A reversed card is one which is laid out upside down in a spread, and which is then interpreted as being ‘ill dignified’, and therefore has a more negative meaning.  Tarot readers who use reversed cards simply mix up the deck so that some of the cards are upright and others are upside down, before shuffling them in the usual way and laying them out in their preferred spread.

Whether or not you use reversed cards or keep the whole pack in an upright position is actually a matter entirely for personal choice and preference; there is no right or wrong answer to this question, and either way can give a valid reading. To help you decide which method suites you the best this article will look at the differences between the two methods and their main pros and cons.

The rationale behind using reversed cards is simple: The cards themselves represent universal forces which are not in themselves good or bad in any absolute sense (although some cards are generally more positive than others). The death card, for example, could easily represent someone finally laying to rest a problem or painful situation, or it could equally represent the grief and pain of actually losing a loved one.

Using reversed cards is an easy way of getting extra information from your readings, and can lead to a more accurate and reliable reading.

On the other hand using this method de-emphasizes an individual’s power over their own life. In a reading with all upright cards the general character of events is revealed, but whether things turn out for the best or not is still left largely dependent on how that person responds and behaves from that point onwards.

To give a brief summary I would personally say that reversed cards are good for factual readings about ‘how it is’, and how it will be, but laying out a spread with all upright cards can be a more effective method for offering advice on the best course of action to make the most out of what is to come.