Learning Tarot Reversals - Softcover

Bunning, Joan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578632714 ISBN 13: 9781578632718

Publisher: Weiser Books, 2003

Synopsis

Think of the last time you did a tarot reading or had one. How many of the cards were reversed? Close to half? Well, of course! So why do so many books treat reversed cards in what is basically a cursory manner? Joan Bunning to the rescue with Learning Tarot Reversalsfinally reversed cards get the attention they deserve! Traditionally, reversed cards are read as the polar opposite of what the upright card represents. While this method of reading has its place, the effect of reversed cards, their number, groupings, and where they fall in a tarot spread can deepen any reading and bring subtle nuances into play. Bunning points out that a reversed card can also indicate a buildup to, lack of, or decline from the event or condition represented by that card. Linking cards together based on the presence of reversed cards thus gives a reading a natural flow of high points and low points without abrupt transitions. In a format usually reserved for upright cards, Bunning describes every reversed card in the deckwith a brief description of the upright meaning, and more detail about the reversed meaning. Following the format of her bestselling Learning the Tarot, Bunning, who is a masterful teacher, presents lessons that build on each other smoothly, allowing a student to progress to increasingly complex readings and understanding with ease. Bunning also includes a handy section of keywords for easy reference.

About this title

About the Author

Joan Bunning received her B.A. in Social Psychology from Cornell University and has worked as a writer, editor and computer programmer. Since 1995, her "Learning the Tarot" website has helped thousands of people worldwide discover the personal value of the tarot. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two sons and two dogs.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

LEARNING TAROT REVERSALS

By Joan Bunning

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

Copyright © 2003 Joan Bunning
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-271-8

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Lessons
Lesson One: Energy and the Tarot
Lesson Two: The Energy Cycle and Orientation
Lesson Three: Energy Phases
Lesson Four: Repeating Cycles
Lesson Five: Mismatches
Lesson Six: Opposing Energy Pairs
Lesson Seven: Energy Groups
Lesson Eight: Interpretation Strategy
Afterword
Part II: Reversed Card Descriptions
Major Arcana
Minor Arcana
Suggestions for Exercises
Card Keyword List

CHAPTER 1

LESSON ONE: ENERGY AND THE TAROT

Imagine a finished jigsaw puzzle. Looked at one way, it's a single objectpresenting a whole picture. Looked at another way, it's a collection of manyobjects—the pieces of the puzzle. The puzzle is one and many at the same time.

Now, imagine the pieces moving and changing. The overall dimension of the puzzlestays the same, but the picture doesn't. It's recreated anew in every moment.Our universe is like this puzzle. It is a single entity, but made up ofcountless changing "pieces." I call these pieces energies.

An energy is anything that can be named or identified. Energies enjoy atemporary existence in a certain form. They are born, live for a time, and die,all the while contributing to the eternal flow—the animating Spirit thatsustains all energies.

All living beings are energies, as are all inanimate objects. Qualities orstates of being are also energies—the energy of love or despair can be apalpable force with a life of its own.

Energies often coalesce into groups to form larger energies. Each of us is sucha group. Our bodies are made up of cells and organs; our personalities aretraits and tendencies; our moods reflect thoughts, feelings, and desires. Aperson is a veritable energy vortex! Every minute of the day, energies of allkinds are flowing in, around, and through us. Some are mild, some strong. Someare new, some old. Some are welcome, some not so welcome. How does this energyflow relate to the tarot?

Every card in the tarot deck represents a certain energy. A card's energy is notits energy as a physical object, but the larger archetypal energy it symbolizes.A card's energy is its meaning, but with an added sense of movement and change.

A reading you do for yourself is a snapshot of your personal energyconfiguration at that moment. The cards you pick are the energies that bestreflect your situation at that time.

Just as a snapshot stops the action of a real scene, a reading freezes the flowof your life. But life goes on after a photo is taken, and so do the energiesreflected in a reading. Two readings done one after the other rarely contain theexact same cards. The energy pattern changes, even in that short time.

In fact, you impact the energies in and around you simply by doing a reading!You alter the flow of events by examining them. This is why working with thecards is so powerful. A reading helps you become aware of the key energies atplay in your life so you can work with them creatively. In the next lesson,we'll begin looking in detail at the nature of energy flow and its expression inthe tarot.

