Tarot Reversals Made Easy: Tips for Decoding Inverted Cards

Tarot is more than a beautiful deck of cards — it’s a living language of symbols, archetypes, and energetic snapshots designed to support introspection, transformation, and personal growth. Each card is a mirror, reflecting not just what is, but what could be — nudging us toward deeper self-awareness with every shuffle and spread.

But did you know that every card in the tarot actually holds more than one meaning?

That’s where reversals come in. When a card appears upside-down in a reading, it doesn’t just flip its imagery — it invites a shift in perspective. It’s like turning the volume up or down on a card’s energy, highlighting a blockage or imbalance, or calling attention to a lesson still unfolding in the background. And while some readers choose to read only upright cards, incorporating reversals into your practice can create a more vibrant, constructive, and illuminating reading experience overall.

Still, many readers — especially beginners — hesitate to work with reversals.

Why? Common misconceptions.

Let’s clear those up right now:

Myth #1: Reversals Are Always Negative
Reversals — and tarot as a whole — aren’t nearly as doom-and-gloom as Hollywood would have you believe, particularly in those over-the-top Halloween-time portrayals of psychics and fortune tellers. Think of each tarot card like a crystal: its core energy — its essential meaning — is the crystalline heart at the center. But just like a crystal’s many facets reflect light in different colors and directions, a card’s meaning can shift slightly depending on several factors. Reversals, intuitive impressions, placement within a spread, the type of reading, and the presence of other cards in the same reading can all influence how that energy is expressed. The core message is still there—it’s simply being refracted in a new way, shaped by context, perspective, form, and flow.
Myth #2: Reversals Mean Bad Luck
In truth, a reversed card isn’t a “bad omen.” Tarot isn’t about fate punishing or rewarding us. It’s about energy and introspection. A reversal might point to internal processing, delays, or lessons learned on the horizon… but they are not indicators of bad luck coming your way.
Myth #3: Reversals Make Reading Tarot Too Confusing
They can feel tricky at first, but once you understand the different ways reversals express themselves, it becomes intuitive — and even exciting — to work them into your reading style. Plus, both you and your querents will get more out of each reading in the long run.

Yes, reversed cards can carry extra weight. They might feel more frustrating or triggering, especially when they highlight patterns we’d rather not face or remind us of the role we’ve played in our own current situation. But once you learn to interpret them with confidence, reversals become powerful allies in your tarot toolkit — offering depth, clarity, and insight where it’s needed most.

So in this quick-tips guide, we’re going to demystify tarot reversals — offering a handful of approachable, easy-to-apply tips that will help you start reading them with more confidence and clarity, even if you’re just beginning your tarot journey.

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Various Types of Reversals

In the following sections, we’ll go over the various ways that reversals tend to express themselves in tarot, and how you can easily integrate reading reversals of many different types into your divination practice. Then we’ll go over some quick general tips for working with reversals, and wrap things up with a bonus goodie I’ve prepared especially for members of The Circle!

An Inverted Energy

The most widely recognized expression of a reversal in Tarot — and often the first that readers learn — is a simple inversion of the card’s core message. This doesn’t always happen, but when it does, the reversal acts as a direct mirror, flipping the card’s upright meaning on its head.

Where the upright card reflects alignment, growth, or a particular energetic signature at work, the reversal might suggest the opposite: misalignment, avoidance, dysfunction, or internal conflict related to that energy. These kinds of reversals often point to stuck patterns or limiting beliefs that are actively interfering with the card’s higher expression.

Take The Magician, for example. Upright, it symbolizes mastery, resourcefulness, and the ability to channel divine will through personal intention. Reversed, it might suggest disconnection from your power — ignoring your tools, doubting your skills, or attempting to manifest something with impure motives. The tools are still on the table, but you’re not picking them up — or you’re wielding them without integrity.

Or consider The High Priestess. Upright, she invites stillness, self-trust, and deep listening. Reversed, she can reflect an overactive mind that drowns out your inner voice, or a reluctance to acknowledge intuitive truth when it doesn’t align with your expectations.

These inversions don’t mean the energy is gone — just that it’s tangled. This type of reversal can be a wake-up call: a chance to recognize where the energy of the card is being distorted or denied, and an opportunity to course-correct.

