When learning the Tarot, it is hard to know all the 78 cards in the deck. When I learned that the cards upside down had a different meaning, I was pretty devastated. But relax; reversals are not that hard to understand as you might think.
A reversed Tarot card is a card that is turned upside down in a card spread. Reversals are also called negative polarity. A reversed card has another meaning than the card in its upright position. A reversed card meaning is often referred to as the shadow side of the card in its upright position.
There are several systems to deciphering a reversed card. When you master the methods, you don’t have to memorize the reversal card meaning. Tarot cards are representations of energy. The card in reversal depicts the energy in its negative polarity, or simpler words, negative side.
WHAT IS A REVERSED TAROT CARD?
A reversed Tarot card is a card that is upside down in your card spread. A reversed card is also called “negative polarity.”
In the picture below, you see what a reversed card looks like. The card is facing the wrong way, turned 180 degrees on its head. All 78 cards in the Tarot deck can be placed and read in their reversal.
A reversal is a card that appears upside down from your point of view when placed in front of you. The head of the card turns downwards.
Sandra Törnroth
The Tarot reader shuffles the deck and places the cards as they are. Some cards are upright, and some reversed. The Tarot is deciding for the reader how the cards are faced.
WHAT REVERSED TAROT CARDS MEAN
A reversed card has another meaning than the card in its upright position. Often the reversed meaning is considered the negative, or dark side, of the card’s energy. But there are other systems to decide on the definition of a reversed card as well.
Systems to interpret a reversed Tarot card
- Blockage of the energy
- Delay of the energy
- The card asks for special attention
- Opposite meaning
- Internalized energy
- Too much or too little energy
- Shadow-side energy
- Same meaning as the upright card
- Energy is ignored
- Energy is concealed
- Reversed keywords
As always, there are no fixed rules on how to read the Tarot. You can choose whichever system you feel works for you. You are also free to mix them or come up with a system of your own.
BLOCKAGE OF ENERGY
A blockage means that the energy of the upright card is hindered in some way. The seeker needs to find ways to unblock the energy to proceed.
DELAY OF ENERGY
A delay means that the manifestation of the energy is yet to come. The lesson is still to be learned. The seeker needs to find a way to speed things up or stay put and wait.
SPECIAL ATTENTION
The card needs special attention and poses an essential part of the reading. This can be the missing piece of the puzzle that the seeker needs to address.
OPPOSITE MEANING
The reversed card has an opposite meaning to the card in its upright position.
INTERNALIZED ENERGY
The energy of the card is inwards-facing. The seeker is processing the energy inside and not in public.
TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE ENERGY
Too much or too little of the energy of the card in its upright position. The seeker needs to balance the energy. Too much or too little of anything causes imbalances.
SHADOW-SIDE ENERGY
The reversed card symbolized the “the dark side” of the energy in its upright position. The flipside of the coin. Energy is never all good or bad; the same goes for the cards.
SAME MEANING AS THE UPRIGHT CARD
The Tarot reader does not read the reversed card differently than upright ones. If you want to, you can flip the reversal cards to their proper position. This is recommended if you are starting out.
ENERGY IS IGNORED
The seeker needs to pay attention to the energy of the card in its upright position.
ENERGY IS CONCEALED
The energy of the card in its upright position is concealed. The seeker needs to find the energy and manifest it to move forward.
REVERSAL KEYWORDS
Use keywords from lexicons, books, or guides.
My favorite way of reading reversed cards is the internalized system. You might have to try all methods before finding the one you love the most. Remember, though; you don’t need to read reversals if you don’t want to.
If you are a beginner Tarot reader, the recommendation is to start reading only with upright cards. When you are faced with a reversed card, you just flip it to its proper position.
When you get more familiar with the card meanings, you start applying the different systems of interpreting the reversals. There’s no rush in Tarot; you take the time you need.
