What Causes Some Cards In A Tarot Reading To Be Reversed?

Reversed Tarot cards are Tarot cards that appear upside down during a reading, holding a different, often opposite or more nuanced, meaning than their upright counterparts. These cards are used to reveal hidden aspects, internal feelings, or unresolved issues, providing a deeper insight into the querent’s situation. They can show where there are energy blocks or imbalances, underlying issues, unknown opportunities, and internalized energy.

Reversed Tarot cards can be read multiple ways, including as the opposite of the card’s upright meaning, or that the card’s upright meaning is blocked, concealed, ignored, or delayed. It can also be read as an indication that the “action” of the card is happening or needs to happen internally.

When a reversed Tarot card is drawn and placed in a spread upside down, it can significantly alter the tone and interpretation of a reading, transforming the message from positive to negative or adding layers of depth. Reversed cards can also indicate an imbalance in energy, either too much or too little of it.

Reversed cards act more like a period than a question mark, discouraging elaboration, engagement, and detail. The other benefit of reading reversed cards is to add the inner dimension of the querent, especially in spreads where there is no specific card position to focus on.

Often, reversed Tarot cards deliver good news or strengthen, weaken, or redirect the primary message of the upright card. When many or all cards come up reversed in the same spread, it often indicates a large number of suppressed or internalized energies. When a tarot card comes out reversed, it may indicate that there is too little, or not enough, of a certain energy.