Should beginners read reversed tarot cards? Not at first. For your earliest readings, read every card upright, even the ones that land upside down, so that you fix the core meaning of each card first. Reversals can be added later, one step at a time, once that base is solid.
What a reversed card is
A reversed card (carte renversée or carte à l'envers in French) is one that lands upside down from the reader's point of view. Some readers give it a separate meaning; others read the card the same way whatever its orientation. Both practices exist and neither is the correct one: it is a reader's habit, not a rule of the cards.
For a beginner the arithmetic is the problem. A 78-card pack means 78 upright meanings; reading reversals too makes 156 positions to learn. That is the kind of mountain that makes people quit in week two.
Why we suggest waiting
- Load. 78 cards are plenty for the first weeks.
- Logic. In most approaches the reversed meaning is built from the upright one: it blocks it, turns it inward, exaggerates it or inverts it. You cannot read the "opposite" of a card you do not know yet.
- Regularity. Progress comes from drawing often and noting what you saw. A daily habit such as the card of the day teaches more than a memorised table of reversals.
The practical rule: if a card lands reversed while you are learning, turn it upright and read it normally.
How to tell a card is reversed, and how to avoid it
On a deck with picture scenes you usually see it at once: figures upside down, ground and sky swapped. The printed name or number is another reliable clue. Some decks make it harder. In the Marseille tradition the numbered cards of the four suits have no scenes and their repeated patterns are often nearly symmetrical, so top and bottom are not always obvious.
When you turn cards face up, turn them like the page of a book, left to right, not top to bottom; the second way creates a reversal by accident. To avoid reversals altogether, shuffle in your hands, sliding packets from one hand to the other or interleaving the two halves: every card keeps its direction. Shuffling loosely on the table spins the cards, and reversals appear. That is the method to use when you decide to include them. See our shuffling guide for the gestures.
Four ways to read a reversal
There is no official reading. Four common approaches, using The Chariot (core idea: moving forward): blocked or delayed (you want to move, something holds you back); turned inward (a drive that stays an intention); excess or lack (rushing without looking, or lacking momentum); opposite (stepping back, losing direction). These are not predictions; they describe a tone the card can take in your reading. A reversed card is not a "bad" card. As a house exercise, we suggest choosing one approach and keeping it while you learn. It is not a rule of tarot: readers choose a reading by context, and traditions differ. Our complete guide to reversed cards goes through all 78.
A five-step plan
- About twenty readings upright only, one card a day.
- Build a base on the major arcana (guide) and the minor arcana (guide).
- In our exercise, pick one approach and write it on the first page of your notebook.
- For one week, allow reversals in the daily card only, with a loose table shuffle.
- Review: did the reversed reading teach you something the upright card did not say? If not, go back to upright.
This is the path we suggest, not a rule. The tarot is a tool for reflection, not an oracle.
Meaning in front of you
The real brake when you introduce reversals is looking things up. Our French-language learning deck prints on every card the name and number, a one-sentence meaning, four upright keywords, four reversed keywords and a question to ask yourself, so a reversed base is already in front of you. A printed French booklet comes in the box, and the full French course follows by personal link after purchase. Any deck can teach you; this one removes the "look it up" step. The tradition of Marseille remains a fine choice if you prefer it.
French-language learning tarot deck, 1909 art
Meanings printed on every card in French, a French guidebook in the box and the full course in French after purchase. Ships to the EU, UK, Switzerland and Iceland.
See the French deckIf you are starting from zero, our guide to learning tarot on your own places all of this inside a 30-day plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to read reversed cards?
No. Some readers use them, others read everything upright. To begin, leave them aside until you know the core meaning of the cards you draw most.
Is a reversed card always negative?
No. Depending on the approach, it can mean blocked, inward, excessive, lacking or opposite. It shifts the emphasis of the card; it does not make it bad.
What if a card lands reversed while I am learning?
Turn it upright and read it normally. You keep your attention on the image and the keyword.
How do I avoid reversed cards?
Shuffle in your hands, sliding packets or interleaving halves, and avoid loose shuffling on the table.
Includes a free full tarot course in English
Includes a free full tarot course in English
