style. I'm looking to find an answer to the question, so reversals don't really matter. I came to this after a lot of experimentation. Great idea to add reversals to fluffy oracle decks...If my brain can stand looking at an upside down card!
Hi Katey. I love this topic. I read reversals most of the time, though it does depend on the deck. For me, I have an internal agreement or intention that a reversed card represents a shadow aspect of the card meaning (or the meaning I have assigned to it) or an indication that something is blocking the given energy of the card. The rest of the reading will tell me which. I feel like using reversals makes tarot easier for me now. I certainly didn’t feel this way in the beginning as reversals felt intimidating to me. But, once I found my comfort level with tarot in general, the idea of reversals suddenly made sense to me and it all came together. I agree with you, though…it all comes down to the reader. Do what works for you…it’s refreshing to see people doing their own thing and not being dogmatic about it. Thanks for all the videos. I watch often but don’t usually comment. :)
Thank you for sharing this video! I feel like I'm discussing with a friend *who-gets-me* when you talk about tarot practices and your insights.
As a tarot newbie, I'm still learning how my reading style would be and your advice on experimentation sounds like a good idea to gauge if I would like to continue reading reversals, if i'd rather not, or if maybe it would depend on something else (like non-reversible card backs, or my mood that day. LOL)
So thorough! I also had no idea so many readers interpret reversals differently, that's so cool. I have a few decks that don't like being read with reversals, and others that 100% do, so I almost let the deck chose which way I read it. It's pretty neat. xx
Nice! Is that a feeling you get when reading with a deck, whether or not it likes reversals? Or do you ascertain that in other ways?
@@KateyFlowers I guess the best way to describe it, is as a feeling once I start to use a deck. I almost always start out with reversals in a deck, but sometimes (and it's usually the art style that might be the cause of this) the interpretations fall completely flat with reversed cards, like the deck won't let me in when cards are reversed. But other decks I have absolutely no problem reading reversals.
It might have something to do with how close the images are to RWS imagery or how well I know the deck and how long I've used it, but other times I'll have had a deck for ages and know it like the back of my hand, and it just doesn't want to be read topsy turvy.
I will say it also urks me when the backs aren't reversible, particularly when there are reversed meanings in the guidebook, which leads me to believe the creator intended the deck to be read both ways. But that just might be a 'me' problem. Haha
Thank you for this video. I totally agree with you . I no longer read reversed cards. Great video 💗
Thanks Katey! What a great video. There were several ways of using reversals that you mentioned which I had never heard of before. I don't read reversals (or jumpers). Like you, I want to see the artwork (or, in many pip decks, I can't really tell which is upright or reversed and don't want that stress), and I also tend to consider a whole range of possible meanings for a card, depending on context and intuition.
This is very helpful. I'm coming to tarot late in my life and I like the idea of keeping it simple and reading without reversals may be a way to do that. Also, like you I am also too in my head.
This was so incredibly validating and helpful.
I don’t read reversals because there are too many theories on the meaning of it, like it’s too confused and muddy it’s confusing xx
I do read reversals. Actually I also made a video about how I read reversals this week. I don’t know if I have strong opinions although I feel any extra info is useful. Which is maybe a strong opinion as a strongly sag influenced Gemini lol.
Great video, very useful, very instructive. Thank you!!
I don't read reversals but I have one oracle deck, the Mystic Martian, where cards stubbornly show up in reverse. How? Jumpers mostly but not only. Cards are big and sturdy, and I shuffle gently, and the backs show direction but cards somehow find a way to present themselves upside down. Weird. I tend to interpret them as unseen elements, far away in time or as approach this from a different perspective. The book to the oracle provides the reversals' meaning so the author intended the cards to be used this way, I guess. I tend to interpret cards my own intuitive way.
Really interesting video. As you know I read reversals but not in a traditional way. For me the reversal brings in a different flavour of the cards, sometimes it means a warning, sometimes it shows a misalignment or sticking point. I haven't tried reading without reversals, that might be an interesting challenge. X
I've just started. I don't use reversals. If it was meant to tell me the opposite I could have drawn that different card. That's just my own opinion.
The only deck I read reversals with is the tarot of oppositions, because it's made that way and it's a fun change. But mostly, I read upright because I find there's enough light and shadow in the fool's journey to give clear messages and understanding.
