To Reverse - or Not?

Whether or not to read "reverses" in Tarot is a hotly debated issue. Many people feel that there are sufficient "negative" cards in the deck already, without reversing them, while others have been trained that it's the right way to go. What to do?

My suggestion is that while you are learning, you should ignore reverses altogether - along with the Little White Book that came with your deck! Keep your cards upright. But if the occasional card emerges reversed, then pay attention to it and think what it could indicate if you had to look at the opposite meaning to the one you'd normally give.

When you are reasonably proficient, start thinking about what a card might mean if you looked at its obvious meanings magnified, taken to excess. We think of Strength, for example, as being a favourable quality. We admire strong people. But what about someone who is so "strong" that they never accept help, won't admit defeat, and expect everyone else to be as strong as they are? Hmmm, maybe not so attractive after all.

I choose to look at all the potential meanings in every card, and to read them in totality. That way, we read the cards in the same way people behave. Everyone's best quality is also their worst quality! Looked at in this way, it is not necessary to worry about reverses. Focus on wholeness instead and the result is a better rounded, more insightful reading.