Reversals: yes or no?

Two questions come up for every beginner sooner or later. What do I do when a card lands upside down? And can I ask tarot yes or no questions? This lesson answers both.

What is a reversed card?

A reversed card is simply a card that appears upside down relative to the way you are holding the deck. Some readers give reversed cards their own meaning. Others turn every card upright and ignore reversals completely. Both are fine.

Do you have to read them?

No. Many excellent readers never use reversals. If you skip them, turn every card upright and say so. If you are just starting, skipping reversals for a few weeks can make learning easier. You can add them later.

Four ways to read a reversal

If you do read reversals, here are four common approaches. Pick one and stay consistent inside a reading.

1. Blocked energy. The card’s theme is present but stuck. A reversed Chariot might mean a plan that has stalled.
2. Turned inward. The theme is happening inside you rather than outside. A reversed Empress might be about how you care for yourself.
3. Advice to pause. The card asks you to slow down before acting on its theme.
4. Quieter volume. The upright meaning, but softer or weaker. A reversed Sun is joy that is muted, not gone.

A reversed card is not an automatic misfortune. It shifts how a theme shows up. It does not turn every card into a warning.

How to get reversals into your deck

To allow reversals, turn a portion of the deck upside down while you shuffle, then square the pack, so some cards can land reversed. Whatever method you choose, decide before you shuffle how you will read reversed cards, then follow through. Clarity beats superstition.

Yes or no questions

Open questions usually give richer readings. “What do I need to know about this job?” beats “Will I get the job?” But simple yes or no questions have their place for small, everyday things.

Many readers use a simple rule of thumb. Bright, forward-moving cards, like the Sun, the Star or the Ace of Cups, lean yes. Heavy or stuck cards, like the Tower, the Five of Pentacles or the Eight of Swords, lean no. Quiet or mixed cards, like the High Priestess or Justice, lean maybe. Every Major Arcana card page on this site has a short yes or no section.

Use yes or no responsibly

A yes or no card is a reflective prompt, not a forecast. Treat it as one clue among keywords, pictures and the other cards. Never use yes or no on the topics from module 2: health, pregnancy, death, court cases, investments, medication or another person’s private feelings. Do not let a printed yes or no override ethics, consent or professional advice. When in doubt, rephrase so that you, or the person you read for, remain the decision-maker.

A gentle middle way

If you like yes or no, try asking for a yes or no card and then an advice card. The first gives you the tone. The second gives you something to do.

Try this

Today’s exercise: Decide today whether you will read reversals for the next two weeks, and write your chosen method on the first page of your notebook. Keep it short. Two or three lines in your notebook are enough, and there are no wrong answers. If you like, come back to the page tomorrow and add one more line about anything you noticed in the meantime. Small, regular notes like these are how the cards slowly become familiar.

Quick recap

• Reading reversals is optional.
• If you read them, choose one method and decide before you shuffle.
• A reversed card is not automatically bad.
• Use yes or no only for small questions, never for health, law or money.

Keep going

When you have done the exercise, press “Mark as done” and continue with the next lesson, A tarot journal that teaches you. There is no hurry. If a lesson needs a second day, give it one.

To go deeper, read “What Are Reversed Cards?” and “Open Questions and the Deck’s Yes/No Marks” in my book The Novice’s Guide to Tarot.

Need a refresher? Go back to The Celtic Cross or see the whole course.

Go deeper: The Novice's Guide to Tarot: What Are Reversed Cards?

Mark as done