this is something in tarot that I see few people doing besides myself, probably because it takes so long to get the gist of it. with upright cards it’s easier to interpret because the imagery is oriented upright, while reversed is based mostly on interpretation. but once you get into the swing of the interpretation process it becomes a valuable asset. that’s the problem with the deck I have now is the images on the upright and reversed side are straight forward enough to limit interpretation. though with 156 possible cards to show up, every possibility is covered for the most part.
here is a couple of ways to interpret reversed cards
a more sinister variation of the upright card- I used to get this with the hermit reversed, when it would talk about me at a stage where I physically was social and, was emotionally isolated with zero empathetic ability. though this doesn’t work with every card, and not all cards should be interpreted this way. Royalty cards are a good example of this in place but keep in mind that they aren’t always playing out this way.
Inverted-here the meaning is inverted or completely opposite of the normal card. this is the case of strength(though a reversed interpretation can even be understood as overly strong, ie tyranny or primal consciousness.) where it instead means lack of strength and weakness of will. this works well for most cards
SUPER POWERED-this is a variation of the card to where the power of the card is taken up to the tenth degree. if you ever see the tower reversed as the outcome of a situation abandon the subject of the reading and change whatever you are doing, do not stop, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. the tower reversed often is a perpetual manifestation of the upright card. it’s like the energizer bunny of destruction. this works well for cards like strength, the tower, and some of the minor arcana.
diminished-here the meaning is the same but the power of the card is diminished. this is mainly in the minor arcana cards.
loss of equilibrium- this is cards that focus on balance, such as temperance, justice, 2 of disk etc. the natural balance achieved by the upright card is lost in the reversed, which in itself can give way to multiple interpretations as to which way that scales have tilted.
this isn’t the only ways the reading can manifest, but these are the most common ones I can think of
in future post I will go over some of the revelations I’ve had about each of the reversed cards.