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Celtic Cross

 

Before a reading occurs, the person receiving the reading shuffles the cards. Some say this transfers that person's energy to the deck. The person receiving the reading also should be concentrating on the question or area for which they want guidance while he or she shuffles the deck. Once the cards are shuffled and the deck has been cut, the reader lays out the cards in a pattern called the spread. Each position in the spread has a meaning. Start by looking at the Circle/Cross section. The cards in this position represent what is happening in your life at the time of the reading.

1.     Shuffle cards and set them down.

2.     Cut into three stacks               3ß   2ß  1ß

3.     Combine into deck                  3ß 1    then  3 &1 à2

4.     Cards remain as viewed by the questioner and are dealt that way unless read from the opposite side of the table from the questioner. If that is the case, rotate the card deck 180deg prior to dealing.

5.     Bottom card (court card) goes in center and is not read. First card is placed on top of it.

6.     Look at the cards individually

7.      Next, look at the first six cards in pairs. These cards paint a picture of your immediate situation. The cards in position 1 (the central issue) and position 2 (the secondary issue that can either be opposing or reinforcing) will identify the central theme of the reading. The cards in position 3 (the root cause that can be an unconscious influence or deeper meaning) and position 5 (your attitudes and beliefs, a conscious influence, your goal or an alternate future) represent things that are going on within you at different levels. And, the cards in position 4 (your past, a receding influence or something that has been resolved) and position 6 (the future or an approaching influence or unresolved factor) represent how people and events are flowing through your life.

8.      Next, look at the Staff section of the spread, again considering cards in pairs. Looking at the cards in position 7 (as you are, as you could be, as you present yourself and as you see yourself) and position 8 (your outside environment, someone else's point of view and you as others see you) tells you about your relationship with your environment.

9.      Finally, look at the card in position 10 (the outcome-overall, your inner state, your actions or effects) to see the projected outcome.Bunning suggests to then ask yourself how you feel about the projected outcome. What does it say to you?

10.   Go back and review the cards that led up to that outcome and see if there is a card that stands out as the key to that outcome. Then, look back at card 5 to see if the projected outcome is also shown as an alternate outcome there. Look at the card representing the near future in position 6 to see if it supports or contributes to the projected outcome. Finally, look at the card in position 9 (guidance, key factors, hopes and fears or overlooked factors) to see there is any relevance there.

Because Tarot cards each have one picture that faces in one direction, it is possible that cards will be facing the opposite direction when dealt. According to most sources, this doesn't change the meaning of the card, but simply weakens the impact of the meaning.

the Celtic Cross is one of the rare tarot spreads that you can use even when you don’t have a particular question to ask. With the Celtic Cross Tarot Spread you can examine all the different aspects of a situation, getting a piece by piece breakdown of any event that has crossed your path.

In this article, we’re going to explore not just the position of the cards, but also how to tie things together to help you craft a narrative, which is the best part of tarot reading!

The Positions of the 10 Card Celtic Cross Tarot Spread

                    5               10

          4      1\2      6       9

                    3                8

                                      7

We’ll break down the Celtic Cross in the same way we do with other standard tarot spreads, by looking at the positions of the cards.

  1. The Present / The Self - This position reveals the current situation, and what is now happening. It can also be used to represent what the current state of mind is for the querent and a snapshot of who the querent is at the current moment in time.
  2. The Problem - This card represents the challenge that the querent is facing at this time, something that they need to resolve in order to make progress forward.
  3. Unconscious - The unconscious reveals what is truly driving this situation; the feelings, the beliefs and the values that perhaps the querent doesn’t even understand yet. Sometimes this card may be a surprise, and can also represent a hidden influence.
  4. The Past - Here we see the the past events, and also how they have shaped the current situation. This can give us some information on influences in the past that have lead up to this state of affairs.
  5. Conscious - This card explores what you are focused on, and where your mind is. This can represent your goals and your desires regarding this situation, as well as what your assumptions are.
  6. The Future - This card represents what could be a likely turn of events, given that nothing changes. These are usually short term happenings, and doesn’t represent the final resolution of these events.
  7. Your Influence - This card can be interpreted somewhat broadly - but in general, relates to how you see yourself, and how that perception can influence how this situation plays out. What beliefs about yourself do you carry? Do you expand yourself, or limit yourself?
  8. External Influence - This card represents the world around you and how it affects this situation. It may represent the social and emotional environment that you are operating in, as well as how others perceive you.
  9. Hopes and Fears - One of the harder positions in this spread to decode, this card can represent both what you secretly desire, as well as what you may be trying to avoid. Human nature is often paradoxical, and what we fear the most is sometimes what we also truly have been hoping for all along.
  10. Outcome - This card is meant to be a summary of all the previous cards. Given all that is happening, what is the likely resolution of this event? Should you find a card here that does not have a favorable outcome, you can analyze the remainder of the spread to find another course of action.

Celtic Cross Tarot Spread Diagram

 

Understanding the Relationships in the 10 Card Celtic Cross Tarot Spread

Now that we’ve gotten the individual positions of the Celtic Cross tarot spread, we can start working on developing the stories that develop within this complex 10 card tarot spread.

The Cross vs The Staff

Celtic Cross Tarot Spread Sections - Cross and the Staff

The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread can be broken down into two sections. They are the cross, consisting of 6 cards on the left hand side, and the staff, the four cards on the right. Altogether, the cross section of this spread gives you a picture of all the happenings in your life; internally and externally. The staff allows you to examine the querent’s life as it is outside this situation. We learn how the context of this situation can affect it, and also - how to change it, if desired.

The Wheel and its Axis

Celtic Cross Tarot Spread Sections - Wheel and Axis

Within the cross, you can break down the cards into yet another two sections - the central circle, represented by two cards, which convey the heart of the matter, and the surrounding four cards representing the events of your life that surround it. You can envision this as a wheel of four cards turning around an axis of two cards.

Time and Consciousness

Celtic Cross Tarot Spread Sections - Time and Consciousness

The cross can also be split into a different two sections - the horizontal cards, including the central axis, displays time, while the vertical cards express consciousness. Reading both horizontally and vertically, we see these as two smaller spreads that give us the past, present and future - as well as unconscious, self, and conscious.

All together, we can see a beautiful and complex 10 card tarot spread that is able to give us clarity and depth.

Celtic Cross Sections Infographic

The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread - Exploring the Classic 10 Card Tarot Spread - Celtic Cross Sections Infographic

Comparing and Contrasting Pairs in the Celtic Cross Spread

In addition to the smaller sections within the Celtic Cross spread, we can also look at some other pairs that may be particularly helpful to compare and contrast. These cards have special relationships that can give another dimension to the reading.