REVERSED CARD MEANINGS LIST
A reversed card keyword list gives you a cue on how to interpret the cards when faced upside-down. This comprehensive list of keywords includes Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, Court cards, and the four Suits.
Use the list as inspiration to ignite your intuition. When you get more familiar with the Tarot, create your personalized list by adding your keywords. I use the Tarot Card Meanings Workbook by Birgit Esselmont to add keywords and notes. (Paid Link – Amazon)
The keywords below are based on the Rider-Waite deck and system. They are a combination of my personal notes from the Biddy Tarot Certification Program, the Tarot Vintage booklet by Sasha Graham (Paid Link – Amazon), and my experiences of the reversal meanings.
MAJOR ARCANA REVERSED CARD MEANINGS
| Card | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Fool | Pretentious, foolishness |
| Magician | Poor planning, slander |
| High Priestess | Need to listen to the inner voice, shallow |
| Empress | Creative block, doubt |
| Emperor | Domination, rigidity, trapped |
| Hierophant | Restriction, distrust |
| Lovers | Imbalance, mistrust, repulsion |
| Chariot | Aggression, lack of direction, collapse |
| Strength | Weakness, lack of self-esteem, corruption |
| Hermit | Fright, hiding, loneliness |
| Wheel of Fortune | Bad luck, out of control, cycles |
| Justice | Unfairness, dishonesty, favoritism |
| Hanged Man | Indecision, delay, common thinking |
| Death | Paralysis, unable to move on |
| Temperance | Imbalance, lack of long-term vision |
| Devil | Breaking free, nonchalance |
| Tower | Fear of change, avoidance of disaster |
| Star | Lack of faith, arrogance |
| Moon | Unhappiness, errors |
| Sun | Lack of Success, depression, |
| Judgment | Weakness, self-doubt, no self-reflection |
| World | Lack of closure, idle, sluggish |
MINOR ARCANA REVERSED CARD MEANINGS
This section includes the reversal meanings of the four Suits and the Court cards.
| Card | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Ace of Cups | False heart, blocked emotions |
| Two of Cups | Break-up, lack of harmony, unanswered love |
| Three of Cups | Physical pleasure, an affair |
| Four of Cups | Boredom, being aloof, omen |
| Five of Cups | Ancestry, forgiveness |
| Six of Cups | Unrealistic, what comes around goes around |
| Seven of Cups | Illusion, temptation, boldness |
| Eight of Cups | Aimless, drifting, celebration |
| Nine of Cups | Greed, materialism, liberation, truth |
| Ten of Cups | Darkness, violence, broken home |
| Page of Cups | Creative block, sneaky |
| Knight of Cups | Unrealistic, moodiness, sham |
| Queen of Cups | Codependency, emotionally empty |
| King of Cups | Double dealer, manipulation |
Pentacles reversed meanings
| Card | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Ace of Pentacles | Lost opportunity, the downside of great wealth |
| Two of Pentacles | Financial disarray, pretending to have fun |
| Three of Pentacles | Lack of teamwork, disregard of skills, taking the easy route |
| Four of Pentacles | Greed, self-protectionism, uncertainty |
| Five of Pentacles | Spiritual poverty, recovery from financial loss, dissonance |
| Six of Pentacles | Grabby, envious, debt, one-sided charity |
| Seven of Pentacles | Limited success, economic anxiety |
| Eight of Pentacles | Perfectionism, lack of focus, arrogance |
| Nine of Pentacles | Secret agenda, too invested, setbacks, no clear vision |
| Ten of Pentacles | Loneliness, loss, carelessness, idle |
| Page of Pentacles | Distraction, sad news, not seeing the big picture |
| Knight of Pentacles | Stuck, boredom, careless |
| Queen of Pentacles | Shallow, vapid, unbalanced lifestyle, too many commitments |
| King of Pentacles | Controlling, overbearíng |
Swords reversed meanings
| Card | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Ace of Swords | Winning but without success, winning at all cost |
| Two of Swords | Forgery, confusion, information overload |
| Three of Swords | Optimism, forgiveness, flaw |
| Four of Swords | Care, discretion, burn-out |
| Five of Swords | Open to change, lay to rest |
