Reversal Corner-3

Reversed Cards: Exploring the Possibilities

NOTE
Let me repeat my note from the last Reversal Corner.  Be aware that the writer, or writers mentioned in these tutorials (even me) are just giving you a starting point, a jumping off place as to the meanings of reversed cards.  If you see something else in a reversed card (or upright card), or your own insights tell you something else then go with that.  Nothing anyone writes should take precedence over what your OWN inner self/voice/guide (SVG) relates to you.

Reversed Cards: Blocked or Resisted

1.) Blocked or Resisted

Let me give you something to think about before I quote from Greer's book.

'Each person must take responsibility for themselves, what they do, what they think, and what they say.'

I quote from the book the first two (2) lines under the heading Blocked or Resisted in Greer's book.

1.) Blocked or Resisted

The energy normally described by the card may be blocked, repressed, denied, rejected, or resisted.  This could be appropriate and healthy or an expression of fear, depending on circumstances.

You may not agree with the following and that's fine.  Each of us has to find our own way.

I agree with everything above ... except for the word energy!  By giving the cards energy then you absolve yourself from any responsibility in my opinion.  Human beings are great at doing this and thus our need for God and the Devil.  We can always blame God, the Devil, or some arcane 'energy' for our own deficiencies.

Children ... there is NO ENERGY in the tarot cards.  The energy, as such, is in you ... the reader.  The cards are a tool, nothing more, and nothing less.  It's your mind, your intuitiveness, and your 'gifts' and not some illusive 'energy' that allows you to read the imagery on a tarot card.  So that also makes it your responsibility ... if you can handle it.  If not then give your cards this cosmic energy and if the reading is wrong or poor you can always blame it on the 'energy of the card, or cards being bad' that day.

So I will rephrase the first line to where it makes more sense, and has more meaning to me (and hopefully others).

1.) Blocked or Resisted, Revised

The imagery, symbolism, and upright meaning normally depicted by a given card may be blocked, repressed, denied, rejected, or resisted.  This could be appropriate and healthy or an expression of fear, depending on circumstances.

Whether you use energy or not we still have basically the same results from a reversed card.  But we also have a huge problem ... or bugaboo that folks seem to be blind to for some reason.  How many times have we seen questions like the following?

" I'm new to the tarot and drew The Devil (Rx) reversed for my daily draw card.  What does it mean?"

"I don't used reversed cards so I can't help you with The Devil reversed."

"I don't use reversed cards but The Devil reversed popped out while I was shuffling.  How would I read this?"

All three of these questions should tell you something.  These three people can't read the card (or cards) upright so how can they possibly even start to understand what the card means reversed.

Conventional Card Reading

Card Reading Suggestion #1
Learn, or decipher what the upright meanings of the cards mean to YOU!

~Exercise~

Using Greer's definition of Block or Resisted what might the card below mean to you both upright and reversed.  Note that I left in the word energy but if you prefer just change it inside your head to imagery.

The energy normally described by the card may be blocked, repressed, denied, rejected, or resisted.  This could be appropriate and healthy or an expression of fear, depending on circumstances.

               The 10 of Wands (Universal Waite Deck)
                   Upright                                 Reversed
                

I'm still wondering why the guy isn't falling since he's upside down.  And if he did fall he'd be falling into the ... sky???  But maybe he has some type of Velcro on the bottom of his shoes, maybe suction cups?? {grin}.  But then maybe if he did fall into the sky he would be floating in the sky like a feather and be as free as a bird.  And if that's the case what would happen to all those sticks he's hauling around?  If he's floating around then how much could the 10 wands possibly weight?  Would he keep clutching them or let them go?  And if he let them go what would happen to them? 

But then the next time the card came up upright he'd fall back to the ground with a loud  ... thud! If he had let go of the sticks while floating they would probably come tumbling down on top of his head. 'Ouch!'

This may sound a bit silly but it's not ... if you think about it.

Don S.