Alright, so you guys keep asking me about tarot, especially that big one, the Celtic Cross spread. And trust me, when I first got into this whole tarot thing, it felt like trying to read a textbook in a language I didn’t know. Just a jumble of pictures and way too many cards to even think about.
I remember feeling totally lost. I’d pull a card here, a card there, try to make sense of it, and mostly just end up more confused than when I started. It wasn’t until a few years back, when I was going through a pretty rough patch, trying to figure out if I should stick with my old job or just jump ship entirely, that I really sat down and decided to crack the code on this spread. My buddy, who’s been doing this stuff forever, told me, “Just try the Celtic Cross. It tells a whole story.” So, I did. And you know what? He was absolutely right.
So, here’s how I actually do it, step-by-step. This isn’t some fancy, textbook explanation, just how I learned to get useful insights out of it.
Getting Ready for Your Spread
First off, I always start with a clear head. Seriously. If my mind’s buzzing with a million things, the cards just feel like noise. So, I take a few deep breaths, maybe light a candle, whatever helps me chill out. Then, I pick up my deck. I shuffle them really well, letting my question or the situation I want to look at just kind of float around in my mind. I’m not stressing about “the right way” to shuffle, just doing it until it feels right. Sometimes I cut the deck, sometimes I don’t. It’s all about feeling it out.
Laying Out the Cards – Piece by Piece
Now, this is where the magic starts. The Celtic Cross has 10 cards, and each one tells you something specific. I don’t use a “significator card” like some folks do; I just dive right in. Here’s the order I lay them down:
- Card 1: The Heart of It All. This is the very first card. I place it right in the center. This card just screams “this is what’s happening right now.” It’s the core of the whole situation, what’s directly on your mind or affecting you most.
- Card 2: What’s Crossing You. I take the next card and lay it horizontally right across the first one. This one always feels like it’s saying, “And here’s the snag.” It’s either an obstacle, a challenge, or sometimes, something that’s actually helping or complementing the situation. It’s what’s messing with the first card.
- Card 3: The Foundation. This card goes right below the center card. Think of it as the roots. It’s the subconscious stuff, the past influences, the things you might not even realize are driving the current situation. It’s what’s been building up underneath everything.
- Card 4: What’s Behind You. This one goes to the left of the center card. This is pure past stuff. What’s just happened, what’s fading away, what experiences led you to this point. It’s history, but history that’s still got a bit of a tail on it.
- Card 5: What’s Crowning You. Next, I put a card right above the center. This is your goal, your potential, what you’re aiming for, or sometimes, even what could be distracting you. It’s what’s on the horizon, what’s coming into focus.
- Card 6: What’s Coming. This card goes to the right of the center. This one shows what’s coming up soon in the near future. It’s the next immediate step or event that’s headed your way.
Okay, so that’s the central “cross” part. Six cards. Now for the “staff” or “rod” section on the right side. This part gives you more context about you and everything around you.
- Card 7: How You’re Feeling. This is the bottom card of the stack on the right. This card is all about you. Your mindset, your attitude, your internal feelings about the situation. Are you hopeful? Worried? What’s your current vibe?
- Card 8: Other People and Stuff. The next card up. This describes your environment – the people around you, the external events, how others see you, or how they’re influencing things. It’s the world outside your head.
- Card 9: Hopes and Fears. This one goes next in the stack. What are you actually hoping for? And what are you secretly, or not so secretly, scared of? This card often throws up some real surprises, revealing stuff you didn’t even realize you were feeling.
- Card 10: The Outcome. And finally, the top card of the stack. This is the big one. It’s the likely result, the probable ending to this whole story, if things continue on their current path. It’s not set in stone, mind you, but it gives you a strong hint of where you’re headed.
Reading the Story
Once all 10 cards are laid out, I don’t just jump to the last card. That’s a rookie mistake. I look at the whole picture. I start with the first card, then how the second card is crossing it. I think about the roots in the third card, how the past in the fourth brought me here, what I’m aiming for in the fifth, and what’s next in the sixth. Then I factor in my own feelings (seventh), the outside world (eighth), my deepest hopes and fears (ninth), and finally, what it all adds up to in the tenth card.
It’s like reading a book. Each card is a chapter, and you gotta read them in order to understand the whole plot. Sometimes one card might feel totally out of place, but when you look at it with the cards next to it, it just clicks. I try to listen to my gut feeling about the images and the numbers. What colors stand out? What emotions pop up?
That time I did it for my job situation? The “obstacle” card was about feeling trapped, which was so spot on. My “foundation” showed an old belief about needing security, even if it made me unhappy. The “outcome” card really made me pause – it showed a fresh start, a creative path, totally different from what I was doing. It didn’t tell me “quit your job,” but it sure as hell showed me what might happen if I did take that leap versus staying stuck. It gave me the courage to actually go explore my options and eventually make a change that felt right for me.
So, that’s my two cents on the Celtic Cross. Don’t overthink it, just try it. It might just tell you the story you needed to hear.
