Upright vs reversed tarot meanings — should you use reversals?

A reversed card is not "the opposite" of the upright card. It is the same archetype turned inward, blocked, in excess, or in shadow. The Sun reversed is not "no sun" — it is the warmth turned inward (private joy, hidden vitality) or in excess (oversimplified optimism). The Tower reversed is not "no tower" — it is a tower that needs to fall but has not yet, or has fallen partially. Read reversals as the same energy in a different mode.

There are four canonical readings of a reversal: (1) the energy is blocked or stuck; (2) the energy is internalised, private, or hidden; (3) the energy is in excess, taken too far; (4) the energy is on its way out, releasing. Beginners often default to "blocked"; experienced readers pick which of the four best fits the question and the surrounding cards.

Reversals add the most value in readings about emotional or psychological situations — where the distinction between an outward and an inward expression of the same energy actually matters. They add the least value in practical or yes/no readings, where the upright meaning carries the full weight. Beginners are often told to skip reversals for the first month and add them once the upright meanings feel automatic.

If you choose not to use reversals (either always shuffle right-side-up, or read every card as upright regardless of orientation), you are not "doing it wrong" — many professional readers work this way. You lose the inward/outward nuance, but you gain clarity and read with full information from every card. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck and its companion text were originally designed to be read either way; the choice is yours.

If you do use reversals, you need a shuffle method that actually produces them. The two reliable methods: cut the deck in half and flip one half before reshuffling, or shuffle face-up so cards can naturally invert. A traditional overhand shuffle alone usually keeps the deck right-side-up.