Monahan advises beginning with a card shuffle while pondering the query you want to center the tarot reading around for a Celtic cross spread. You have two options: either keep the subject broad or get more focused with a question. A general query, for instance, may be, “How do I bring more abundance into my life,” while a focused query might be, “Am I going to get this job I’m interviewing for?”
In This Article...
For what purposes do Celtic Cross readings?
One of the most well-known tarot spreads is the Celtic Cross.
It is used by many readers, but it also intimidates many more.
The Celtic Cross is particularly great in my opinion because it lends itself well to overall outlooks or closing spreads as well as providing a plethora of information about a specific circumstance.
This series aims to help you learn tips and tweaks so you may master it once and for all. It also aims to help you get over your fear of it.
As I continue to add tutorials to this series once a month, keep checking back.
The Marseilles deck was the first tarot deck I ever possessed, and the Celtic Cross spread was the first spread I ever learnt. This was a difficult start for a young want tobe tarot reader. The Marseilles was difficult enough without illustrated pip cards, but that enormous Celtic Cross? Before I could even recall how to put it out and what the positions represented, it took me a lot of practice. (PS There was no internet back then, and living in a rural area prevented me from having access to many tarot cards or books. I was by myself!)
I mastered it over time. I eventually obtained The Rider Waite deck as well, and it immediately resonated with me. I suddenly began to recognize the patterns, how the many configurations might affect a circumstance, and how adaptable the Celtic Cross might be. Since then, there has been a 35-year love affair!
In this series, I hope to make you fall in love with the Celtic Cross and show you a variety of interesting perspectives.
However, we must begin with the most fundamental lesson of all:
Ten cards make up the Celtic Cross; six of them are arranged in a cross arrangement, while the other four are arranged in a vertical row on the right side of the cross (see image below).
I’ve seen various different arrangements of the cards, frequently with positions 3 and 5 reversed, but I like the arrangement I learned because I think it makes perfect sense.
Here is how to arrange it and an explanation of what each location entails:
1This is the current situation; here is where you are right now; this is the crux of the subject.
This is what offends you, whether it’s good or bad. Position two depicts potential barriers or sources of help.
This serves as the situation’s basis, or the historical circumstances that led to the present.
It reflects your point of origin. the origin.
This represents the recent past or events that are just now receding into the background.
This card’s energy may still be present, but it is beginning to fade.
scenarios that are likely to occur in the future or what might be, or the possibilities.
According to some, “this is what crowns you.
It can be a reflection of your goals.
The current inquirer is 7this.
This may reflect the respondent’s present position or attitude toward the circumstance.
This refers to the surrounds, environment, or other factors.
The atmosphere at home or at work, as well as any additional parties that might be affecting the scenario, can play this role.
This represents the inquirer’s wishes and anxieties.
It may also represent the necessary shadow effort.
This is the result or the direction you’re going.
Once you have interpreted this card, you can move on to considering other spreads or cards to make decisions, especially if the conclusion is bad (more on that in a future lesson).
When you think about this approach, you’ll notice that using position 3 as the middle cross’s foundation position and then working clockwise around it makes senseyou’re looking at the foundation, or how we arrived to where we are now, while still making smooth, flowing progress.
Before they even shuffle the cards and spread them out, some readers will choose a significator to stand in for the questioner. Personal taste will play a role here. I refrain from doing this because I think the reading will reflect the energy the subject is manifesting at the time. The Celtic Cross significators will be covered in a later session, so don’t worry about it right now.
Instead, practice arranging it and keeping track of what each position represents as your assignment.
How is a tarot spread set up?
What to Do First:
- Get out your tarot deck.
- The cards are in your hand.
- “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
- Shuffle the cards completely.
- The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.
How is the second card in the Celtic Cross spread read?
We’re going to talk about the in this lesson “mini-cross, also referred to as the tiny cross in the center of the Celtic Cross.
The first two cards are arranged in the shape of a cross.
