Before drawing the card, think about what area of your life you could need greater understanding in (job, family, friends, love relationships?) because a reversed card indicates a short circuit in that card’s essence as it relates to you. The deck should be turned over if you want to pull a reversed card rather than let it happen by accident.
“When you interpret a reversed card, it’s really about getting at the root of the issue or the shadow side, explains Walsh. From there, be receptive to the message, which may not necessarily represent what you want to hear. For instance, pulling the reversed moon, which represents ease and elegance when it is upright, may indicate that you might benefit from consulting your intuition before making any further decisions.
In This Article...
What does Tarot’s inverted meaning entail?
A nice thing can typically be unhealthy in excess. Similar to life, balancing is typically the most tranquil state for all of us in tarot. Consider a card with a generally positive theme, like the six of cups. Standing upright, it might imply returning home to a warm reunion. Reversed, it could imply that the one asking the question is too caught up in the past and perhaps finds it challenging to be in the present. Although the fundamental meaning of this card remains the same, the reversed tarot card in this instance is useful in emphasizing that one can go too far and that doing so is typically bad to the circumstance. We can learn to live with our memories in a way that benefits us rather than hurts us if we simply turn it back a bit.
What does “reversed” mean?
1a: to totally reposition oneself or change course. b: to invert, or turn upside down. she caused herself to adopt the opposing stance on the matter. 2: negate, undo: for instance. A legal decision is overturned, set aside, or rendered invalid by an opposing decision.
Does the tarot card order matter?
Because so many subsequent cards drew inspiration from its iconic artwork, the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is an excellent starting deck. The deck is referenced in practical tarot publications like 78 Degrees of Wisdom as well. Start with the Rider-Waite deck and then add more decks that speak to you to your collection. Although it is available online, you are welcome to visit your neighborhood occult shop to see what appeals to you there.
How should I maintain my Tarot deck?
While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
How about left to right tarot reading?
Tarot spreads provide you with a framework for exploring your inquiries. Consider a facet of your question for each position in the spread. They aren’t required, but they are a good place to start as you begin to know the cards. You don’t have to use them for every reading. The past, present, and future spread is one of the simplest ways to get acquainted with the cards. Using the top card from your shuffled deck, disclose each card one at a time, going from left to right.
How can I interpret tarot cards on my own?
I discovered early on in my tarot excursions that knowing the meanings of each card isn’t necessary, even if there is much value and wisdom to be gained from them. Your intuition holds the key to learning how to interpret tarot cards. And this makes sense given that they are instruments for receiving and deciphering messages from the universe or our inner selves. Get the best advice from readers below to learn how to read tarot cards for yourself instinctively and without memorization.
Can playing cards be used to do tarot?
You may have used an oracle deck or heard of tarot cards, but did you realize you could perform a reading with a standard deck of playing cards for a friend or yourself? Anyone is welcome to try this method of divination, known as cartomancy.