Thank you for your kind words

I simply see Tarot reversals as another grouping of cards.

If there are 3 reversed Tarot cards in a spread, then I’ll interpret those 3 as a complete group of cards – as if they belong together.

Lets say that one of those reversed Tarot cards is a court card. I would interpret the 2 other reversed Tarot cards as belonging to that Court! I would use this information to give me insight into how this reversed Court card was interacting within the rest of the spread. What are this persons expectations etc?

I don’t reverse the meaning of the cards – I only group them together!

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions

I write you from Chile. Your blog is very interesting. You don’t repeat the same of the same like other tarot websites. I agree with you on the point of combining cards; they help each other to give a message and that this combinations cannot be red as a book. I have a question. What is your experience with tarot reversals? I personally don’t use them any more. I hope you can answer me.

Greetings from Chel, South America.

I’m glad you liked the post

As humans, we relate best to stories and expect a beginning, middle, and end. Some people try to simplify life into right/wrong, good/bad, this/that, boxes, but life really isn’t that dualistic or simple. Neither is the Tarot. Some impose dualistic simplicity upon their interpretation of cards, layouts, even questions from querents, but there is so much more.

Couldn’t agree more

Douglas…you had me with your first non-linear declaration. I whole-heartedly agree. To me Tarot as a medium of communication is no more linear than our own dreams and beyond. I also believe the art of being a reader, much like the role of the Hierophant, is to channel and translate the information inspired by the cards in a way that the client can best receive the transmission.

The reader tends to select a particular layout that works best for him/her to share that process with the client. Layouts can be very non-linear or attempt to contain information in a line. As humans, we relate best to stories and expect a beginning, middle, and end. Some people try to simplify life into right/wrong, good/bad, this/that, boxes, but life really isn’t that dualistic or simple. Neither is the Tarot. Some impose dualistic simplicity upon their interpretation of cards, layouts, even questions from querents, but there is so much more.

Thank you for your ever-expanding perspective on Tarot, including us all in this dynamic universe.

Love & Light, Katrina

Thanks for dropping by and I’m glad you enjoyed the article

I’m glad you liked the article.

I think that this deceptively simple way of practicing Tarot can help people connect with the cards in a faster, less fussy way. As you’ve said, Highlighting the non-linear approach the tarot basically necessitates is fun food for thought.

Cher

When I give one-card tarot readings I especially enjoy answering many questions with what appears to be very little to go on; I think that works well with your suggestion to avoid additional cards for practice! One card readings take that a step further.

Highlighting the non-linear approach the tarot basically necessitates is fun food for thought. Thanks for a fun and different article!

If, as many do, you use positional spreads – one card in each named position, then what Doug is talking about will probably not make sense. However, when for example he specified The Hierophant and 2 of Disks, he did not give a position such as love, work, health, etc.

I have struggled with pairing cards for many years, to the point of giving up on them, as I would probably have come up with the same standard kind of answer, but Doug is using the situation or position of the client in relationship to her life to bring about different meanings and nuances. Clearly this is far more satisfactory, particularly to the client, as specific questions are more like to get specific answers.

Instead of trying to find a sense of sameness or unity between any paired card, there is greater advantage to seeing tension, a choice, ‘which way will we go?’ It is this dynamic tension that brings about the choice of outcomes based upon the client’s questions, and if you think about it, it is easier on the reader.

I gave up on positional spreads many years ago, favouring the Opening of the Key spread, which relies on interpretation of the relationship between a string of cards using the elements (Elemental Dignities) and card counting, among other techniques.

Doug, I think you have found the answer to really understanding the pairing technique that is part of the OOTK spread.

Paul