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Celtic Cross Spread

 

The Celtic Cross is the most well-known tarot spread and also the largest available here, involving ten cards. This spread begins with a pair of crossing cards at the center of the issue, essentially being two significators. When two significators are involved, they may strengthen or oppose each other, which speaks of the nature of the situation. Above and below the initial cross, we have two cards which are symbolic of the intellectual (top) and emotional (bottom) basis of the issue. The Before and After cards show the past and immediate future.

At the right, four cards are laid out, going upward. At the bottom you have a card representing yourself, and the next card shows how others may affect the situation. Card #9 indicates what you may be hoping for, or possibly, what you hope will not happen. Finally at the top is the outcome, meaning the distant or ultimate future.

Spread Positions

  1. This is it (what you asked about)
  2. This crosses it (strengthens or opposes)
  3. This crowns it (higher influences)
  4. It rests upon this (lower influences)
  5. This came before
  6. This comes next
  7. This is you
  8. The external world around you
  9. Your hopes, fears, and secret desires
  10. The result or outcome

 

 

 

Celtic Cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Celtic Cross Reading

The Crown

The Hanged Man

The Outcome

8 of Swords


Hopes and Fears

9 of Cups


External Forces

King of Cups


The Querent

Death

The Recent Past

Queen of Cups

The Crossing Card

3 of Pentacles


The Significator

The World

The Future

Strength


Foundation card


7 of Swords

 

 

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

 

 

The World

A nude, dancing female holding two batons, symbolic of Mother Earth and Mother Nature. She is encircled by a wreath and surrounded by the cherubs who are the guardians of Heaven and Earth.

Upright Meaning:

Assured success, courage, honour, glory, vitality, life, energy, vigour, zest, pep, fervour, passion, animation, existence, reality.

 

 

 

 

The Crossing Card denotes an added impulse that compounds the initial card, whether complimentary or contradictory.

 

3 of Pentacles

A sculptor at his work in a monastery. Compare the design which illustrates the Eight of Pentacles. The apprentice or amateur therein has received his reward and is now at work in earnest.

Upright Meaning:

Artifice, trade, skilled labour; regarded as a card of nobility, aristocracy, renown, glory.

 

 

 

 

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

 

The Hanged Man

A man hangs upside down from the Tau cross. This is a card of self-sacrifice and enlightenment.

Reversed Meaning:

Selfishness, the crowd, politics, corruption, self-deception, misunderstanding, ignorance, denseness, blindness.

 

 

 

 

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

 

7 of Swords

A man in the act of carrying away five swords hastily; missing two which remain stuck in the ground. A camp is close at hand. He is a thief.

Upright Meaning:

Good advice, counsel, instruction, attempt, wish, hope, confidence, bravery, a dirty job that needs to get done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Recent Past represents past events and concerns.

 

Queen of Cups

Beautiful, fair, dreamy – as one who sees visions in a cup. This is, however, only one of her aspects; she sees, but she also acts, and her activity feeds her dream.

Upright Meaning:

Good, fair woman; honest, devoted woman, who will do service to the Querent; loving intelligence, and hence the gift of vision; success, happiness, pleasure; also, wisdom, virtue; a perfect spouse and a good mother.

 

 

 

 

The Future depicts that which lies ahead.

 

Strength

A woman holds a young lion at bay with her female strength of grace. She is crowned by the lemniscate as the Magician is, revealing herself as his counterpart.

Upright Meaning:

Power, energy, action, courage, magnanimity, boldness, grace, mercy, goodwill, finesse, dexterity, soothing, tact.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Death

The Grim Reaper rides into town on a pale horse. The king has fallen, and the Pope greets Death with the king's family. The sun sets in the gateway on the horizon.

Reversed Meaning:

Inertia, sleep, lethargy, hope destroyed, depression, sloth, misery, undoing, ruin, subjugation.

 

 

 

 

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

 

King of Cups

He holds a short sceptre in his left hand and a great cup in his right; his throne is set upon the sea; on one side a ship is riding and on the other a dolphin is leaping.

Upright Meaning:

Fair man, man of business, law, or divinity; responsible, disposed to oblige the Querent; also equity, art and science, including those who profess science, law and art; creative intelligence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

9 of Cups

A goodly personage has feasted to his heart's content, and abundant refreshment of wine is on the arched counter behind him, seeming to indicate that the future is also assured. The picture offers the material side only, but there are other aspects.

Reversed Meaning:

Truth, loyalty, liberty; but with some mistakes, imperfections, or miscalculations.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

8 of Swords

A woman, blindfolded and bound, with the swords of the card around her. Yet it is rather a card of temporary endurance than of irretrievable bondage.

Reversed Meaning:

Disquiet, difficulty, opposition, accident, treachery, unforeseen disaster, entrapment, bondage.