Upside down · 6 min read
Reversed tarot cards: what they mean and how to read them
A reversed card is one that comes out of the deck upside down. Some readers turn every reversal upright and ignore it; some read it as the exact opposite of the card's meaning; most read it as something in between. This page is for the in-between, which is how every card on this site is written.
The short version: a reversed card is the same card, with its energy not arriving as it should. Blocked, turned inward, delayed, overdone, or being resisted. The Sun reversed is not darkness; it is a sun behind cloud.
Four ways a card reverses
Blocked: the card's energy is there and something is in its way. The Ace of Pentacles reversed is an opportunity that is not quite landing. Turned inward: the energy is happening in private, in the mind, rather than in the world. The Hermit reversed is isolation rather than retreat. Delayed: the card is coming, later than hoped. The Eight of Wands reversed is news held up. Overdone: too much of the card's quality. The Emperor reversed is authority become domination.
Which of the four applies comes from the question and from the cards around it. A reversed card next to a Swords card is usually a mental block; next to the Hanged Man, a delay.
Some cards improve reversed
The hard cards of the deck soften when they turn over. The Devil reversed is breaking free; the Tower reversed, a disaster averted or a collapse still to come; the Five of Pentacles reversed, the end of a hard time; the Ten of Swords reversed, recovery. The Eight of Swords reversed is seeing that the bonds were loose all along.
This is the clearest argument against reading reversals as flat opposites: the deck is not a list of good cards and bad cards, and turning a card over does not flip it between the two. It changes how the card is arriving.
How to read a reversal in a spread
Read the card's upright meaning first, so you know what is being blocked or delayed. Then ask which of the four reversals the position suggests. In a “what is holding me back” position almost any reversal reads as blocked; in an “outcome” position, as delayed; in a position about your inner life, as turned inward.
A spread with many reversals is telling you something as a whole: energy is stuck, the situation is not moving, or you are resisting what the reading is saying. A spread with none is a situation in open motion.
Whether to use reversals at all
You do not have to. Many good readers turn every card upright and read the shadow side of a card from its position and neighbours instead. Reversals double the vocabulary of the deck, which is useful once you know the upright 78 and confusing before.
A fair compromise while learning: read upright only for the first few months, then start reading reversals and notice how much more the deck can say. If you shuffle without reversing cards, none will appear; to get them, turn half the deck round before you shuffle, or spread the cards and swirl them.
Questions
Is a reversed card bad?
No. It is the card's energy blocked, inward, delayed or overdone, and for the hard cards of the deck (the Devil, the Tower, the Ten of Swords) a reversal is often good news.
Do I have to read reversed cards?
No. Many readers read upright only and take the shadow side of a card from its position and neighbours. Reversals add vocabulary once the upright meanings are familiar.
What if most of my cards are reversed?
Read it as a message about the whole situation: energy is stuck, things are not moving, or you are resisting the answer. Look for the one upright card; it is often the way through.
How do reversed cards get into the deck?
Only if you put them there. Turn half the deck round before shuffling, or spread the cards face down on the table and swirl them, and reversals appear naturally.
