When a tarot card tumbles out of your deck upside down, does your heart skip a beat? Do you quickly flip it right-side up and pretend nothing happened? You’re certainly not alone, dear reader. Reversed tarot cards have been causing confusion and a fair bit of anxiety among readers for as long as the cards have been shuffled.
But here’s what I’ve learned after decades of reading the cards: reversals aren’t something to fear—they’re an invitation to go deeper. They add texture, nuance, and sometimes the exact wisdom you need to hear. Today, I want to share with you everything I know about reading reversed tarot cards, so you can approach them with confidence rather than dread.
What Are Tarot Reversals?
Simply put, a reversed tarot card is one that appears upside down when you draw it from your deck. During shuffling, especially if you use methods like the riffle shuffle or spread your cards across a table and mix them around, some cards naturally flip. When you draw these cards and lay them in a spread, you’ll see them inverted.
The question that every new tarot reader asks is: does it mean anything? And my answer, after years of working with the cards, is a gentle yes—but perhaps not in the way you might think.
Do You Have to Read Reversals?
Here’s something that might surprise you: not every tarot reader interprets reversals, and that’s perfectly valid. Some readers simply turn the card right-side up and continue with their reading. There’s no tarot rule book that insists you must read reversals to be a “real” reader.
However, I believe that learning to work with reversals gives you an additional vocabulary for your readings. It’s like learning the difference between major and minor keys in music—both are beautiful, but together they create a richer symphony. If you’re just beginning your tarot journey, I’d suggest mastering the upright meanings first, then gradually incorporating reversals as you grow more confident.
Four Powerful Ways to Interpret Reversed Tarot Cards
Over the years, I’ve identified four main approaches to reading reversed cards. Each has its place, and often the right interpretation becomes clear through intuition and context.
1. Blocked or Delayed Energy
This is my favorite approach, and the one I use most often. When a card appears reversed, it doesn’t necessarily mean something terrible—it often suggests that the card’s energy is present but encountering resistance.
Think of it like water trying to flow through a partially blocked pipe. The water (the card’s energy) is still there, but something is preventing it from flowing freely. For instance, if you draw the Ace of Cups reversed in a love reading, it doesn’t mean love is impossible. It suggests that the beautiful potential for new emotional connections exists, but something may be holding it back. Perhaps walls need to come down, or timing isn’t quite right yet.
The beautiful thing about this interpretation is that it offers hope and direction. The energy is there—you just need to identify and address what’s blocking it.
2. The Shadow Side or Excess Energy
Every card has what I call a “shadow side”—a place where its energy becomes unbalanced, excessive, or distorted. When a card appears reversed, it may be pointing to this shadow expression.
Consider the Knight of Swords. Upright, this card represents someone who is bold, determined, and intellectual—charging forward with clarity of purpose. But what happens when there’s too much of this energy? The Knight becomes reckless, argumentative, or ruthless in pursuing goals at any cost.
This approach works especially well with Court Cards and certain Major Arcana, where personality traits can easily tip into imbalance. The reversed Emperor might suggest tyranny rather than healthy authority. The reversed Magician could indicate manipulation rather than manifestation.
3. Diminished or Stifled Meaning
Sometimes a reversal simply suggests that the card’s energy is present but turned down, like a dimmer switch on a light. It’s not blocked entirely, and it’s not the shadow side—it’s just a gentler, quieter version of the card’s meaning.
The Three of Swords is a perfect example. Upright, this card speaks of heartbreak, deep sorrow, and betrayal—those piercing emotional wounds we all know too well. Reversed, the Three of Swords might indicate a milder disappointment, a passing sadness, or a heartbreak that’s beginning to heal. The pain is there, but it’s not as acute.
I find this interpretation particularly useful when surrounding cards suggest a generally positive reading, yet a reversed card appears. It may simply be saying, “Yes, there’s a bit of this energy here, but don’t worry—it’s manageable.”
4. Internalized or Private Energy
This is perhaps the most profound way to read reversals, and it has transformed many readings for me and my clients. When a card appears reversed, it may indicate that its energy is operating internally rather than manifesting in external circumstances.
Let me share an example. The Ace of Cups upright often signals new romantic opportunities or emotional beginnings coming from outside yourself. But the Ace of Cups reversed? This beautiful card might be asking you to pour that loving energy inward. It’s an invitation to self-love, self-compassion, and nurturing your own heart.
Even challenging cards become gentler with this interpretation. I once pulled The Tower for my own reading—a card that typically signals sudden upheaval. But it came reversed, and instead of external chaos, what followed was an internal transformation. A belief system I’d held for years suddenly crumbled, making way for new understanding. It was powerful, but entirely within.
How to Know Which Interpretation to Use
Here’s where the art of tarot truly shines. With four possible approaches to any reversed card, how do you choose?
Trust your intuition. Your first instinct about a reversed card is often correct. That gut feeling, that quiet knowing—honor it. The cards speak to us in whispers as much as in symbols.
Consider the context. What question was asked? What position does the card occupy in your spread? The context of a reading often makes one interpretation shine brighter than the others.
Look at surrounding cards. If multiple cards in your spread are reversed, you might be dealing with a pattern of blocked energy. If the reversed card sits among positive upright cards, it might simply be a gentle dimming rather than a dramatic shift.
Don’t be afraid to offer multiple possibilities. Sometimes in a reading, I’ll present two interpretations to my client and let them sense which resonates. Often they immediately know which one applies to their situation.
Common Mistakes When Reading Reversals
In my years of teaching tarot, I’ve noticed some patterns worth addressing:
Assuming reversals are always negative. This is the biggest misconception. A reversed Three of Swords (suggesting healing heartbreak) or a reversed Tower (internal transformation rather than external chaos) can be quite positive! Similarly, learning to understand the Major Arcana’s transformative power helps you see that even challenging cards serve a purpose.
Trying to memorize 156 meanings. Don’t do this to yourself! You don’t need to memorize separate meanings for each reversed card. Instead, understand these four approaches, and you can apply them intuitively to any card.
Ignoring reversals out of fear. If reversals make you anxious, that’s worth exploring. The cards that trigger us often carry important messages. Sit with that discomfort—it usually has something to teach.
A Personal Approach to Reversals
I’ll share something personal with you: I don’t read reversals with every deck I own. Some decks, I’ve found, communicate more clearly with upright cards only. Others seem to speak in reversals naturally. Pay attention to which approach feels most aligned with each deck you work with.
What matters most is developing a consistent practice. If you choose to read reversals, commit to it for a period of time and see how it deepens your readings. If you prefer upright only, there’s no shame in that choice.
Embracing the Full Spectrum
The tarot mirrors life itself, and life isn’t always straightforward. We experience delays and blocks. We sometimes embody the shadow sides of our strengths. Our experiences range from intense to subtle. And much of our most important work happens internally, invisible to the outside world.
Reversed cards honor all of this complexity. They remind us that growth isn’t always linear, that challenges often contain gifts, and that the most profound transformations sometimes happen where no one else can see them.
So the next time a card tumbles from your deck upside down, I hope you’ll greet it with curiosity rather than concern. Ask it what it wants to show you. Consider its message from different angles. Trust that it appeared exactly as it needed to.
The cards have a way of giving us precisely what we need to hear—whether right-side up or upside down.
Have questions about reading reversals or want to share your own experiences? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. And if you’re working on building your tarot practice, don’t forget to cleanse your cards regularly for the clearest readings.
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