Reversed cards — cards that land upside-down in a spread — divide tarot readers more than almost any other technique. Pamela Colman Smith's original Rider-Waite deck included no reversal meanings at all. Many modern readers still rotate reversed cards back to upright before interpreting them. Other readers treat reversals as a core layer of meaning that doubles the expressive range of the deck.

The classic interpretation reads a reversed card as the opposite of its upright meaning — the Sun reversed becomes sadness, the Lovers reversed becomes a breakup. The modern standard, and the approach this guide teaches, reads reversed cards as the blocked, internalized, or shadow version of the upright. The Sun reversed is joy that hasn't found its way out yet. The Tower reversed is a collapse that's already passing. This method holds more nuance and respects the full energy of each card.

This guide is for readers who already know the basic upright meanings of the major cards and want to add reversed readings to their practice. By the end you'll have a clear shuffle method, a working interpretation framework, and a way to journal your way into your own associations.

What You Need

  • A tarot deck (Rider-Waite or any deck you read with)
  • A journal or notebook
  • Optional: the deck's guidebook for reference art

Before You Start

You should know the basic upright meanings of the 22 Major Arcana and feel comfortable with at least a three-card spread. If you're brand new to tarot, learn the upright meanings first and come back when they feel familiar.

Steps

  1. 1
    Step 01

    Decide whether you'll read reversals at all

    Reading reversals is optional. The original Rider-Waite deck had no reversed meanings, and many respected readers ignore them entirely. Before you shuffle, make a clear choice: reversals on or reversals off. Sticking to one approach within a reading keeps your interpretation consistent.

    Tip: If you're unsure, try a month with reversals on and a month with them off. Notice which feels more honest for your practice.
  2. 2
    Step 02

    Shuffle in a way that allows reversals

    Most casual shuffles keep cards in the same orientation. To genuinely allow reversals, cut the deck in half, flip one half upside-down, and restack. Then shuffle normally. This randomizes orientation without forcing it.

  3. 3
    Step 03

    Note the position when a reversed card appears

    When you turn a card and it lands upside-down from your perspective as the reader, leave it that way. Don't rotate it. The orientation is part of the message.

  4. 4
    Step 04

    Read the card as the blocked, internalized, or shadow version of its upright meaning

    Start with what the card means upright, then ask: where is that energy stuck, hidden, or turned inward? The Star upright is hope and renewal. The Star reversed is hope that's been lost or hasn't surfaced yet. The Empress upright is abundance. The Empress reversed is abundance that's being hoarded or withheld.

  5. 5
    Step 05

    Ask: where is this energy stuck or hidden?

    This single question unlocks most reversals. A reversed card is rarely an absence — it's the same energy as the upright, waiting underneath the surface. Ask the question, then sit with the answer before moving to the next card.

  6. 6
    Step 06

    Check whether surrounding cards reinforce or contradict the reversal

    A reversed card next to other reversed cards in the same suit often points to a sustained block. A reversed card surrounded by upright cards often points to a single area of resistance within an otherwise flowing situation. Let the spread inform the depth of the block.

  7. 7
    Step 07

    Write the upright meaning first, then add the reversed twist

    When journaling a reading, write the upright meaning of the card in one sentence, then add a second sentence with the reversed twist. This trains your mind to keep the upright as the anchor and the reversal as the modifier — not as a separate card.

  8. 8
    Step 08

    Avoid reading reversed as the exact opposite

    The opposite-meaning approach is too binary and loses the nuance of the card. Love does not become loss. Joy does not become misery. A reversed Lovers card is more often hesitation, miscommunication, or a relationship that hasn't found its footing yet.

  9. 9
    Step 09

    For hard cards, let the reversal soften the meaning

    The Tower, the 10 of Swords, the 3 of Swords, and Death all carry difficult upright meanings. Reversed, these cards often point to passing through the difficulty rather than being stuck in it. The Tower reversed is the collapse already happening — and you're surviving it. The 10 of Swords reversed is the worst already behind you.

  10. 10
    Step 10

    Journal every reversal you encounter

    Keep a running page in your journal for each reversed card as it appears. Write the date, the spread position, the question, and how the reversal landed. Over time you'll build your own associations that go far deeper than any guidebook.

    Tip: Date each entry. Patterns emerge over months — you'll notice which reversals show up in which life seasons.

Expected Results

After working with reversals through 10 to 20 readings, you'll find that reversed cards stop feeling threatening and start adding texture to every spread. Your interpretations will become more layered, your readings will hold more nuance, and you'll catch internal blocks that an upright-only reading would miss. Most readers who commit to the blocked/internalized approach for two months find their accuracy and confidence both improve.

Common Mistakes

  • Reading reversed as the exact opposite of upright — this loses the nuance and turns every card into a binary.
  • Getting scared when reversed cards appear — they often soften the meaning of the hardest cards in the deck.
  • Forcing reversals into every reading when your shuffle isn't creating them — if you don't flip half the deck, you won't get true reversals.
  • Inconsistent shuffling — decide before you start whether you're using reversals, then shuffle accordingly for the whole reading.
  • Mixing interpretation methods within a single reading — pick blocked/internalized OR opposite-meaning, not both.

Troubleshooting

Too many reversals are showing up in my readings
First, check your shuffle — if you're flipping half the deck every time, you're forcing a high reversal rate. If your shuffle is honest and reversals still dominate, it can be a sign that something in your life is genuinely blocked, or that the deck wants cleansing. Try setting the deck on a windowsill overnight or running it through a fresh shuffle order before your next reading.
I can't tell if a card is reversed because the art is symmetrical
Some cards in some decks are nearly symmetrical — the Wheel of Fortune and the 2 of Swords are common offenders. Check the deck's guidebook image as your reference for which way is upright, and mark a small dot on the back-bottom of each card so you always know orientation.
Reversed cards always feel worse than upright, which feels off
You're using the opposite-meaning approach, which makes every reversal feel like bad news. Switch to the blocked/internalized framework — read the reversal as the same energy held inside or stuck behind something. The feel of your readings will shift within a few sessions.

Variations

Skip reversals entirely — a fully valid choice, especially for beginners and for readers who want clean, decisive readings. Read all reversals as blocks — the simplest version of the modern approach. Read some cards as opposite (the Devil reversed as breaking free, the 8 of Swords reversed as escape from constraint) while reading others as blocked. Or use reversals only in specific spreads — many readers turn reversals off for daily card pulls and on for relationship or shadow-work spreads.

Connections

Reading reversals is one layer of a broader tarot practice. If you're new to spreads, start with how to do a three-card tarot reading and learn the structure first. Browse the full tarot library for upright meanings, spreads, and card-by-card reference.

Further Reading