It’s important not to interpret these reversals too harshly. They’re not punishments or judgments — they’re signals. Invitations to pause, look closer, and gently ask: What about this energy feels blocked? Where am I resisting or misusing this archetype, and why?

This is also the easiest type of reversal to start incorporating into your readings. Because it’s built on a simple inversion of energies you already understand, it doesn’t require learning anything new — just flipping the script.

If you want to start working with this style of reversal, the best place to begin is by deepening your understanding of the traditional meanings, symbols, and archetypes of the Tarot. That way, you can recognize the energy a card is meant to express — and identify when that energy is showing up in a distorted form.

The easiest way to do this? Get yourself a traditional tarot deck — preferably the classic Rider-Waite Tarot — and spend time studying each card’s symbolism, historical roots, and energetic message.

I get the appeal of modern tarot decks: the creative themes, the stunning artwork, the quirky interpretations that make them feel fresh and fun. But if you’re serious about learning the Tarot — especially if you want to read with clarity and confidence when working with reversals — a Rider-Waite-based deck is your best foundation.

Originally created in 1909 by illustrator Pamela Colman Smith under the guidance of mystic and scholar Arthur Edward Waite, the Rider-Waite Tarot was the first widely published deck to feature fully illustrated scenes on all 78 cards. This innovation brought the minor arcana to life in a way that made the system more intuitive, accessible, and rich with narrative depth.

The Rider-Waite has since become the blueprint for most modern decks, and its symbolism remains central to nearly every guidebook, tarot class, and resource you’ll find today. Once you understand this system, you’ll have the tools to read just about any deck you choose.

Want to build a solid foundation? Start with the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. It’s a classic for a reason.

An Imbalance of Energy

Sometimes, a reversed card appears simply because the energy it represents is out of balance. Not bad — just disproportionate. There might be too much of it dominating the situation and throwing everything off-kilter. Or perhaps too little of it, like a candle flickering in a drafty room, struggling to stay lit.

Take the upright Six of Pentacles, for example. In balance, it speaks of abundance, generosity, reciprocity — a healthy give-and-take. But reversed? You might be over-giving and running yourself ragged, or clinging to your resources out of fear, blocking the natural flow of your pentacles energy. The card’s core meaning hasn’t changed — it’s simply revealing what happens when the dial is turned too far in one direction or the other.

This kind of imbalance can distort the lesson you’re meant to learn or delay the growth that’s trying to reach you. A reversed card may be asking you to slow down and notice where the scales have tipped. Are you gripping something too tightly? Or sleepwalking through your own spiritual growth?

Just as in most divination practices, the remedy here isn’t to panic or force a fix — it’s to notice. To allow the imbalance to teach you something. Because some of the most powerful readings don’t point to what’s wrong… they show you what’s lopsided. And with a little awareness, lopsidedness can be righted.

An Internal Energy

Not every reversal points to an external event or influence. Sometimes, a reversed card acts as a mirror — not a warning about what’s happening around you, but a reflection of something rising from within you.

This is what I call an internal energy — when the card’s essence is turned inward, revealing how you may be the source or container of the energy it represents. That energy might be repressed, quietly unfolding beneath the surface, or even hiding in plain sight. But the reversed position can serve as a gentle (or not-so-gentle) nudge to look inward rather than outward for answers.

Take the Seven of Swords, for instance. Upright, it’s a card of secrecy, strategic movement, and the classic warning of deception — usually suggesting someone in your orbit isn’t being entirely honest, or that there’s a hidden agenda at play. But reversed? The spotlight may swivel to you. Are you being entirely truthful with the people around you? Are you withholding something important, avoiding accountability, or trying to slip away unseen?

Sometimes, this internalized version of this card’s energy is even subtler. You might not be consciously deceiving others — but perhaps you’re deceiving yourself. Maybe you’re rationalizing something that doesn’t quite align with your integrity. Maybe there’s a truth you’re not ready to face — or one you’ve buried so well, you don’t even realize you’re avoiding it.

Reversals like this aren’t meant to shame or accuse the querent. Instead, they invite self-inquiry. They ask, What part of me is embodying this energy right now? And why? Reversed cards that indicate internal energy often show up when our own behavior or mindset is the missing piece — the factor clouding the reading or quietly complicating the situation.

