Reversed

A card drawn upside-down, shading its meaning toward the blocked, inward, or shadow side.

A reversed card lands upside-down. It does not simply mean the opposite of the upright card — a common beginner's mistake. Instead it shades the same meaning toward one of three registers: blocked (the energy is stalled or resisted), inward (turned private rather than expressed), or in excess (too much of a good thing).

You are never required to read reversals. Many fine readers keep every card upright and let the surrounding cards carry the difficulty. If you do use them, don't overthink it: read the upright meaning first, then ask which of the three registers the reversal is nudging it toward.

Cards to meet

• Strength

Related terms

• Upright
• Spread

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