Reading Reversals

Reddmama

Hi, I am new to tarot. I know about reversals but I didn't realize that some people do not read reversals. What are your feelings on that? Do you read reversals or specifically do not? I feel reversals are a normal part of Tarot but I have not yet shuffled my deck to allow for that.
Thanks!
 

violetdaisy

Currently I take into account reversals, but I haven't always. However, if an entire reading shows up reversed I am not always inclined to read the cards as blocked/delayed/opposite/less intense/more intense. I'm more likely to consider the cards at that point telling me to "pay attention! This is important."

I spent the first 15 years reading tarot not doing any reversals and then I stopped making sure my cards were "righted" after each reading to ensure no reversals in the future, so they started popping up and sometimes I read them as reversed and sometimes I don't - but I make the decision as I focus my energy on the question, before I lay the cards out.
 

Barleywine

I read reversals in most spreads (although in some I've created I specifically exclude them), and have been for over four decades. I have probably a dozen different ways to interpret them depending on the context of the reading, and think they can add depth, color and subtlety to an interpretation.
 

barefootlife

I don't read reversals, mostly because I don't feel like I 'need' to. For me, the appearance of a card holds the possibility of the entire spectrum of meaning from 'upright' to 'reversed', depending on its context in the reading.

Barley is right in that there's subtleties that can be added in depending on how one interprets the reversal, but he's also been reading cards for longer than I've been on the planet, and so is far more subtle. :cool3:

The great thing about tarot is that you get to do you, and with time you figure out what works best in your personal style.
 

Reddmama

Thank you all so much! And thank you for the link Sentient.

As I was reading these, I felt like my main deck should never be read with reversals. It feels like it goes against the spirit of the deck. But I think I will start reading with reversals on another deck as it seems to go with the personality of that one and then see how it feels.
 

headincloud

I see reversals as an integral part of tarot, it's so much more difficult to read all upright because the reversed meanings can obviously still apply but your only clue is the other cards bouncing off each other throwing a negative or positive spin on things, I think the latter takes much more skill and is by far the long way around through my eyes.
 

lantana

I don't have reversals in my readings right now, because when I started out I took some weird advice about flipping half my deck and so most of the cards in a reading were reversed. It stressed me out so much that I almost gave up on Tarot altogether because of it.

Three years in I think I'm ready to start (re)introducing reversed cards into my decks that have reversed meanings in their guidebooks, and I'm interested in getting Mary Greer's book on the subject. I agree that it can add more depth to readings, but learning tarot is a process!

This being said, I have had reversals pop up and have read them, with interesting results.
 

Redfaery

I don't read cards reversed, and I have no reason other than that I don't want to. It would probably help my readings if I did, though.
 

Sushi

I didn't use reversals for the longest time because I felt they skewed the deck into a greater proportion of negative meanings. I started using an app for readings and it didn't let me opt out of using reversals, and it forced me to get more comfortable with them.