| Six of Swords | Heavy baggage, stuck, confessions of love |
| Seven of Swords | Breaking free, challenges, warning, advice |
| Eight of Swords | Release, open-minded, treason |
| Nine of Swords | Torment, captivity, hopelessness |
| Ten of Swords | Inevitable end, fear, resurrection |
| Page of Swords | Haste, broken promises, spook |
| Knight of Swords | Acting without thinking, scattered focus, foolishness |
| Queen of Swords | Self-sabotage, bitchy, cold-hearted |
| King of Swords | Abusive, oppressive, cruel intentions |
Wands reversed meanings
| Card | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Ace of Wands | Lack of motivation, flare out, disappointment |
| Two of Wands | Awe, amazement, lack planning |
| Three of Wands | Delays, obstacles, chaos due to lack of planning |
| Four of Wands | Transition, poor communication, scattered home |
| Five of Wands | Conflict, cheating |
| Six of Wands | Self-doubt, no confidence, an enemy at the gate |
| Seven of Wands | Giving up, overly protective, hasty decisions |
| Eight of Wands | Delay, envy, relationship quarrels |
| Nine of Wands | On edge, paranoia, misfortune |
| Ten of Wands | Taking on too much, overload |
| Page of Wands | Telling a tale, pessimism |
| Knight of Wands | Frustration, tumult, wrecking |
| Queen of Wands | Exceptional, aggressive, demanding |
| King of Wands | Hight expectations, no focus, act before thinking |
DO YOU NEED
You don’t need to read reversals if you don’t want to. There is no right or wrong way of reading the Tarot.
TO READ REVERSAL TAROT CARDS?
You don’t need to read reversals if you don’t like to. There is no right or wrong way of reading the Tarot. It is a personal decision and preference. You are not a better or worse Tarot reader than anyone else if you decide to skip reversals. You do you!
If you decide not to read reversals, flip the cards to their upright position when reversed.
You don’t need to read reversals if you don’t want to. There is no right or wrong way of reading the Tarot.
Sandra Törnroth
I did a poll on my social media (Instagram stories) and asked my followers if they read reversals. I got 22 answers in total.
According to my poll, 80% read reversals, and 20% didn’t. So, according to the survey, a majority use reversals in their practice. Note, though, that the result is indicative, as the number of participants is relatively low.
WHY DO YOU READ REVERSED TAROT CARDS?
Reversed Tarot cards give more nuances to reading. Reversals help to identify blockages the seeker needs to address to be able to move forward.
The reversal also helps the reader to identify areas that are of importance and needs attention.
Reading cards in their reversal might also add dimension to the reading. The shadow side of energies also gives the reading more balance, as life is not only sunshine and rainbows.
This is not to say that reading Tarot without reversals gives flat answers. Reversals are just one method of many to provide depth to readings.
IN SUMMARY
Reading reversal cards help to give you in-depth information and nuances, but it does not end all be all. If you decide to read reversals, you don’t need to memorize all the reversed card meanings. By using a system, you will be able to decipher the messages intuitively.
There are many systems to choose from; try which one speaks to you and your reading style.
There are some heated debates amongst Tarot readers about which method is better than the other. The truth is that they are all as good – and bad. Reading Tarot without reversals does not make you a less talented Tarot reader. It is just your style.
There are other ways of detracting the nuances in readings without reversals, for example, using your intuition. Card placements might also help you hone in on areas in need of attention in your readings.
Go with your flow and find a way that suits you and your vibe. Embrace the fact that there is no right or wrong in the Tarot.
Sandra Törnroth
Intuitive multi-modal tarot reader with a love for crystals and everything esoteric
THE DEFINITIONS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE BASED ON THE RIDER WAITE DECK AND SYSTEM.
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