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 King of Wands		The Outcome XVIII – The Moon Hopes and Fears Page of Wands External Forces VII – The Chariot The Querent Ten of Wands
The Recent Past Knight of Pentacles	The Crossing Card Knight of Cups The Significator Five of Wands	The Future Ten of Swords
	Foundation card XIX – The Sun

The 5 of Wands card indicates stiff competition, not necessarily fair, with no clear winner implied. All are separate entities. Challenge with an unclear outcome, enterprise, and glory rule the wands. Like revving the engine but the clutch is in, strong competition often indicates obstacles. Do not stop the fight. Add new perspective that the competition is missing. Anger is a fabulous reminder that there are still a few things still misunderstood. At one and the same time feel the wonders of the contexts outside you, of your actions in context, and contexts inside you.

* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.

The Knight of Cups indicates that things have taken on emotional or intuitive modes. Emotion or intuition will lead the way to your destination.

* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.

The King of Wands indicates charismatic leadership within and flowing from yourself or invigorating your flow. Now is the time to get done what needs to be done, and it will get done! And, once complete, everyone will be wonderfully pleased with the results.

The Sun indicates who you really are but forgot when you entered life. Smiling, you reconcile opposites. You have your own inner light serving to illuminate the way on your path. This will always come and go like the Sun. Remember, though, even when it is gone, it is soon to return. . . .like the sun!

Visualise dawn and dusk. Note the marked difference between them, the powerful changes present between night and day, between day and night.

Here it is indicated that you meet your inner light in a way that moves you to shine more brightly with the truth of the purpose you feel. Shining brightly, feeling who you are, be refreshed both inside and out! The Sun card indicates that you will experience your own glory and respect what you have to offer. Honour and utilise your own gains, feel your pleasures, experience your triumphs. With your refreshed brightness enthusiastically reap your success!

This is a time where you are more visible, and your way feels bright.

The Knight of Pentacles indicates making earthbound goals come into being. Consistently and steadily applying their highest aspects. Related to the Hierophant as a more mundane, every day devotion, one may call to their mate as they shuffle through the leaves in the forest, may work diligently but more so fully in feeling their task AS the meaning. This is the card of the joy of getting “lost” on a walk or run, in / on a kayak in the middle of a bay or the ocean. . . lost while traveling intently, conscious only of your traveling, exploration. Loss as freedom rather than deficient.

This is not necessarily a card about being physical per se, but of being present in one's body in context. This feeling of being lost, or of stillness. . .this is the loss where one is fully present, a meditation where reasons have wonderfully gone missing. Reason is lost. This is the card indicating a full mind-body-beautiful presence with the justice of strength simply present. Imagine your own tiger cubs frolic-stumble-rolling over your paws. . . and your secret glance and smile. This is the card of the youthful silverback.

The Knight of Cups indicates that things have taken on emotional or intuitive modes. Emotion or intuition will lead the way to your destination.

* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.

The 10 of Wands indicates courage shown along the road of your path, wonderfully strong balance of all you carry. Towing EVERYTHING with the grace of your own body. Each twilight sky prefigures the coming of the night, presages the promise of the coming dawn. New days bring wonderful new challenges. There is courage in owning what you carry, invigorating it and being invigorated by it. Blind faith in fulfilling your purpose expresses the balance indicated. Transformation here is catalysed by the passion and direction in your principles.

The agility with wonderfully strong balance indicates you may juggle so well and naturally that it appears to be a solar system.

* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.

The Chariot indicates you are bringing powerfully diverse, internal forces into harmony. Indicates agility at speed in your process. Take note of your strategies as chariots typically engage from the side rather than head on. Look to the powerful forces in your life to feel where strain needs to be tuned back in to balance. The embodiment of stand-alone, self-nourishing connections is indicated in the agility of your actions. Shift and corner! This is a great time to feel the agility of your responsiveness!

The Page of Wands indicates a powerful rush of excitement offering an adventure or a risk, and news or information that will continue your path with adventure. Indicates the necessity of a change in attitude about your environment as a whole, as your environment may have already changed. The Page of Wands is a young charioteer full of exuberance, creativity, and youthful character. Remember this powerful shift. . .risk TRANSFORMS into scope once you've poured forth into your adventurous path. . . and is consequently no longer risk, but scope. Dig deep!

With genuine interest and consideration at the level of this rush of excitement, risk is no longer a risk, it is your scope, your priorities of direction, attributes of your context that are very present.

Indicated is to move strongly though modestly. This does not preclude bold moves, but does indicate that broad brushstrokes are inappropriate at this time. With industrious efforts you can build a substantial base upon which you may then reach your aim.

Take care with the formwork of your actions. Formwork is stripped away as a foundation cures, and will remain in the strength and clarity of your performance. Formwork is to the foundation as the pond turning over is to the pond. The pond remembers its turning over only in its continued fertility. Fluidly build foundations for your most adventurous path, your dreams. Dig deep.

* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.

The Moon indicates inner connections so intense that they transcend space. Your intense intuition can seamlessly join a variety of unseen forces in harmony as they are reflected inside you. Creative connections with seemingly impossible things can also be indicated.

The moon's reflection on a watery path can be disorienting OR a fascinatingly beautiful and mesmerising image to behold. The Moon indicates to feel your actions. Planning is for another time. Your planning may have placed you right where you are now. Move with only your natural movements in mind. There can be a kind of magnetism in this reflection.

Believing and knowing are not enough at this time. It is indicated to trust your intuition.

* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.