Exercise 1.1: Feeling Energies in the Environment

Set aside a stretch of open time during which you imagine everything in yourenvironment as a living energy with awareness. Try to feel the presence ofwhatever you interact with. See the two of you as equals encountering each otherfor a shared purpose. Don't analyze your experience at the time. Just go aboutyour life as if this way of being is completely natural. Later, think aboutthese questions:

• How did I feel during this exercise?

• Did this way of being change my interactions? How?

• Were some energies easier to feel than others?

• Did I notice any answering responses?

Exercise 1.2: Feeling Card Energies

Choose a card from your deck and look at it for a while. Keep part of yourawareness on the card and part near the center of your chest, your heart area.This will help you "feel" rather than "think." If thoughts occur, gently setthem aside and return to your meditation.

After a time, allow words to bubble up that capture the card's energy for you.Don't reach for words, just let them come. The words you receive will be uniqueto you. Repeat this exercise on other days. Some words will repeat, others willbe new. Card energies adapt to changes in you and your environment.

Exercise 1.3: On What Do I Spend My Energy?

In his excellent book The Teachings of Don Carlos (Bear & Co., 1995), VictorSanchez talks about the body as a field of energy. He suggests a number oftechniques to enhance our energy bodies. One is making an inventory of energyexpenditures. Here is an abbreviated version of this exercise:

1. Divide a notebook page into three columns with these headings:

What was I thinking?

What was I doing?

Is this what I want to do?

2. Set a portable alarm or watch to go off every thirty minutes. Don't set it forthe hour or half-hour, as you don't want to anticipate the alarm.

3. For one day, whenever the alarm goes off, answer the above three questions inregard to that moment, writing your responses in your notebook. Don't analyze.Just make a short notation, right away, in the moment.

4. At the end of the day, review your comments, looking for recurring elements andpatterns. Note the relationship between your thoughts and actions. How oftenwere you doing what you really wanted to do?

5. Continue this exercise for a week or even a month. At the end of each longerperiod, do #4 again, covering that greater stretch of time.

6. The goal is observation of yourself, so answer honestly. You want to know whatenergies are truly active in your life—and they're not necessarily the energiesyou think!

CHAPTER 2

LESSON TWO: THE ENERGY CYCLE AND ORIENTATION

Take a moment to become aware of your breathing. Feel how your chest expands asyou inhale deeply. You fill your lungs, pause for a moment, and then exhale.Your chest slowly contracts as you breathe out.

This is the pulse of life. It's how energies flow within ourselves and ourworld. A wave builds, peaks, and crashes to the shore. Anger flares up and diesdown. Civilizations rise and fall. Figure 1 (below) shows this universal energycycle—how an energy starts low, builds to a peak, and then fades over time.

When you do a reading, the cards you draw represent energies important to you atthat moment. Each one is at a certain point in its individual cycle. One may bestrong, another weak. One may be on the rise, another fading. To understand thereading, you need to know the status of each energy—where it is in its cycle.

The orientation of a card gives you this information. Orientation is thedirection a card faces on the reading surface (or as you hold it). A card can beupright (normal view) or reversed (upside-down). Usually orientation is obvious,but not always. Sometimes cards are slanted or horizontal in a reading. You needto decide ahead of time how you will interpret these cards for orientation.

Figure 2 (below) shows the energy curve with a horizontal line dividing it inhalf. The section above the line covers the period when an energy is strong—ator near its peak. The section below the line covers those periods when an energyis weak—either just beginning (left) or ending (right).

We can now relate card orientation to energy in this way: An upright cardrepresents an energy in the part of its cycle above the line. A reversed cardrepresents an energy in the part of its cycle below the line.

Upright cards stand for energies that are strong and well developed. They have aclear, active presence. You recognize their impact in the situation. Reversedcards stand for energies that are absent, weak, or undeveloped. They are notclear and obvious. You can't easily recognize their presence for the moment.

For example, an upright World would imply happiness is strongly present. Youfeel pleased with life and quite fulfilled. A reversed World suggests a lowerlevel or unrealized happiness—for now.

An energy does not become its opposite when reversed. A card's essential naturestays the same no matter what its orientation. A reversed World does not showactive unhappiness (the opposite of happiness). It shows the energy of happinessis low—a subtle difference! True unhappiness has its own active energy and mightappear in a reading as a card such as the Nine of Swords.