I love the deviant moon book and don't pull reversals BUT when I read from a book I read both and usually enjoy the duality. This is speaking in reading for myself
Such an informative video! Thankyou! Ps. Love your makeup here 💋
I teoritically dont shuffle cards for having reversal but today ex. My card fell from deck (while shuffling) and layed reversal so i was like "okay so This want to be read this way" im flexible, what i feel is the way
Like "souk decks" and "deck collections" "reversals" is a cyclical topic. Haha!
I'm loath to say definitively yes or no, because it is all about context.
For me deliberately mixing in reversals seems - stressful. Lol. However if one or two turns up in a read it will cause me to pause. How is this reversal impacting the overall read? Is it inhibited or exaggerated? Is it seeking attention?
For example I had an reversed Justice card and in a position below to the right, was the King o Wands pointing his skeletal finger to the reversed justice's cythe, not the scales. OK then tarot, way to emphasise a point.
At other times I've just righted it and picked the card up to look for details I might've missed before.
It's all gravy. 🥣
I very much like your explanation 🎈
The querent can also tell us which aspect (positive or negative) The card is suggesting. If the Hermit comes up and this querent already feels isolated and too introverted , then that would tell us that the Hermit card is pointing out that imbalance.
Or, another indication of the so called reverse meaning of an upright card will be determined by the following card. Like the Chariot followed by the Hanged Man. Right there you have a lot to discuss about going forward or needing to wait. Victory or sacrifice. It's all there in the 78 cards.
Great video Katey. Thank you. Anne
That is very true if and when we read for others in real time, for sure!
@@KateyFlowers Well it could apply to reading for ourselves as well, no? Glad you stuck your neck out here!
@@annerobinson2288 yes! Totally! I just liked what you added to the conversation, especially for people who do get to engage with the person they’re reading for. 😊
Great video Katey. So many good suggestions and insights. I don't usually read reversals. Like you I feel like I can get a sense of what message a card has for me through context. For me all cards have a spectrum as you mentioned. The 10 of Swords could mean I'm at the end of a tough cycle, I'm making things difficult for myself with my perspective, or I may be headed that way if I don't pay attention to my choices and actions. And then sometimes I mix it up. A reversed card will come up and I feel it's a strong message I need to pay attention to. Thank you for sharing your Tarot journey. I find it so helpful and fun. :O)
Thank you for pointing out that we don't have to read reversals. I've worked with tarot for 7 years and it's only now that my intuition is strong enough for me to decide whether to read them based on the art/directionality, as an opposite, as growing energy, receding energy, or as just "pay extra attention to this card!" Some decks I like reading reversals with and some I don't. You also make a good point that the 78 cards already cover the human experience, so reversals are really not necessary unless you enjoy them.
Hi there! I am kind of a newbie in tarot and I used to read reversals. It was quite overhelming at first and confusing on top of that. Especialy when all of the cards were showing up upside down. It was when I designed my tarot deck for myself, as an exercise, that it actually felt really wrong to use reversals (with this particular deck). I decided then, to leave the reversals out for a given time. It was nice to hear from your own experience (it gave me sort of a confirmation on how to judge if reversals do "work" or not for me) and your approach on this topic. Thanks for this great video!
How cool that the process of creating your own deck invited a shift in your practice like that! Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting and informative video, as always! 😉 I don’t use reversals for my readings but I bring some nuance to certain cards depending on their position and the cards to their left or to their right.
You read my mind as if these last 3 weeks I began questioning if I should continue using reversals or not. I did a reading to someone after months of not doing readings for others and one of them came in reversal... I relied on intuition for that card because I was, at that moment, doubting if I should use reversals... I did read it on reversal at last, lol.
Still don't do readings for others very often now and decided to do readings for myself and there's my subconscious telling me: “Don't do reversals for yourself, further cards pulls will explain why”, hahahaha. So this video was helpful.
But I have yet to read the history of Tarot. Is reading reversals stated in Tarot history such as RWS and the Golden Daw era? Traditional ways of doing things is lowkey important for me, hahahaha.
Plus... I read someone belittling someone for not reading reversals a few months ago and that kind of influenced me to read reversals, lol. Foolish me though.