Remember, Tarot doesn’t judge. It just reveals. A reversed card may be pointing you inward because that’s where the shift needs to happen to render the desired growth or transformation you’re working toward in the long run.

A Delayed or Hesitant Energy

Not every reversal is a hard “no.” Sometimes, it’s a gentle “not yet.”

When a card appears reversed to signal delayed or hesitant energy, it’s like Tarot tapping on the glass between you and your next becoming. The upright energy is present — just beyond your fingertips — but something within you is pausing, resisting, or not quite ready to receive it. The reversal doesn’t cancel the message. It signals that it’s still in progress.

These kinds of reversals often show up when you’re on the verge of a personal breakthrough or soul-level shift. You may sense what’s coming, even long for it — but haven’t fully surrendered to the transformation it requires. The truth might be inconvenient. The change might be scary. Or the path ahead might require releasing something you’re still holding onto.

Take The Star, for example. Upright, it reflects divine healing, unyielding hope, spiritual renewal, and unwavering trust in your inner light. But reversed, it often means the healing has already begun — you’re just struggling to believe in it. You might want to hope but feel blocked by doubt. You may crave peace but still expect the storm to return. In this case, the reversal says: the light isn’t gone — you just haven’t opened the window yet.

Personally, I often see these reversals show up in the Major Arcana — archetypal energies we’re learning to step into. When reversed, they don’t describe what you are. They describe what you’re becoming — and the inner resistance that’s delaying the shift. They’re not roadblocks. They’re thresholds.

But the beauty of a threshold is that it’s meant to be crossed. Once recognized, these reversals become potent invitations to take the next step — to soften into the becoming your soul already knows is waiting.

An Energy to Embody

Some reversals don’t point to the future — they pull you back into the present.

When a card shows up reversed to reflect an energy you’ve already met, studied, or even lived, it may not be signaling a transformation at all. It may be asking for integration.

These reversals don’t say “You’re not this yet.” They say “You already are — now live like it.” They often appear when you’re looking for something new — more guidance, more clarity, the next answer — while bypassing the wisdom already within you. You don’t need to pull more cards. You need to root into what you already know.

Take the Queen of Wands, for instance. Upright, she’s confident, magnetic, and creatively sovereign — a walking flame of self-trust. When reversed, she might appear not because you’re disconnected from that power, but because you’re hesitating to claim it. She shows up when you’re dimming your light out of habit or fear — not because the fire’s gone out, but because you’re shielding it.

If you’re pulling reversed versions of cards that once felt like home — ones that have previously resonated deeply — it might be time to stop chasing forward movement and start practicing presence. Ask yourself:

Am I searching for the next phase when I haven’t fully lived this one?
What would it look like to walk through life with this energy more fully embodied?
Is my desire for change masking a discomfort with stillness, vulnerability, or visibility?

We’ll explore this distinction between transformation and embodiment more deeply in a future post. But for now, keep this in mind: Growth isn’t always about becoming someone new. Sometimes, it’s about standing tall in the person you already are.

Identifying What Sort of Reversal You’re Dealing With

So how do you tell what kind of reversal you’re looking at?

As with most things in Tarot and divination, the answer isn’t rigid — it lies in your intuitive insight. Reversals don’t come with a manual or a flashing label. Instead, they ask you to feel into the moment, tune into the reading, and consider the context.

There are several variables that can help you discern the nature of a reversal:

The card itself: Some cards naturally invert more dramatically than others, or have common reversed meanings that are widely recognized. Consider what the upright energy looks like first — then ask how it might be distorted, blocked, or internalized.
The spread position: Is the reversed card sitting in a “past,” “obstacle,” or “hidden influence” position? That can offer immediate clues about what type of reversal is at play. For example, a reversal in the “challenge” position might suggest a distorted or exaggerated form of the card’s energy, while the same reversal in the “advice” spot could point to an untapped resource or quality needing attention.
The surrounding cards: Tarot cards don’t speak in isolation. Look at what’s around the reversed card. Do the neighboring cards reinforce its energy, contrast it, or clarify it? Is there a theme of internal conflict, external pressure, or spiritual misalignment running through the spread? How do the cards all ‘talk to’ one another?
The feeling in your body or voice: Pay attention to how the reversed card feels when you try to interpret it out loud. Does your throat catch when you speak it? Does your gut tense? Do you hesitate, or feel the urge to soften the message? These bodily cues can point to subtle or shadowed layers in the card’s expression — a clue that you’re dealing with something more internal, avoided, or disowned. You can apply this to personal readings, or readings for other people. Pay attention to how both you as the reader and they as the querent react to certain energies being discussed or presented. This will signal if you’re on the right path, need to dig deeper, or need to look elsewhere altogether.
The question or reading style: Some spreads are better suited to highlight energetic blocks, while others might focus more on internal work or decision-making. Let the container of the reading guide your interpretation. A shadow-themed reading will naturally draw out more inverted or repressed layers than, say, a lighthearted daily draw.