Imagine the energy curve as an island viewed from the side (see illustration,above). The horizontal line is the surface of the water. Above the surface isthe part of the island we can see; below the surface is the part we can't see.Although this part is hidden, it's still present.

Sometimes a reversed card represents an energy that is hidden, rejected, orignored. It's not available because it hasn't yet "come to the surface." Anupright Devil might show an obsession you acknowledge; a reversed Devil, one youdeny. A denied obsession is unconscious, but very real.

A reversed energy can also be at a low level because it's new and tentative—inthe early part of its cycle—or because its almost gone—approaching the end ofits cycle. In both cases the energy is weak, but for quite different reasons. Inthe next lesson, we'll take a detailed look at these phases to see what they cantell us about the energies in our lives.

Exercise 2.1: Noticing Energy Cycles

Become aware of energy cycles in your experience. Notice when one first appears.It may be a feeling, thought, person, or event. Follow the energy as it developsover time. Watch it gain and lose power as it goes through its cycle.

See if you can detect when an energy is peaking. At a group event, you cansometimes feel the exact moment when the group's energy has reached its crowningmoment. As always, avoid intellectual analysis. Concentrate on how an energyfeels as you experience it.

Exercise 2.2: Is the Energy Present or Lacking?

For each item below, say whether the specified energy is actively present orlacking based on the accompanying statement. Also give the orientation thatwould best match that energy status. (See Suggestions for Exercises on page 159for possible responses.)

Example: Energy = Relationship

"I haven't been in a relationship for two years."

Response: Relationship is lacking = reversed

1. Energy = Fitness"I'm in the best shape ever right now."

2. Energy = Depression"I'm depressed all the time these days."

3. Energy = Compassion"I don't feel sorry for him; he knew what he was doing."

4. Energy = Greed"I don't want much, just what's fair."

5. Energy = Pride"I'm clearly the best candidate; the others don't have a chance."

6. Energy = Attraction"There isn't much of a spark between us."

7. Energy = Sorrow"I'm not sad about what happened; it had to be."

8. Energy = Devotion"I'd do anything to help my daughter get well."

9. Energy = Creativity"I haven't come up with a new idea in months."

10. Energy = Denial"I'm not denying involvement."

Exercise 2.3: Lacking vs. Opposing Energies

For each item below, say which of the two statements shows a lacking energy(absent or weak), and which shows an opposing energy, and name the opposingenergy. (See Suggestions for Exercises on pages 159–160 for possible responses.)

Example: Energy = Love

#1 = "I absolutely can't stand that man."

#2 = "My love for him is almost gone."

Response: #1 = Opposing (hating)

#2 = Lacking (not in love)

1. Energy = Enthusiasm

#1—"I'm not too enthusiastic about the idea."

#2—"I reject the idea."

2. Energy = Self-reliance

#1—"I depend on my family for everything these days."

#2—"I'm not as independent as I'd like to be."

3. Energy = Honesty

#1—"I didn't say exactly what I was thinking."

#2—"I lied."

4. Energy = Practicality

#1—"That plan is not workable yet."

#2—"That plan is completely crazy."

5. Energy = Humor

#1—"That story didn't get any laughs."

#2—"That story made me cry."

6. Energy = Achievement

#1—"I failed."

#2—"I'm no longer doing very well."

7. Energy = Sacrifice

#1—"I'm going to take that position for myself."

#2—"I'm not ready to give up my position."

8. Energy = Running Away

#1—"I won't go until you're feeling better."

#2—"I'll stay with you forever."

9. Energy = Weariness

#1—"I'm full of vitality."

#2—"I'm not so tired after that good night's sleep."

10. Energy = Imagination

#1—"The orders spell out exactly what to do."

#2—"The orders don't leave much room for creativity."

CHAPTER 3

LESSON THREE: ENERGY PHASES

In the last lesson, you learned about energy cycles and orientation. Figure 3(below) shows how a cycle is made up of three distinct phases—early, middle, andlate.

Each phase has its own unique character:

Early-phase energy is just beginning. It's not yet developed, but it's growing.It's moving toward full expression in the future.