The first card represents the present, or what is affecting the questioner or the circumstance. The following card is: “what bothers you, the challenges or opposition the questioner might be up against.
Take note of the energy that exists between the two cards. Do they get along? Do they complement one another or is there a contradiction? Are they both positive, for instance, or is one of them negative? What could the scenario be revealed by two negative cards? What about two advantages? What if the crossing card is positive and the first card is negative? These are the issues to think about when thinking about the small cross.
Is it possible for me to read my own Celtic Cross?
According to Monahan, the card directly above the seventh card depicts your environment, which includes the friends and family members that are either assisting or obstructing the problem.
The card just above the eighth card in the Celtic cross tarot spread, which is in the ninth position, gives insight into the questioner’s emotions, as well as their hopes and anxieties regarding the circumstance. According to Monahan, “It does not represent what will occur actually, but more our outlook on it.”
The Celtic cross tarot spread’s last card, which is positioned above the ninth card, depicts the “result.” “This is not a hard and fast prediction, but more to demonstrate where the energy is headed,” Monahan cautions. We all possess free will, she continues, and the allure of tarot is that you can alter your attitude and energy in any given circumstance in order to get a different result.
Make the Celtic tarot cross spread your own
After you’ve spread out all 10 of your cards, you may start deciphering their meanings based on their placement. Although following the Celtic cross tarot spread’s conventional layout and structure is beneficial, Monahan advises experimenting with other iterations until you find one that feels right to you. Don’t be afraid to personalize it. Play around with the meanings of the cards until you come up with something that feels appropriate, she advises. If the traditional interpretation of the card doesn’t resonate with you, offer your own interpretation. Tarot is all about using our imagination and developing our intuitive abilities.
Pay attention to patterns or repetition
Monahan advocates paying attention to recurrence or patterns when you read the cards. She cites the example of repeating cards with the number seven, which can represent pressure and obstacles that must be overcome in order to succeed. Or, if there are a lot of pentacles cards in a spread, it can indicate that security and wealth are important.
Use your intuition
Your intuition is king when it comes to interpreting the messages of a tarot spread, in addition to the conventional interpretations of each card and their positions. Monahan advises utilizing your intuition to guide your choice of cards to focus on as a result. You may be particularly drawn to a card in a different position, she adds, adding that the outcome card does not always have to be the most significant card. “Trust what you are pulled to and then piece together the tale the cards are attempting to tell utilizing the framework of each specific position.”
Last but not least, give a Celtic cross reading some time. Monahan advises outlining your initial thoughts in writing before returning to them later.
How should I maintain my Tarot deck?
While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
What does the tarot crossover entail?
It should be noted that there are two possible interpretations for a card that is good but in a negative position, such as this one. A strong card can suggest that the issue is not as bad as the seeker believes it to be. A 9 of Cups would indicate to me that the things the seeker aspires for are not good for them. This is another way in which the card might assume the negative characteristics of that card.
The King of Pentacles, which may be either positive or negative, is the Court Card I drew in this situation. In my opinion, a judge in this situation exhibits a mindset or ideal that the applicant is attempting to attain. The King of Pentacles appeared to me.
“I have the King of Pentacles for this job, which emphasizes that I’m attempting to be the best businessperson possible and clearly generate more money. I do believe that altering my page is a wise commercial decision. It will not only provide me more time to focus on other things, but it will also make it simpler for me to compare and run company advertisements.
It should be noted that even if I didn’t know the topic of the question, I could probably determine from this vantage point that the seeker was really interested in business and/or making money. So for those with hesitant searchers, this spread is excellent!
Card 3: This is what Crowns the Seeker
The ideal outcome that the seeker can typically aspire for is represented by this position. It may also indicate the direction the seeker may be going if no adjustments are made to make things better. Because this position appears to conflict with position 10, seekers frequently become perplexed.
