Selenarium · Tarot Spreads · ten cards · a deep reading
The Celtic Cross
The most famous tarot spread of all: ten cards that examine your question from every angle, from its root to its outcome.
When to use it
Reach for it with an important or tangled question, when three cards aren't enough and you need the full picture.
Pull the cards
Hold your question about this spread in mind. The cards are already dealt face down in their positions, so flip each one yourself, upright or reversed as it falls, and read it together with its place. The full reading in my voice happens in the Mirror. Here you listen to the cards on your own.
Tap each card to turn it over.
The positions
1. The core - The heart of the question: what's really going on.
2. The obstacle - What gets in the way or challenges you, laid crosswise over the core.
3. The foundation - The root of the situation, what lies deep at the bottom of it, often reaching back into the past.
4. The past - What's on its way out, the part of the story that's already been played.
5. The goal - What you're consciously reaching for, or what you're holding in your mind.
6. The near future - What comes into play before long.
7. You - How you're holding yourself in this situation, the role you play in it.
8. Your surroundings - The people and circumstances around you, and the influence they have.
9. Hopes and fears - What you hope for and what you dread, often one and the same card.
10. The outcome - Where everything converges if things keep their current course.
How to read it
Start with the cross at the center, the core and the obstacle. Then the two axes: past and future, goal and foundation. After that, the right-hand column from the bottom up: you, your surroundings, your hopes, and the outcome. The outcome grows out of the other nine cards, so read it last, once you've put the whole picture together.
What to remember
Ten cards give you depth without promising guarantees. The Celtic Cross is good for seeing the whole situation and your own part in it. The future it shows is a probability, and one you can still turn around.
FAQ
How many cards are in a Celtic Cross spread?
Ten: a cross of four cards at the center, the fifth and sixth forming the axis of goal and time, and a column of four on the right, you, your surroundings, hopes and fears, and the outcome.
Is the Celtic Cross hard to read for a beginner?
It's deeper than three cards, but it's within reach. Read it in groups, first the central cross, then the axes, then the right-hand column, and build the outcome from the whole picture. Even so, a three-card spread is the better place to start.