Middle-phase energy is strong and developed. It's clear, immediate, and obviousin the present.

Late-phase energy is on the decline. It's losing power and clarity. The energy'sfull expression is in the past.

An upright card represents an energy in the strong, middle phase of its cycle(above the line). Interpreting upright cards is fairly straightforward becausethere's only one possible phase. The energy is well-developed, active, and nearfull strength.

A reversed card is not so easy to identify because its weak energy can be ineither of two phases: early or late (below the line). You can tell which one bylooking at how the card fits into the overall situation.

The best clue comes from an awareness of timing. A reversed card is in the earlyphase if you haven't really experienced its energy as yet. It may be new, ortied to some upcoming event. A reversed Five of Swords is in the early phase ifyou know you're heading into some contest or battle.

A reversed card is late phase if you've already experienced its energy. It'sbeen active in the situation in a way you can easily recognize, but it is nowpast. A reversed Five of Swords is in the late phase if you've gone through somebattle that is now winding down.

You can also identify phase by sensing the "feel" of an energy. Is it growing orfading? A growing energy is developing, expanding, or moving toward you. Yousense it's going to get stronger and more noticeable. A fading energy iscontracting or moving away. It's getting weaker and less noticeable.

The reversed Knight of Wands can represent a low level of passion. The passionis early phase if you feel it's going to get stronger and more compelling. It'slate phase if it's lost most of its drive and power.

Sometimes a reversed card shows an energy that's absent. Its level is so lowthat, to all intents and purposes, it doesn't exist. But, appearances can bedeceiving! If a card appears in a reading, you can assume its energy is playingsome kind of role. The energy may be so new, you can't perceive it yet. It mayonly seem absent because you're unconscious of it, but it's still having animpact.

Let's look at how you might interpret one reversed card's energy. I'll use theFive of Pentacles as an example. The keyword meanings for this card are HardTimes, Ill Health, and Rejection.

If the Five of Pentacles is upright, you know its energy is in the middle phaseof its cycle. It's strong and developed. You might be in debt, out of a job,sick, or suffering a rejection. These are all obvious instances of the energy ofhard times in the present.

If reversed, the Five of Pentacles energy is either absent, weak, orundeveloped. If no hardship comes to mind, it may indeed be absent for themoment, but you should still be on the alert! You may be getting sick, but don'tknow it because there are no symptoms. You may think you're unconcerned aboutmoney, but an unconscious fear of poverty is affecting you nonetheless.

If you can identify a hardship, but it's not yet strong or active, the energy'sin the early phase. Perhaps you've heard rumors of layoffs, but no one has yetbeen let go. Maybe you've had some minor chest pains, but you've been ignoringthem.

If you've already experienced a hardship, the energy is in the late phase. It'spassed through your life. If you were laid off, that would be a major difficultythat's now behind you. If you've been having serious money problems, you canguess they're now going away.

Knowing an energy's phase can help you deal with the energy effectively. You cananticipate what to expect knowing where the energy is in its cycle.

In the next lesson, we'll see how energy cycles tend to repeat themselves.

Exercise 3.1: Which Phase?

Decide whether the energy of each event below is in the early, middle, or latephase of its cycle, and say why. Also give the orientation that matches thatphase. (See Suggestions for Exercises on page 161 for possible responses.)

Example: Event = Arriving at a party

Response: Early phase = reversed

Your experience of the party is just beginning.

1. Handing in a finished test

2. Watching the opening scene of a movie

3. Saying goodbye to a friend

4. Giving a talk you've been preparing for months

5. Seeing your child off on the first day of school

6. Reaching the top of a mountain you've been climbing

7. Returning from a week's vacation

8. Preparing the soil of your garden in early spring

9. Being served the main course of a meal

10. Saying your vows at your marriage ceremony

Exercise 3.2: Growing or Fading Energy?

For each item below, decide whether the given energy is growing or fading basedon the accompanying statement. Find a tarot card to represent that energy. Youcan use the keyword lists and card description pages for guidance. (SeeSuggestions for Exercises on pages 161–162 for possible responses.)

(Continues...)

Excerpted from LEARNING TAROT REVERSALS by Joan Bunning. Copyright © 2003 Joan Bunning. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Weiser Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1578632714
• ISBN 13: 9781578632718
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192