Don’t be fooled by the electronic Tarot “card of the day” found on fortunetelling websites. To genuine human Tarot readers, these online oracles seem peculiar because they never show a “card of the day” that is upside-down or, as Tarot readers call it, “reversed.” A Tarot reading that deliberately avoids reversed cards is not a true reading.
Tarot is about the truth. We’re all human, and humans sometimes, for their own good reasons, prefer not to see or recognize the truth. We convince ourselves that things are fine when deep down we are distressed, or that events are terrible and scarring when, from a different perspective, they’re ordinary bumps in the road of life. We ignore or deny what’s happening in order to feel better—temporarily. Everyone does this, and nothing is wrong with it except that one day the truth will emerge. It always does. Hindus say, “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
Reversed Cards are a Gentle Reminder
Tarot cards reversed are not bad news. They convey gentle, truthful messages, such as “Don’t cling so tightly,” or “You’re not doing your best at work,” or “You have closed your heart instead of letting your feelings flow.” Free online readings don’t show reversed cards because people simply assume that Tarot cards right-side-up are good and “reversed” cards are bad. In fact, for some cards, reversed is even better than upright. To name just two examples among many, the Seven of Swords reversed means that stolen items are returned; The Moon reversed means that shifting, evolving, and confusing conditions will stabilize.
Most live Tarot readers mix and shuffle the cards thoroughly, and most often deal out a blend of upright and reversed cards. If your digital oracle cards are always upright, you’re not getting Tarot’s full benefits. Maybe on Monday mornings, you’re not interested in the truth about your life; you simply want to make it through the day. In that case, a single electronic “Tarot card of the day” (always upright, of course) might be a pretty image, or inspiring, or intriguing. But a truthful oracle or predictor it is not.
Messages from reversed cards cut through illusions and self-deceptions and tell the truth in a way that’s intended to offer you advantages. In the hands of a skilled reader, Tarot is kindly and caring, and offers valuable advice about your outer and inner life. There’s nothing to fear. The whole point of a Tarot reading is to help you.
Digital Tarot one-card or three-card oracles presenting pre-written explanations of each card also leave you without anyone to answer any questions you might have, or counsel you. They leave you wondering how that one card fits your situation, or how those three cards make sense together or if the day’s message was really truthful or made up. And because they’re so ambiguous, you forget those cards as soon as you click on another website.
Oracle sites and especially “free reading” sites might deal everyone the same card: a one-size-fits-all Tarot reading. If everyone receives the identical reading, that’s an unethical misuse of Tarot by an unethical site or practitioner. In that case, you aren’t deceiving yourself; the site is deceiving you!
Single-card or three-card Tarot readings with electronic oracles and electronic shuffling and selection can be fun, but a real reading with a human reader who allows reversed cards to be themselves will have more of the texture of your reality. Such a reading could be memorable, or a turning point in your life experience.
