How to overcome your fear of reversed tarot cards

Do reversed tarot cards feel ominous? like an incoming storm? For many of us, reversed tarot cards carry all the gloom and doom of dark thunder clouds.

But you can overcome your fear of reversed tarot cards, and this post shows you how to take the fear out of reversed tarot cards.

 

Why do we fear reversed tarot cards?

There are lots of reasons why we run from tarot cards like the plague. For one thing, reversed tarot cards are often described as foreboding, inauspicious and even treacherous. Is it any wonder we don’t want them in our spread?

On top of these negative connotations, reversed cards also mean we have to learn 78 additional tarot meanings. That can seem like a daunting feat, and you have to ask yourself, Do I really want to learn 78 ominous meanings?

But there’s much more to them than a dark forecast. Here’s how to overcome your fear of reversed tarot cards.

 

Is the energy staying inside?

Have you fallen into the trap of thinking that upright tarot cards are good and reversed cards are bad? Consider the possibility that neither is good or bad, but simply indications of where your energy is.

For example, the energy of upright tarot cards can be outward and something you experience externally – in the world around you, in relationships, your career, etc. When it comes to the same card reversed, it’s not that it’s bad. Instead, the energy represented in this card is internalized and held inside you.

Here, the reversed card isn’t “bad.” It’s just telling you where you’re experiencing the energy represented in that card. So, that’s one way to overcome your fear of reversed tarot cards. Here’s another one.

 

Is there an energy imbalance?

There are so many personality systems, like the Enneagram or Myer Briggs, etc. These systems help us understand who we are and how we experience the world. Usually, there’s the healthy version of any given type, and then, it can go to one extreme or another. In other words, within the spectrum of one personality, it can be over-expressed or under-expressed.

Now, imagine that an upright tarot card has centered energy. It’s like the tarot card at it’s best, per se. Now, take that same card and reverse it.

This can signal that the energy is imbalanced. Maybe, instead of expressing healthy confidence, it reflects arrogance and dominance. Or, maybe it reflects an imbalance in the other direction: a lack of confidence, self-betrayal or self-doubt.

 

Is the energy trapped?

Energy can be trapped and stuck, too. Take the High Priestess card, for example. In the upright position, the High Priestess indicates a time to learn from and listen to your intuition. She invites you to give credence to your intuition instead of listening only to your rational mind.

But if the High Priestess is reversed, what is she saying? Consider that there’s an energetic block preventing you from tapping into your intuition. What’s standing in the way?

Remember, trapped energy isn’t good or bad. It’s an experience, and tarot makes us aware of this experience. Once we’re aware of trapped energy, we can start to free it.

 

Get visual

Here’s where things get fun. The images in tarot cards are meant to be seen upright. So, as soon as its reversed, we panic. We have a hard time looking at the same image upside down when it’s supposed to be right side up.

Let go of the rules that say tarot cards have to be upright. See if you can spot meaning in the upside image – despite its gravity-defying characters.

Take The Star, for example. When upright, The Star shows a graceful woman, kneeling beside a body of water. In each hand, she holds a bowl, from which waterfalls. She nourishes the earth with this water. She represents fertility and fecundity. Lighting this scene is one bright star. It represents her essence. Seven stars illuminate the scene and they stand for the seven chakras.

When the card is upright, the woman takes center stage. But when The Star is reversed, the largest star takes center stage. What’s more, the woman appears to be dancing. She is not just a witness to the cycle and flow of life. She is life – dancing, twirling and playing.

 

Which method is best for reversed tarot cards?

Now that you know how to overcome your fear of reversed tarot cards, which method should you choose? There’s no “best” method for reading reversed tarot cards. So, use these suggestions to pick.

 

  1. Commit to using one method for the reading

Before the reading starts, decide on one method and then promise yourself that if you see any reversed tarot cards, you will interpret them using that method. This way, when a reversed card presents itself, there’s no panic. You know exactly how to read it.

 

  1. Trust your intuition

Tap into your intuition to make sense of reversed tarot cards. Before a reading, get quiet and connect to your inner knowing. You can do this with meditation, breathing or any ritual that resonates with you.

 

  1. Look at the big picture

Reversed Tarot cards may seem ominous on their own, but they’re part of a spread. So, always look at them in their greater context. What are the other cards? This will significantly change the meaning of the reversed tarot card.

 

  1. Draw on your own experiences

What do reversed tarot cards usually indicate in your readings? If you’ve been avoiding reversed cards up until now, you may not have a clear answer yet. But the more you practice, the more likely you’ll start to see patterns that you can apply to future readings.

Are you afraid of reversed cards? The more you engage with them, the more comfortable and confident you’ll feel with them. Instead of foreboding, they’ll feel inviting. Use these tips to overcome your fear of reversed tarot cards.