The downside for me reading reversals is not the negativity, blockage, etc... Meanings but memorizing 156 meanings and also because having the artwork in reversal throws me off doing readings, most of the time, if I don't (and still) remember the meaning of the already 78 cards.
Of course I've been watching other people's opinions but still not convinced so I guess, for now, NOT reading reversals is winning, lol.
Glad my timing was good for you! I have heard mixed things about the traditions associated with reversed cards and, to be honest, that matters less to me, so I haven't spent too much time looking too deep into it. So I don't have an answer for you on that front I'm afraid!
But one of the reasons I wanted to make this video is that I have encountered quite a bit of snobbery with some tarot readers feeling very strongly that others should read with reversals, and that choosing not to somehow makes you less of a tarot reader. And I wholeheartedly disagree, and I think it's sad that so many people try to force themselves (as I did for years!) into a way of reading that maybe just isn't ideal for them! So whatever you decide to do, I only hope that you do what works best for you! That belittling you witnessed is so ignorant and small minded I think, and it's sad that some people can't appreciate that while reversals can be a wonderful practice for some, it doesn't make it a requirement for us all.
No I don't read with reversals, but I use elemental dignities.
In "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot," Waite provides both upright and reversed meanings for each card. This indicates that he believed reversed cards could offer additional layers of meaning and nuance to a reading. Do we not need to follow his view since today’s the tarot cards are mostly based on his deck?
Because of the way I shuffle, I rarely get a reversed card, so if a card comes up reversed, i see it as a stop card. For me it means there is not enough info at the time to proceed with the reading or that a question is wrong at that time. Just my opinion.
Good morning Katey. Coming to watch with morning coffee.
Morning to you Butterfly! I'm getting ready for bed! I hope you have a lovely day :) xx
Reversals are helpful in my opinion . But it’s actually giving me anxiety in regards to using my cards at all. I mainly do daily draws on myself . I don’t think it makes sense to have deck loaded with reversals . I don’t need or want the shadow aspect in every reading lol. I think I will incorporate the court card method going forward . It makes sense to me . Thanks for the great video !!!
Helpful and insightful. Thank you!
Excellent video! Overall, I do not read Tarot with reversals. My brain needs the images upright in order to process and to work with my intuition. I typically work with Tarot cards in pairs or trios, so relating the cards to each other adds nuance and helps me interpret both the positive and negative aspects of the cards.
That being said, I have 1 Tarot deck I work with for personal readings that I do read reversals with, the SpiritSong Tarot. I tend to interpret reversals in that deck as the upright meaning blocked. I also rely heavily on the book for working with that deck. Right now I only use this deck for personal readings, not readings for others.
I will work with reversals in some of my Oracle decks. If the accompanying book includes reversals I'll use reversals with that deck. I typically use the accompanying book with my Oracle decks when I read with them.
I DO absolutely LOVE the idea of incorporating reversals into an Oracle deck that might seem "too positive." I adore my positive Oracles and typically know intuitively if I'm blocking the upright energy of a card. However, hearing you mention this made me want to try incorporating reversals into at least a couple of my Oracle decks, especially my Affirmators decks, interpreting them as the upright meaning being blocked. I just might try that for a bit and see how that goes. It feels like something fun for me to try. 😊💖
So many layers to this conversation! Thanks so much for your input!
The upright card can already convey negative / opposite meanings.
Love this. I'm glad you are pumping out such great content. I personally don't read reversals as I plug in numerology in a spread. I tried before and have read books and chapters in books about reversals but it just didn't gel
I choose to reject reading reversals recently, though I'm pretty much a tarot newbie. Last week, I suddenly noticed the conclusion is the same regardless whether some of the cards are reversed or not - yet reading reversals add unnecessary analysing processes and make the reading wordy, repetitive.
Each card already contains both negative and positive sides. The other cards on the same spread or the bottom card(s) on the deck in a single card reading can already suggest whether the upright card's energy is blocked or influenced or repressed or not.
I intuitively get more insightful dynamics through only reading the upright cards.
This is totally valid! although it's work pointing out that the reversed card meanings are not typically negative. The meanings that are generally taught are simply another layer of interpretation, it's not the case that those meanings are inherently negative.
@@final_animal After five-months further learning, i totally agree.
