Zephyros
meh, I find this whole "do what you want" thing tiring. When asked an opinion, I answer. My opinion, such as it is, is "no." I think they're useless.
Should you use reversals?
fractalgranny
interesting! how do you find them useless?
hah! well said. one of my pet peeves.
and as to the original question, i want to add my voice to those who say, why don't you try it a bit more? whatever you end up doing, you can only gain more learning. there are some some good books about the topic, e.g. mary greer http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Reversals-Special-Topics-Series/dp/1567182852, joan bunning http://www.learntarot.com/ltr.htm. also, the revelations tarot can be instructive in terms of dealing with reversals.
i'm just entering a phase where i am considering using reversals again.
Zephyros
Like clarifying cards, I find them a type of crutch, and a needless one at that. There is nothing a reversed card can tell you that an upright one can't. On the contrary, a reversed card limits your perception to a vague, small part of a card that is already whole and complete. While one may get results from it, I find it simple bad form, a kind of cheating that does more harm than good. If reading upright cards according to context is difficult, the answer isn't to "give up" and use reversals. More study is needed of the intricacies of the cards.
I'll give an mundane example. I lift weights, and one of the things that are stressed in gyms is not to use "body English," which means to contort your body this way and that, stand crookedly or any other automatic things people do when lifting heavy weights. If you do that, sure, you'll be able to lift the weight somehow, but there really is no worth in that kind of movement.
I know this may sound harsh, and goes against the grain of "do whatever works," but at some point a person does have to buckle down and have the discipline to do the work. An experienced reader might have some use for them, but in the hands of new readers they can do more harm than good. In the readings section and UTC there is very often a feeling that a new reader will try anything just to get an answer and will then flounder. A single card becomes three, with clarifiers, one of them reversed, all of them interpreted according to EDs... anf they still can't make heads or tails of it, and so they ask for help. It is done without any plan or focus, just pulling things out of the air just to get something, anything. While all three methods are legitimate (I use EDs), they aren't the shortcuts they are very often used as.
In some ways reversals are like a Dyson Sphere, though. A Dyson sphere is a theoretical construct by which a civilization builds a shell around a solar system in order to trap all the energy from a star, living on the inner surface. However, it is theoretical because a civilization that has the resources and technology necessary in order to build one, as well as the social structure required... well, that civilization wouldn't need the sphere. By the time, I think, a reader can really get something out of reversals, they probably wouldn't need them anymore.
I'll give an mundane example. I lift weights, and one of the things that are stressed in gyms is not to use "body English," which means to contort your body this way and that, stand crookedly or any other automatic things people do when lifting heavy weights. If you do that, sure, you'll be able to lift the weight somehow, but there really is no worth in that kind of movement.
I know this may sound harsh, and goes against the grain of "do whatever works," but at some point a person does have to buckle down and have the discipline to do the work. An experienced reader might have some use for them, but in the hands of new readers they can do more harm than good. In the readings section and UTC there is very often a feeling that a new reader will try anything just to get an answer and will then flounder. A single card becomes three, with clarifiers, one of them reversed, all of them interpreted according to EDs... anf they still can't make heads or tails of it, and so they ask for help. It is done without any plan or focus, just pulling things out of the air just to get something, anything. While all three methods are legitimate (I use EDs), they aren't the shortcuts they are very often used as.
In some ways reversals are like a Dyson Sphere, though. A Dyson sphere is a theoretical construct by which a civilization builds a shell around a solar system in order to trap all the energy from a star, living on the inner surface. However, it is theoretical because a civilization that has the resources and technology necessary in order to build one, as well as the social structure required... well, that civilization wouldn't need the sphere. By the time, I think, a reader can really get something out of reversals, they probably wouldn't need them anymore.
Teheuti
That's why I wrote The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals. It gives you options and tries not to emphasize the negative.
RiverRunsDeep
Hi Brown Eyed Mystic,
I hope I'm not being repetitive here! It sounds to me like the actual sight of a reversed card bothers you more than the reversed meaning does. In your own words, "the moment I see a reversal, I'm frozen." If that is the case, well....maybe you could read with reversals without actually reversing the physical cards. Does that make sense? Keep all the cards upright, but keep in mind the full spectrum of meanings. That way, maybe you could still benefit from learning the reversed meanings, without the fearful anticipation of an upside-down card appearing. As others have already posted, card position and surrounding cards in a spread can help determine upright/reversed meanings.
