Position 5, labeled “potential outcome,” is located at the top of the mini-cross. This card represents potential future events, potential future developments, or potential futures. This role is described as “what crowns you” in some publications.
Based on the moment of the reading, I frequently interpret this card as the location you will most likely end up.
Therefore, if a card like the Three of Swords appears there, the inquirer might be in for disappointment or loss.
I can see what is setting up that possibility by going back and looking at the first two cards. If the Three of Cups represented the past and the Devil reversed represented the recent past, this would suggest that the querent may have met a new person, started an extramarital relationship, and is now considering ending their marriage. Or you may read this as a fun-at-first romance that went horribly wrong and is most certainly going to an end.
Always keep an eye on the previous cards since they provide information about how the story is developing and what factors led to this “potential result.”
The question, “What about that outcome card then?” may come to mind.
Why bother with an outcome card if this demonstrates the possibilities?
These two, in my perspective, support one another, and I frequently see them as a triad with the card in position 6.
However, we’re moving on already.
I’ll be demonstrating a variety of card pairing techniques as well as what to do when we encounter contradictions as we move forward with these classes.
Let’s just use this card by itself for the time being.
The Two of Swords is crossed by Strength and the Tower in the past position, and the Three of Swords is reversed in the recent past in our last lesson on the recent past position.
If we position the Sun in the Possible Outcome position, what might happen?
That could indicate that the person asking the question has through a very trying change in their life that requires a lot of inner work and healing. They are currently overcoming the difficulty and making progress toward a nicer period. This demonstrates the client’s strength and that the decisions they are making will result in a better, more fruitful chapter. even a rebirth
This could be seen as the client becoming more grounded and solid after adversity, like the King of Pentacles.
They may have grown up and developed a sense of what matters most as a result of the change.
Or it can be a sign that a helpful person will soon enter their lives, someone who will have a stabilizing and positive influence on them.
In This Article...
What do you mean by that?
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.
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 is a Tarot card crossing read?
Things start to get interesting at this point! A lot of new Tarot readers start out by analyzing each card. But the magic happens when we take a closer look at the relationships between the Tarot cards and go further into the reading’s narrative!
Consider the Celtic Cross divided into two main sections: the Circle/Cross segment on the left (Cards 16), and the Staff section on the right (Cards 7 to 10).
What is happening in the querent’s life at the time of the reading is depicted in the Circle/Cross. Two crosses make up this section: a little cross in the middle (Cards 1 and 2), nestled inside a larger cross (Cards 3 to 6). The smaller cross stands for the subject matter that is more important to the reader at that moment.
Two lines make up the larger cross, which sits on top of the smaller cross. Time moves from the past on the left to the future on the right as depicted by the horizontal line (Cards 1, 3, and 4). Cards 1, 5, and 6 form a vertical line that represents the querent’s consciousness as it moves from unconsciousness at the bottom to consciousness at the top.
These six cards taken as a whole provide an overview of the internal and external environments at the time of a reading.
A greater sense of what is happening in the larger context may be found in the Staff section, which depicts the link between the querent and the environment in which they function.
Second, to develop the “narrative,” start examining the following Tarot card combinations:
- Compare the cards on the top and bottom (Cards 5 and 6). Do the conscious and subconscious levels work in concert? Are the person’s motivations and their goals in line with one another? It will be much simpler to fix the problem if there is alignment. If not, let the asker comprehend what’s going on subconsciously and how it can affect how they respond to the problem.
- Compare the outcome and above cards (Cards 5 and 10). Once more, is there agreement between what the customer wants and what will actually happen? Does the respondent aid or hinder the situation? If Cards 5 and 10 are found to be in opposition, the questioner will need to carefully consider how to bring about the results they desire. For more advice, consult the Advice card (Card 7).
- Compare the cards for the future and results (Cards 4 and 10). How are the impending events affecting or impacting the final result? Will the respondent need to handle these occurrences in a certain way to produce the desired results? Once more, extra information can be found on the Advice card (Card 7).
- Compare the Hopes/Fears and Below cards (Cards 6 and 9). Look at what is going on in the subject’s subconscious if you are having trouble deciphering their hopes and fears (Card 6). Is there something stirring up either fear or hope in their subconscious? The querent is probably unaware of their subconscious drivers and how this is affecting them in the “real world” if you see reversed cards in these situations.
- Compare the cards for advice and results (Cards 7 and 10). Does the respondent dislike the result? Check out the Advice card to discover what the questioner can do to influence a better outcome. Assist the client in managing these events by taking into account what occurrences are expected to happen soon (Card 4).
Then, combine everything for a comprehensive understanding of the current scenario.
Are you prepared to learn even more tricks and resources for deciphering the Celtic Cross like a pro? Check out my Masterclass on How to Master the Celtic Cross!
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.
How does my tarot spread make me feel?
This section is for you if you’ve ever wondered what a “three-card spread is. Tarot readings can be done in a variety of ways, and frequently the instructions that come with the cards will show images of the most common spreads. You’ll soon discover that there is a spread for any circumstance, and you can always come up with your own, too. These include the straightforward three-card spread, the Celtic cross, and a seven-day spread.
After the deck has been shuffled and divided in half by the client, a reader will pull three cards from it for a three-card spread (more on that in a moment). The past, present, and future are typically represented by the first call pulled, second call pulled, and third call pulled, respectively. Depending on the reading and the question being posed, the timeframes can be understood to indicate either tomorrow or ten years from now.
A daily card reading is another popular way to use tarot cards. In this practice, one card is chosen at random from the top of the shuffled deck and used as a reminder or a direction for the day. Anyone wishing to become more acquainted with the tarot deck and the meanings of the cards can find this to be a very beneficial practice.
As vital as it is to think about the specific meaning of each card, it is also crucial to think about the atmosphere and symbolism of the spread as a whole. There is just as much information to be learned from the whole picture as there is from its component parts, especially in bigger spreads. This is an opportunity to collaborate with them if you are reading for someone else. This will be more difficult the more pressure you put on yourself to mind-read. Tarot reading does not make you psychic, which is a relief: It’s acceptable to inquire about the cards with the audience and come up with ideas for how the cards might relate to their initial query collectively. When a customer asks about money, you might pick two cups cards and “the lovers,” but sometimes the cards won’t match up at all. This could imply that their love life was what they truly wanted to talk to you about. Doesn’t everyone?
Tarot reading can be done in many different methods, but they all require practice. It takes effort to learn 78 different cards, especially when many of them have numerous possible interpretations. However, the more you study and handle the cards, the more comfortable you’ll feel using them as a tool to better understand both yourself and others.
There are several books you can buy and classes (online and off) you can take to hone your interpretation abilities if you want to move up in the tarot world. Online courses are occasionally made available by Tarot for Change author and well-known tarot reader Jessica Dore. On a sliding rate, Little Red Tarot also provides an eight-week course. Free courses from teachers like John Ballantrae, who has a very relaxing accent, and spiritual advisor Mystic Rainn are also widely available on YouTube.
In tarot, what does crossing mean?
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!
