Interpreting reversals, with an example

There are a number of ways of interpreting reversed cards, and many readers use more than one, depending on context.  And of course some readers don't bother with them at all.

First, they can be interpreted as opposite their upright meaning.  For example, if the 10 of Swords represents calamity, the 10 of Swords reversed represents good fortune.

Second, some readers actually look at the picture upside down and interpret that.  In the 10 of Swords example, the swords would be falling out of the body rather than piercing it.  So they might interpret that as a removal of obstacles or pitfalls.  This method is highly individual, and I admit it doesn't work well for me, because when I flip the picture upside down I just see an upside-down picture.  But that's just me.

Third, they can be interpreted as difficulty fully manifesting the upright meaning, as if it were weakened or blocked.  In our reversed 10 of Swords example, this could be interpreted as only somewhat bad fortune.  Or it could be addressing your reaction to it.  I find this method to be more flexible than the others, but therefore also somewhat more perplexing, because you may have to weigh several options.

I favor the third method, but I'm not married to it.  Whatever method I use, it usually just comes to me intuitively that that is the right way to read the card, and that of course depends on the question.  But sometimes I admit I'm stumped.  These cases require a lot more thought, and that brings me to a fourth point:  Reversed cards offer the frustration challenge opportunity of delving much more deeply into the card's meaning.  In order to interpret the reversal, one has to come to an understanding of the upright meaning, then think about how that would manifest itself in an opposite or weakened form.  By the time I have thought enough about the upright meaning, I usually can see its shadow side.  When I first started reading, I didn't read reversals, but over time I've found that for me, they add a little more dimension, plus they are a way for the cards to encourage me not to settle for a superficial reading.

Not settling for the superficial is important when reading reversals.  I recommend not simply adhering to any one style of interpretation dogmatically, but considering the different possible alternatives.

All that said, I am going to give an example of one card that I recently received reversed--the 3 of Wands--and how I interpreted it. As I described here, the 3 of Wands urges confidence and faith in oneself and one's dreams.  (An aside--the question I asked as about a recurring dream, and when I wrote about the 3 of Wands before I talked about following your dreams.  Of course I was talking about the big kind of dreams, our wishes and goals, not the ones we have at night.  But it's just like the tarot to make a pun like that, and it's a perfect example of how they work with your pre-existing knowledge, too.)  Therefore, the reversed 3 of Wands was telling me that I was doubting and not having confidence in my own creations. 

Now, this interpretation might seem like I just took the opposite of the upright meaning, but it's not quite.  An opposite reading, I think, would tell you that there would be no return on your investments.  Your attempts at manifesting your dreams would come to nought.  It would be very discouraging.  Instead, the 3 of Wands reversed was telling me to consider exactly what I was manifesting--warning me that I was wasting too much energy on worrying when I could have been directing it in more productive ways.  It was not telling me to despair, but to wake up! 

Only you will know, in the moment, which sort of interpretation will work for you.  But I urge you, above all, not to interpret reversed cards mechanistically or superficially, but to give them the time and attention they deserve.  At the same time, practice following your intuition.  It is natural to question whether your intuitions are correct, and that is a losing battle, because ultimately there is no evidence that will truly, conclusively prove it to your satisfaction.  There's always more doubt lurking around the corner.  Now you may be thinking, "But wait a minute, didn't you just tell us not to settle for a superficial answer?"  Following your intuition is not the same as accepting a superficial interpretation.  A superficial interpretation is one that is mechanical, an x = 1, y = 2 formula that you are not allowed to violate even when that interpretation makes no sense for a given situation.  Intuition is that voice in your head that "just knows," the one that answers your questions in ways you would never have imagined.  It usually comes to you in a flash, out of the blue.  Everyone has intuition to some degree, and practice is the only way to strengthen it.  Practice allowing yourself to accept your intuitive interpretations without second-guessing them, to get the hang of what it feels like to have faith in yourself (a 3 of Wands theme again!).  With practice, your reading of reversals will become much faster, easier, and more reliable.