What a reversed card is
When you shuffle, some cards turn around. If a card shows its picture upside down from where you sit, it is reversed. Card guides describe two meanings for every card: upright and reversed.
The reversed meaning is the same energy of the card expressed differently: weaker, delayed, inward or in excess. So do not treat a reversed card as the “bad version” of the upright one.
Five ways to read reversed cards
- Blocked energy. The quality of the card is there, but something keeps it from showing. The Chariot reversed is forward movement that has stalled.
- An inner process. What happens outwardly in the upright position happens inside you here. The Hermit reversed can mean solitude has turned into loneliness.
- Excess or lack. There is too much or too little of the energy. Strength reversed is self-doubt — or, on the contrary, emotions running out of control.
- Delay. The event the card promises is postponed or unfolds more slowly than you would like.
- The opposite meaning. The simplest method, but not always the most accurate. Use it when the others do not fit the context of the spread.
Pick the approach that feels closest to you and use it consistently — your readings will be clearer.
Examples: upright and reversed meanings
The keywords from our card library show how a card’s energy shifts. Tap a name to read the full description.
| Card | Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|---|
| The Tower | sudden upheaval, revelation, collapse | averted disaster, resisting change, delayed collapse |
| Death | transformation, endings, change | resistance to change, stagnation, fear of endings |
| The Hermit | introspection, solitude, inner guidance | isolation, loneliness, withdrawal |
| The Chariot | willpower, victory, determination | loss of control, aggression, obstacles |
| Three of Swords | heartbreak, grief, betrayal | healing, forgiveness, recovery |
| Ten of Cups | harmony, family happiness, emotional fulfillment | family conflict, broken harmony, unrealistic ideals |
| Five of Pentacles | hardship, financial loss, poverty | recovery, renewed hope, accepting help |
| Queen of Cups | compassion, intuition, emotional maturity | emotional dependence, moodiness, self-neglect |
Notice that “heavy” cards often soften when reversed. The Tower reversed is a disaster averted, and the Three of Swords reversed is the beginning of healing after pain.
Reversed Major Arcana: a cheat sheet
Reversed Major Arcana matter most: they show where a big life lesson is stalling or unfolding inside you. Here are the keywords for all 22 cards.
| Card | Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|---|
| The Fool | new beginnings, spontaneity, innocence | recklessness, naivety, hesitation |
| The Magician | manifestation, willpower, skill | manipulation, untapped talent, deception |
| The High Priestess | intuition, mystery, inner wisdom | ignored intuition, secrets, disconnection |
| The Empress | abundance, fertility, nurturing | creative block, dependence, smothering |
| The Emperor | authority, structure, stability | control issues, rigidity, domination |
| The Hierophant | tradition, spiritual guidance, conformity | rebellion, unconventionality, questioning authority |
| The Lovers | love, union, choice | disharmony, imbalance, misalignment |
| The Chariot | willpower, victory, determination | loss of control, aggression, obstacles |
| Strength | inner strength, courage, compassion | self-doubt, insecurity, raw emotion |
| The Hermit | introspection, solitude, inner guidance | isolation, loneliness, withdrawal |
| Wheel of Fortune | luck, destiny, turning point | bad luck, resistance to change, setbacks |
| Justice | fairness, truth, accountability | injustice, dishonesty, bias |
| The Hanged Man | surrender, new perspective, pause | stalling, resistance, pointless sacrifice |
| Death | transformation, endings, change | resistance to change, stagnation, fear of endings |
| Temperance | balance, moderation, patience | imbalance, excess, impatience |
| The Devil | bondage, addiction, materialism | liberation, release, breaking free |
| The Tower | sudden upheaval, revelation, collapse | averted disaster, resisting change, delayed collapse |
| The Star | hope, renewal, inspiration | despair, discouragement, self-doubt |
| The Moon | illusion, intuition, subconscious | clarity, released fear, truth revealed |
| The Sun | joy, success, vitality | dimmed joy, pessimism, burnout |
| Judgement | awakening, rebirth, reckoning | self-doubt, harsh self-judgement, ignoring the call |
| The World | completion, fulfillment, wholeness | incompletion, loose ends, delays |
How to get reversed cards
In a new deck all the cards face the same way, so reversals will not come up. To get them:
- spread the cards on the table and mix them with your palms in circles;
- split the deck in half, turn one half 180° and shuffle them together;
- flip small stacks now and then while shuffling.
Decide before the reading whether you will use reversals. Changing the rule once the cards are turned over is a way of bending the answer to what you want.
Do you have to use reversed cards?
No. Many experienced readers use only upright meanings and read nuance through neighbouring cards and spread positions. For beginners it is even easier: 78 meanings instead of 156.
In a Yes or No tarot reading the orientation is usually ignored too: the answer depends on the card itself. When you want more depth, add reversals gradually — for example, only for the Major Arcana.
What many reversed cards mean
If more than half the cards in a spread are reversed, it is an overall signal: the energy of the situation is blocked, you are going through something internally, or you are not ready to act yet. Sometimes it is a hint to rephrase the question or come back to it later.
More on reading a spread as one connected story in our beginner’s guide to reading tarot.
