Celtic Cross Spread

Difficulty: Average

This is probably the most well-known tarot spread. A good, basic spread for beginners to practise with, the Celtic Cross is useful for questions of all types. In this spread, it can be helpful to notice the relationships between the pairings of cards #5 & #9, #1 & #2, #3 & #4, and #6 & #10.

1. The significator epitomizes what the reading deals with, the initial situation.
2. An added impulse that compounds the significator, which may be either complimentary or contradictory.
3. This is what is consciously known (thoughts).
4. Unconscious driving forces that may not be known fully (emotions).
5. The immediate past regarding the current situation.
6. The first future card indicates the immediate future.
7. This card represents the reader and their attitude towards cards #1 and #2.
8. The external influences, the places and people which influence the topic.
9. This tarot card suggests expectations; what is secretly hoped for or feared.
10. The second future card reveals the long-term outcome.

Your Celtic Cross Reading

	The Crown 4 of Swords		The Outcome The Lovers Hopes and Fears King of Cups External Forces 7 of Coins The Querent The Wheel of Fortune
The Recent Past Ace of Cups	The Crossing Card The Fool The Significator The Hanged Man	The Future Queen of Coins
	Foundation card 9 of Cups

The sole of the foot is turned upwards, the world is turned upside down. This is what the picture shows. The beam and the rope are blue. Rationality, an attempt to consciously act, binds the hanged man. But here there also seems to be hope. Leaves are growing out of wood.

The colour yellow at the bottom of the picture stands for the light which the hanged man experiences when he manages to let himself fall. The wide path in the background leads to a dead-end against blue rocks. Walking back a bit one can find a narrow track which leads around the rocks back into the light. The violet background portrays the night sky. Normal vision is not carried any further.

The bright colours symbolise many possibilities. The Fool is holding the pilgrim's staff in his hand. Water and fish indicate openness and vivacity. The butterflies also indicate different ideas and a joy of living.

The golden yellow background gives the scene energy of life. One can see the tip of the Fool's cap. The cross, or rather the handle of the sword in the background, gives an awareness of danger, which is lurking along the path the Fool is going to take.

Three swords are holding a violet cauldron, under which a fire is burning. Something is being "extracted". The violet colour indicates a spiritual process. The sun is setting; nothing more will happen today. To sleep on it will help.

Tomorrow it might be possible to grasp the fourth sword and to take the right path in further conflicts. The path past the white flag is also possible.

The content of the nine cups is being poured over the picture and meets in a whirlpool in the middle. Three colours refer to the number three, out of which the number nine (3x3) exists. Notes (music/art), grapes (food/drink) and a heart (love/friendship) stand for areas which contain pleasure and well-being.

The colour red points to warmth, blue symbolises refreshment. The colour green can be understood as referring to a negative aspect on the card e.g., exaggerated personal pleasure.

Water is formed from a cloud, due to condensation, and is dripping into a cup. Through this the relationship between water and its opposite energy air is portrayed. If we look carefully all the four elements are present here: water=Water, cup= Earth, cloud= Air and the liberated energy = Fire.

The bright colours symbolise many possibilities. The Fool is holding the pilgrim's staff in his hand. Water and fish indicate openness and vivacity. The butterflies also indicate different ideas and a joy of living.

The golden yellow background gives the scene energy of life. One can see the tip of the Fool's cap. The cross, or rather the handle of the sword in the background, gives an awareness of danger, which is lurking along the path the Fool is going to take.

In the middle of the diagram three discs can be seen. I often use the number three in the descriptions as a basic universal number. The inner disc is blank. On the second disc we can make out the hourly Roman numerals. They appear anticlockwise to show that time's direction is relative.

The signs of the zodiac on the outer disc show a further meaning for the course of time. Around these discs or rings, as though one could present them how one liked, the four elements are arranged. They seem to be rotating and moving in a circle from light into dark and back again.

Seven pentacles are lying on a heap of leaves which is being swept up. They look like unusable fruit. Two tears show that the sweeper is grieving over his lost harvest. The star in the background suggests that the loss is small in comparison with the high goal which is being aimed at.

The king's figure and features show a certain easy-going nature and goodness. The throne's decoration underlines the qualities of love and joy which are engraved on him.

He is holding a gift in his right hand. He is very much aware that presents play an important role in friendships. The table in the background, prepared for festivities, encourages a social gathering.

The picture shows the connection with the opposite theme represented by two circles (blue = conscious) which combine to form an oval. The oval represents striving for unity on a higher level. The two hands stand for polarity and the confrontation with the tree of eternity and the tree of knowledge (of good and evil) with heart-shaped fruit. The serpent is coiled up at the foot of the tree of knowledge.

The yellow background emphasises the energy of the moment. Fish and water show the duality again and the produced flow of energy. The archangel Raphael watches over everyone with his blessing, indicated by God's eye.