Celtic Cross Spread

Celtic Cross

 

 

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

The Moon

  The Outcome

The Emperor


Hopes and Fears

Page of Swords


External Forces

Balance


The Querent

7 of Swords

The Recent Past

The Norn

This Crosses the Significator

The Theocrat


The Significator

Page of Pentacles

The Future

4 of Pentacles


The Foundation

5 of Cups

 

 

 

The Significator represents what the main theme of the reading deals with, the initial situation.

 

 

Page of Pentacles

An homage to Arthur Edward Waite, Aleister Crowley and George Sprague, the three revolutionary authors of Tarot systems that inspired this deck. Also, a very bad pun, apologies.

Life demands study, not worship. Study your problems, don't just pray for them to go away.

 

 

 

 

 

This Crosses the Significator denotes an added impulse that compounds the initial card, whether complimentary or contradictory.

 

The Theocrat

1:00 – Card 8

AKA The Hierophant in traditional Tarot. Male, Fire, Taurus.

The master, the controller, the employer. To force one's will upon others and make them work for your own benefits. Not always a cruel thing if it's done right. But it's so rarely done right.

 

 

 

 

 

The Crown stands for what the asker is aware of consciously.

 

The Moon

Tranquillity, calm, beauty, and for some reason I never understood, lobster. Don't ask me, blame antiquity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Foundation reveals unconscious driving forces that the querent may not be aware of.

 

5 of Cups

The problem with a hand of glory is that wax melts and glory fades.

 

 

 

 

 

The Recent Past represents past events and concerns.

 

The Norn

2:00 – Card 10

AKA The Wheel of Fortune in traditional Tarot. Female, Air, Gemini.

Symbolic of fate, and what is fate but change? Everything changes in time; change is the only constant. What one cannot control one must predict, and act in accordance with. Opposition to the inevitable yields only pain.

 

 

 

 

 

The Future depicts that which lies ahead.

 

The Theocrat

1:00 – Card 8

AKA The Hierophant in traditional Tarot. Male, Fire, Taurus.

The master, the controller, the employer. To force one's will upon others and make them work for your own benefits. Not always a cruel thing if it's done right. But it's so rarely done right.

 

 

 

 

 

The Querent represents the asker and their attitude towards the subject of the reading.

 

7 of Swords

An Homage to Kurosawa. Seven swords belonging to seven Samurai.

In a realistic movie, even masters can die, and life has a tendency to move like the most implausible plot.

 

 

 

 

 

External Forces represents the influence of others in your life as well as trends in your relationships with others.

 

Balance

AKA Justice in traditional Tarot.

Not the scales of a common religious moralist and no longer a cardinal virtue, but the raw, heartless justice of nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopes and Fears shows the expectations you have concerning the outcome of your question.

 

Page of Swords

Chaos is dangerous to both belligerents. If you have all the arms and all the thorns in the world, you're just as much a danger to yourself if you don't keep track of them.

 

 

 

 

 

The Outcome of your question. Interpret this card in the context of the entire reading and as an indicator of the path you are currently on, but not necessarily bound to.

 

The Emperor

In this case King Sargon of Akkad. A great ruler in his own time rarely even makes the history books in ours.

 

 

 

 

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