Celtic Cross
The Celtic Cross is the best-known extended tarot spread: ten cards, each in its own position. It is used for complex questions where the causes, the surroundings and hidden motives all matter.
Calculation
Ten positions
| № | Position | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Heart of the Matter | The core of the question |
| 2 | The Obstacle | What crosses you, hindering or helping |
| 3 | The Foundation | The roots of the situation, the past |
| 4 | The Recent Past | What is passing away |
| 5 | The Possible Future | Where things may lead |
| 6 | The Near Future | What will happen soon |
| 7 | Yourself | Your position and state of mind |
| 8 | Your Environment | The influence of the people around you |
| 9 | Hopes and Fears | What you expect and what you fear |
| 10 | Outcome | Where it is all heading |
The second card is laid across the first, so it is read regardless of its orientation: reversals are not taken into account here.
How not to get lost in ten cards
Going through them one at a time is a sure way to drown. A different order works.
- First, the pair 1 and 2: the heart of the matter and the obstacle. This is the core of the answer, and sometimes you can stop there.
- Then the time axis: 3, 4, 6 and 10. It gives you the storyline.
- Then the pair 7 and 8: you and your environment. It shows what depends on you and what does not.
- Positions 5 and 9 are the subtlest. The ninth often turns out to mirror the seventh: in tarot, fear and hope are often about the same thing.
When not to use it
The Celtic Cross is a poor fit for simple questions. If you ask “will he call today,” ten cards will give you ten reasons to speculate.
For questions like that, one card or three is better. The Cross is good where the situation is tangled and you yourself do not fully understand what the question is.