While a 10 of Pentacles is permitted in the Outcome, a 10 of Swords is permitted here. This would indicate to me that the seeker is on the verge of destruction, makes amends, and then is rewarded with the Ten of Pentacles.
The seeker could have the 10 of Pentacles, but because of something they need to change (and don’t), they end up with the 10 of Swords. This would be indicated by a 10 of Swords in the Outcome and a 10 of Pentacles in position 3.
I was dealt a Queen of Pentacles for this position. This is how I would interpret it:
“A Queen of Pentacles is the finest card I can hope for in this scenario. The feminine equivalent of the King, the Queen of Pentacles is kind and well-off. So, I assume that integrating my pages is a smart move.
Card 4: This is what is Below the Seeker
This card stands for the source of whatever uneasiness the seeker may be experiencing. In a nutshell, it underpins the psychological factors that lead a seeker to want to know what will happen in the future rather than accept things as they are. The seeker is in a position that symbolizes an event from their history.
I received judgment for this position:
“Judgment generally makes me think of a calling, the kind of calling where you are called to do what you are supposed to be doing. When I resumed fortune telling, I frequently received this card; before to that, nothing had gone right for me. Many of my work-related anxieties stem from this underlying dread that my current employment will turn out to be unsuitable for me as well. Judgment frequently serves as a reminder that we risk missing out on opportunities if we don’t seize them. I have this overwhelming urge to seize the moment. I have witnessed this happen to people close to me; they went from being highly sought-after readers to yesterday’s news quite rapidly. People’s popularity may wane pretty quickly. Since I can manage and control just one page, I feel as though I should use it as a platform to make my mark on everything.
Some of the claims you will make during your explanation of position 4 may surprise some searchers. This occurs frequently because folks who do not read Tarot find it rather alarming to be able to delve into someone’s concerns and where they originate.
Card 5: What is Behind the Seeker
Because my Significator (Card 0), which should be facing this card, is not, I am reading The Hermit in this position (as in the past) (For the picture below I have removed cards 1 and 2 so that you can see what I mean about where my significator is facing). If such were the case, The Hermit would be read as the future. Please read the section of the article titled “Card 0: The Significator” if you haven’t previously.
In order for you to see which direction my significator is facing on my Celtic Cross, I have deleted cards 1 and 2. The past and future are represented by the following:
How do you perform a three-card tarot reading?
- Choose a Tarot deck in step one.
- Find a Quiet, Remote Area in Step 2.
- Focus on a Question or Intention in Step 3.
- Step 4: Reshuffle the cards.
- Divide your deck into three equal stacks in step five.
- Step 6: Turn your cards over.
- Examine your cards in Step 7.
- Get a sense of your cards in Step 8.
Can I perform a Tarot spread on my own?
To make your own spreads, you don’t need to be an expert tarot reader; in fact, I believe it’s wise to practice making your own spreads at the beginning of your tarot journey.
Making spreads gives you more self-assurance and helps you keep in mind that you are learning tarot your way, not someone else’s. Additionally, it implies that you can always develop a unique strategy for handling all the crazy-assed questions your buddies ask.
How should the tarot cards be arranged?
The primary arcana cards feature images that stand in for a variety of energies, people, virtues, and vices. The fool card is unnumbered, and the other 21 cards are numbered I through XXI. The major arcana tarot cards are listed below in alphabetical order: I the juggler, or magician; II the papess, or female pope; III the empress; IV the emperor; V the pope; VI the lovers; VII the chariot; VIII the justice; IX the hermit; X the wheel of fortune; X the strength, or fortitude; XI the hanged man; XIII the death; XIV the temperance; XV the devil; XVI the lightning-s
Does the tarot card order matter?
Because so many subsequent cards drew inspiration from its iconic artwork, the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is an excellent starting deck. The deck is referenced in practical tarot publications like 78 Degrees of Wisdom as well. Start with the Rider-Waite deck and then add more decks that speak to you to your collection. Although it is available online, you are welcome to visit your neighborhood occult shop to see what appeals to you there.