That was a very well thought out and especially well organized and clear presentation. Thank you. I read with and without reversals. It depends on the deck and the context. I especially like to use reversals when reading for other people because we can explore what it means together. When reading for myself, I use reversals less. It also depends on the system - i.e, RWS, TdM, or Thoth....
So there's my non-answer.😁
Thank you for this! I'm still pretty new to Tarot (been reading/studying for over a year, but really infrequently due to various life circumstances), and I just recently started incorporating reversals but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep that practice. Your video shed a lot of light, and I'm going to have to rewatch it several times while I figure out my own thinking around it! 😁
Glad you enjoyed! ❤️
It depends on the deck but I do use them with standard RWS deck.
In theory I would read reversals, but only if a card just happened to have got itself upside-down somehow. But I’m so fussy about keeping my decks organised that it hasn’t happened yet!
I would also only read the reversal if the deck creator had made the deck with reversals in mind. (Reversible backs, reversals in the guidebook, etc.)
If the creator didn’t intend for, or facilitate reversal readings, I think I’d feel that a reversed card in their deck would just be empty of meaning until I put it back upright.
This video was really thought-provoking. Thank-you. :)
Ahh some interesting thoughts, thanks for sharing!
I read reversals because it gives the whole picture
I recently bought cards and I’ve seen people read reversals and not. I shuffled the cards and I didn’t look before I pulled the cards… I had the entire deck upside down so the card I pulled was reversed. Is it ok that I don’t want to take is as a reversal?
Really love you 🥰 ❤
Really enjoyed this video
reding reversals feels more "complete" to me. i feel like i am cheating when i don't lol.
I am weird maybe; I don't read reversals even though I read both for self-insight and predictively, though I try not to do the latter too much (tldr if I do too much of it my gift for mild and refutable prophecy becomes oracle at delphi levels of prophecy and it's super not fun).
I actually can read reversals and it's something I study despite not using them because it helps me understand the full scope of a card, because what I do use is elemental dignities and that requires a fine-tuned sense of where on the "meaning-o-meter" a card may or may not fall.
I actually am also weird about elemental dignities because I incorporate the relationships between spread positions when I evaluate which influences from other cards to take into account, and not just physical proximity.
And even with elemental dignities, sometimes which cards are "partnered" overrides any influence map. I came to the conclusion recently that elemental dignities are a shortcut for evaluating the full meaning of a card interacting with everything else-like it's really the common case that a water card and a fire card will affect each other negatively, but not always.
Some of this flexibility flows from how I interpret I-Ching hexagrams, which doesn't rely on the many guidebooks available. Apparently that's how the first I-Ching readings were done, and the guidebooks codify a specific school of approach towards interpretation in somewhat specific situations.
But you know, this breaks so many common rules. I even use tarot apps due to sometimes overwhelming chronic pain and apparently you're not supposed to do that either.
Basically I do everything wrong and weird and arguably stupid, but whatever I do, it works and in the past has also ironically worked too well. I am never going to recover from a specific reading I did at the height of my oracle of delphi stage; and by the way, that reading only completed this summer after 14 years of pretty shitty world events.
I dunno. I always want to learn more anyways. My approach has shifted through the years into what it is now.
Sometimes I think maybe every ritual and rule we make for ourselves is just scaffolding because it's just really hard to interact with the metaphysical world. So we gotta be flexible with it, even if it might mean we misinterpret until we learn to ride the bike again.
Crud. 20 years. Not 14. Seeing that long and that large sucks. A lot.
It doesn't feel right when I use reversals so I brought a deck to help with that, the Tarot of Oppositions. Lol
Nice!
No no no....no reversals! And as far as " negative" goes, if you know the cards....you can identify any problems for your querent w/o the aid of a reversal. Historically, my ancestors did not read reversals. I however do not judge those who do!
There is one point on which I dont agree with you. And that is that you can actually be really predictive and accurate not using reversals. ONCE I Predicted for a lady who was getting divorced that finally she would not divorce and would even get pregnant. And thats what happened and I only used right side up mayor arcanes.
I didn't say you can't be predictive without reversals. I was only making the observation that people who tend to do overtly predictive readings seem more likely to prefer reversals.
Have you heard about josephine ellershaw.