You turn a card over and it is upside down. Many people's first thought is "oh no". But a reversal is closer to energy pointing in a different direction than to a bad outcome.
Three ways to read a reversal
- Blocked: the card's energy cannot flow yet. The Sun reversed is joy briefly hidden.
- Turned inward: it happens inside you rather than out in the world. The Magician reversed is talent you are still deciding whether to use.
- Too much or too little: the meaning shows up in excess or in short supply. Strength reversed can be wearing yourself out holding back, or pushing too hard.
Some reversals are good news
- The Devil reversed: a sign you are starting to break free of an attachment or habit.
- The Tower reversed: you may be avoiding a big collapse, or recovering from one that already passed.
- The Hanged Man reversed: sometimes read as the moment to move on something you waited on too long.
Questions to ask when one appears
- Why is this energy blocked?
- What if I looked for this card's meaning inside me first?
- What is there too much of right now, and what too little?
Read it with its neighbours
Do not decide anything from one reversed card; read it with the cards around it. If most are upright, the reversal is simply one thing to watch. Cards are not trying to scare you; they show you where to look.