Thoughts on Reading with Reversed Cards
an article by Gina M. Pace
 
When a tarotist is conducting a reading, the cards are laid out and interpreted from the reader's point of view.  Some readers will, as a courtesy, turn the cards over briefly as each one is being explained, so that the client (I dislike the term querent) can actually take a look at the image on the card; I myself do this.  But when I am done showing the client the card, I return it to its original position, and that means, facing *me*.

Since the tarotist is the person interpreting and explaining the cards, the cards are laid out so as to facilitate this process.  I'd like to note, however, that many tarotists discard completely the use of reversals in reading tarot cards.  Reversals are by no means a requirement when learning or using the cards.  When I teach the tarot, I actually do teach what the reversed meaning might be for each card, but that is to give more context and depth for the upright meaning of the card.  It is easier to grasp the total concept of the card's meaning when you see both applications of it.

However, I also teach expressly *not* to use reversed meanings in readings until the tarotist is at least a few months into the game.  Reversals require a lot more in-depth concentration and a more solid grasp of the cards in general; it's not as easy as simply turning the card over and making the meaning the opposite of what it was when the card was upright.  In fact, with 78 cards in the deck altogether, one could argue that whatever situation needs to be explained, will adequately be covered by another card in the deck, such that you can skip reversals completely.

I strenuously recommend that anyone who is trying to learn how to read tarot basically ignore the concept of reversed meanings until the depth of the upright meanings is solidly grasped.  This doesn't just mean being able to regurgitate memorized meanings, but the ability to work with the cards and transmute their meanings according to the combinations they appear in.  I teach the use of reversals only in my advanced classes.

Of course, this doesn't mean that nobody *can* use reversals in the beginning.  I just find it makes the whole process much harder to learn.

Incidentally, I do use reversals myself in readings, but I have a small trick I perform first.  Before I do any reading for any client, I carefully go through the entire deck and turn every card upright, so that they are all the same way.  When I shuffle, I shuffle in such a way as to prevent cards from becoming reversed.  Then I hand the deck to the client to shuffle.  This way, I am ensuring that *no* reversals come up in the reading due to having already been reversed in the deck.  No reversals come up in the reading due to a shuffling accident.  Would you be surprised to learn that cards come up reversed anyway?  They do, and when they do, it is *guaranteed* that they were *meant* to come up that way, that *those* particular cards were meant to come up reversed to tell the client something really specific.  It happens.  I have noticed since I have begun doing this that all of the reversed cards have proven to be much more profound and also much more accurate.

Just something to consider, from the voice of experience.  *smile*
 

article copyright 1999 by Gina M. Pace