Reversals

I was wondering if anyone here reads reversals? At this stage I don't. I just can't seem to get my head around them I always flip the card up the 'right' way. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences

rc xo

Reversals to me are blocks. So if a card is upside down you can read it a few different ways. So for example, the fool up right is "tripping through life unaware of the dangers" so if reversed, maybe this person is not living life to the fullest, blocking off by being very fearful to take any steps at all.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your response Medium_Laura Seeing them as a blockage does make some sense to me.

rc xo

I'm really fickle about reversals...sometimes I read them, sometimes I don't. It all depends on what the situation is. Honestly, I just go with my intuition. I tend to read them with my Rider-Waite more than my Shadowscapes deck though...dunno why. *shrugs*

I read them as blockage like Medium_Laura, but sometimes, I just look at the actual picture upside down! Sometimes that can tell you a lot.

http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/swords10.jpg

^^^^For example, the Ten of Swords has a man being pierced by ten swords. But if it's upside down...they're actually falling OFF of him! See what I mean? Just an idea.

[norseman]

I ignore them. Just think, if you pick the deck upside down then all the cards will be reversed.

The cards mean different things to me reversed. When I mix the deck, I begin by turning the face down on my reading table and useing both hands to turn and swirl and mix them randomly. THEN I pick them up and arrange them in a solid deck.still viewing only the back of the cards. In this manner of mixing, some cards will be straight up, some reversed, but I won't know which until I shuffle and lay them out. Before shuffling, I present them to the person I'm reading for and let them hold the deck to their heart for a few moments while they silently ask a question, hold a situation, person or concern in their mind, or merely ask their Higher Self to provide the information they most need to know before handing the deck back to me. I then shuffle the deck three times, allow the client to cut it in three piles, and I begin laying out the spread. I do one spread atop another till all the cards in the deck have been utilized, or until the energy fades, which becomes apparent when more and more cards have no applicable meaning to the reading.. that's how I can tell the energy is petering out. As I read each spread, I know which cards apply and which do not. When more and more do not, the reading is approaching completion.

Thank-you all for your responses
It seems to be very much a personal choice as to whether or not to use reversals in a spread. For now I think I might just stick with upright so I don't start feeling overwhelmed but as I learn more, who knows.

LightFilledHeart - thanks for explaining how you shuffle and deal your cards when you are reading with someone. I haven't actually sat down one on one with someone to read their cards as yet, and I was wondering how to go about it (it was to be my next question actually ), so this has been very helpful

rc xo

Originally Posted by rainbowcrow

Thank-you all for your responses
It seems to be very much a personal choice as to whether or not to use reversals in a spread. For now I think I might just stick with upright so I don't start feeling overwhelmed but as I learn more, who knows.

LightFilledHeart - thanks for explaining how you shuffle and deal your cards when you are reading with someone. I haven't actually sat down one on one with someone to read their cards as yet, and I was wondering how to go about it (it was to be my next question actually ), so this has been very helpful

rc xo

I'm happy to help The methods I developed are what felt right and comfortable to me. With time and experience, you will develope your own. You may even find certain cards taking on a meaning different than others assign to it. All that is fine and well and as it should be... it's your Higher Self working through you

I'm rather confused about reversals. I would like to learn to include reversals in my readings, but I'm not quite sure how to apply them. Spontaneously I would tend to think that reversals are the negative aspects of the cards, upright being the more positive or neutral aspects. But then what about cards like 7 of Cups that are already negative to begin with? Do they become positive if reversed? x) Somehow I doubt it...

7 of cups reversed to me is a choice not yet made. There are several choices going on in the card but reversed means that the querent has not yet decided what to choose.