On this page
A reversal begins as an orientation
A reversed card appears upside down relative to the reading direction. With reversals enabled in Wenbu, each drawn card independently has a one-in-two chance of being reversed. With the setting off, all cards appear upright. This is a draw convention, not a measurement of your luck.
Several reversed cards in a spread are a possible result of that random process. They do not mean the system has rated your situation poorly or that you need another draw immediately.
Choose an approach and name it
Some sources give specific upright and reversed meanings for each card. Modern reflective approaches may consider a blockage, excess, an inward focus or something unfinished. These are interpretive choices. A reversal does not mechanically turn every upright meaning into its opposite.
You can turn reversals off while learning names, suits and spread positions. Or keep them on and use one clearly stated approach for the session. Neither setting needs to be presented as more accurate.
Make an idea such as “blocked” specific
Suppose you are trying to start a project and a reversal suggests stalled action. Ask what might be getting in the way: an oversized task, limited time or a missing confirmation. Check each possibility against your situation rather than inferring it from the card’s orientation.
You could write: “I read this reversal as difficulty getting started. I am still waiting for essential information, so I will ask when it is available.” If you find no relevant obstacle, “This angle does not fit right now” is an equally useful note.
Set the rules before drawing
Choose one or three cards, decide whether to include reversals, and write your question. Wenbu’s three positions are Situation, Tension and Next Step. Keep those positions and orientations as drawn rather than rearranging them after seeing the result.
For your next practice, take one card and write a question its upright meaning might prompt, then one its reversed meaning might prompt. Keep the question most relevant to your circumstances. You are comparing ways to reflect, not deciding which orientation brings better luck.
Sources & further reading
A. E. Waite · The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Part III ↗Wenbu · draw and reversal rules ↗Traditional interpretations are not established predictions. See the source notes for context.
Ready to put this into practice?
Try a tarot reading ↗