I hope I'm not being repetitive here! It sounds to me like the actual sight of a reversed card bothers you more than the reversed meaning does. In your own words, "the moment I see a reversal, I'm frozen." If that is the case, well....maybe you could read with reversals without actually reversing the physical cards. Does that make sense? Keep all the cards upright, but keep in mind the full spectrum of meanings. That way, maybe you could still benefit from learning the reversed meanings, without the fearful anticipation of an upside-down card appearing. As others have already posted, card position and surrounding cards in a spread can help determine upright/reversed meanings.
kell
Like some others have said, there are no 'shoulds'. Whatever feels right for you. And it doesn't have to be an 'always' or 'never'.
Personally, whether I read reversals depends upon the deck. If the deck creator didn't intend for the deck to be read reversed, I only read it upright. And the opposite is true. As long as I set the intention before the reading, I find whatever cards come up answers the question.
My advice would be: relax, set your intention, and know the cards will answer.
Personally, whether I read reversals depends upon the deck. If the deck creator didn't intend for the deck to be read reversed, I only read it upright. And the opposite is true. As long as I set the intention before the reading, I find whatever cards come up answers the question.
My advice would be: relax, set your intention, and know the cards will answer.
Brown Eyed Mystic
Hi RiverRunsDeep,
Absolutely, thanks for the advice! I've been reading everyone's answers and also acknowledge the use of word "should" in my question can trigger some buttons
When I was writing this question, I did get a nudge not to ask "should you" but I went ahead and did anyways because that was the first formation that came to my mind. BEM
Brown Eyed Mystic
Thank you so much for your advice everyone.
Reading all answers, I'm thinking that could reversals actually make life a bit easier? Because that way I don't have to "doubt" my reading because what if I'm reading an upright card positively (per context) and it's actually screaming the reversal meaning? So in a way, as a beginner, it also helps not to consider all spectrum of meanings as someone said above. It CAN help me loosen up a bit because if there's a lower vibrational meaning to it, I can trust that a reversal would come up.
I know someone also called that cheating, but I still want to give it a go
THAT brings up a new question though -- If you ARE using reversals, will you read uprights only in the positive/higher vibration/unblocked energy/whatever-you-want-to-call-it manner?
Or will you STILL consider the other end of the spectrum that a card can generally mean?
I think if using reversals, there is no need to read an upright in any other way except for what an upright could mean. A reversal would show up when it has to mean something else.
Do I make sense?
BEM
Reading all answers, I'm thinking that could reversals actually make life a bit easier? Because that way I don't have to "doubt" my reading because what if I'm reading an upright card positively (per context) and it's actually screaming the reversal meaning? So in a way, as a beginner, it also helps not to consider all spectrum of meanings as someone said above. It CAN help me loosen up a bit because if there's a lower vibrational meaning to it, I can trust that a reversal would come up.
I know someone also called that cheating, but I still want to give it a go
THAT brings up a new question though -- If you ARE using reversals, will you read uprights only in the positive/higher vibration/unblocked energy/whatever-you-want-to-call-it manner?
Or will you STILL consider the other end of the spectrum that a card can generally mean?
I think if using reversals, there is no need to read an upright in any other way except for what an upright could mean. A reversal would show up when it has to mean something else.
Do I make sense?
BEM
fractalgranny
Thank you so much for your advice everyone.
Reading all answers, I'm thinking that could reversals actually make life a bit easier? Because that way I don't have to "doubt" my reading because what if I'm reading an upright card positively (per context) and it's actually screaming the reversal meaning? So in a way, as a beginner, it also helps not to consider all spectrum of meanings as someone said above. It CAN help me loosen up a bit because if there's a lower vibrational meaning to it, I can trust that a reversal would come up.
I know someone also called that cheating, but I still want to give it a go
THAT brings up a new question though -- If you ARE using reversals, will you read uprights only in the positive/higher vibration/unblocked energy/whatever-you-want-to-call-it manner?
Or will you STILL consider the other end of the spectrum that a card can generally mean?
I think if using reversals, there is no need to read an upright in any other way except for what an upright could mean. A reversal would show up when it has to mean something else.
Do I make sense?
BEM
i have the feeling that when you use words such as higher and lower vibration, you're still talking about positive and negative. in general, i'd say that cards by themselves and as parts of constellations/spreads are a little more nuanced than that. once in a while, in response to a particular question, it happens that i go, wow, that's a clear "positive" or a clear "negative" - but really, that doesn't occur very much. just like everything else in life, the cards point to a mishmash of "good" and "bad". so in answer to your question - no, it's never occurred to me to read uprights only as "positive" and reversals only as "negative." when i do use reversals, i see them as twists or modifications to whatever it is the card represents.
once again, i really do suggest you read some books on this.
also, john ballantrae just did a video on reversals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ActVenk2eM
3ill.yazi
And please read this book. It saved me a lot of this hand-wringing.
http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/337
http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/337
