AUTHOR’S NOTE: In Tarot Master-Class, Paul Fenton-Smith suggests that reversal of a card can mean “it is wise to remain where you are, despite the tempting opportunities awaiting you.” If scrambling is necessary to dodge adversity, he advises returning to the upright guidance of the previous card in the series, which offers a “comfort zone” filled with known quantities. From that more stable vantage point, further sallies can be mounted that will soften the impact of the reversal. A little distance will allow for a more dispassionate response and a clearer view of the landscape.

This concept of “standing pat” rather than actively wrestling with upset conditions in order to throw off their yoke adds another interpretive angle to my extensive inventory of reversed-card assumptions. It discourages overreacting in the heat of the moment since all available options may not be visible if we are uncertain of our footing and struggling to make headway.

By keeping our head down and our eyes squarely on the ground ahead, we are less likely to make a misstep. While it implies running-in-place, treading water, or even a “deer-in-the-headlights” sense of helplessness, I would throw in a little of the boxer’s feinting, ducking and weaving to keep it interesting. You know, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” (or at least get out of the way gracefully).

While most of my reversed-card repertoire envisions making an effort to grapple with the phenomenon and work through it, this one proposes doing nothing and remaining vigilant. In thinking about it, there may well be a place for passive withdrawal in these situations that echoes the tenets of Zen Buddhism. It’s less a matter of turning the other cheek than of prudently disengaging before the first one ever comes under fire. The old lottery slogan scolds “You can win if you don’t play,” to which I would append “but you won’t get hurt either.”

Reversal can represent a “shot across the bow” that gives us a heads-up regarding vulnerabilities we didn’t know were a threat to our well-being, thus enabling us to maneuver out of their range and find a safe haven to wait out the assault. The more I consider it, the more I like the idea of shrewdly jockeying for position and not rousing to do battle before the lines of engagement are clearly drawn. We can save ourselves a lot of unnecessary grief by remaining poised and balanced equally over both feet in readiness and not indulging in fancy footwork that is premature and may expose us to an ignominious fall. “Too much, too soon” can leave us with too little later on, so it’s best to be cautious about entering the fray unprepared.