With time and practice, you’ll start to recognize the energetic signature of each type of reversal. You’ll feel the difference between a simple inversion, a hidden internalization, or a cue to pause and go deeper. Eventually, reading reversals will feel just as natural — and just as layered — as reading your favorite upright cards.

I suggest keeping a dedicated Tarot Tracking Journal to track the nuances of your readings over time. Record which cards appeared, what positions they held, how they interacted with one another, and how any reversals felt — both to you and the querent. Note your initial impressions, any intuitive hits, and how your understanding evolved during the reading. Over time, patterns will emerge. You’ll start to see how certain cards tend to behave when reversed, how they often work with other cards to convey a specific message, how your body responds to different energies, and how your personal relationship with the cards deepens.

A journal doesn’t just capture information — it builds trust in your own interpretive voice. It turns your readings into a dialogue between you and the deck, one that gets clearer, richer, and more confident with every entry.

Pro-Tip: Practice the Sandwich Method When Reversals Arise

When a reading features several reversals, I like to use what I call the Sandwich Method. It’s a simple, intuitive approach that helps guide the querent through complex or uncomfortable insights without leaving them feeling discouraged or overwhelmed.

I begin with the more digestible parts of the reading — the upright cards. These tend to be clearer and more direct, so they provide a solid foundation for understanding the spread as a whole.

Then, for each reversed card, I temporarily turn it upright and explain its balanced meaning — what it looks like when the energy is flowing well. This step helps the querent anchor into the card’s essence before exploring how it may be showing up differently.

Next, I return the card to its reversed position and walk the querent through how that energy might be off-kilter — too much, too little, inverted, internalized, or stuck. This allows space for honest reflection without overwhelm.

To close the reading on a hopeful and constructive note, I offer insight into how the energy can be brought back into balance. As I do, I flip each reversed card upright again — a visual gesture that symbolizes realignment and growth.

By the end, the querent sees a spread of fully upright cards — not to erase the challenges, but to show that healing is possible. The difficult messages are still there, but they’ve been sandwiched between clarity and empowerment.

Final Thoughts

Reading reversals doesn’t have to feel intimidating — in fact, it can become one of the most insightful parts of your Tarot practice. With a little reframing, reversed cards can shift from confusing or negative to deeply clarifying and empowering.

Rather than signaling something “wrong,” these cards are simply invitations to look closer, tune in deeper, and bring awareness to areas of life that may need rebalancing, release, or redirection. With time and practice, interpreting them will feel just as natural as reading upright cards — and maybe even more rewarding.

Trust your intuition, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to get a little playful with your interpretations. You’ve got this.

🌙 P.S. — If you’re looking for a bit more guidance as you build confidence with reversed meanings, I highly recommend The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings by Brigit Esselmont.

It’s one of the most helpful resources I leaned on when I was learning to read reversals. This third edition from the founder of Biddy Tarot covers all 78 cards in both their upright and reversed forms, and explores many of the reversal types we’ve discussed today — making it a solid companion for readers at any level.

Bonus Goodie: The Magic Mirror Tarot Spread – A Custom Reversals-Based Spread by Alden

Want to put your reversal-reading skills to the test?

This week’s bonus gift is The Magic Mirror — an original tarot spread from my personal grimoire, designed to help you explore internal, inverted, and imbalanced energies with clarity and confidence.

Perfect for newcomers to reversals, this spread uses reflective positioning and guided prompts to help you spot what’s out of sync and uncover the wisdom within. One of the card slots is even meant to be read reversed, encouraging gentle practice and deeper insight — no second-guessing required.

Join the Circle below to get the exclusive tarot spread + weekly mystical goodies delivered straight to your inbox — no fluff, no spam, just magic.

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