Thoughts on the Celtic Cross

I've found that the CC works very well for people who have never had a reading before or a very general view of their lives or a given situation. Usually some kind of theme emerges from it by the first few cards and then I just roll with it. It's like a Swiss army knife of spreads.

I learned my version from Terry Donaldson's book, Step by Step Tarot. Wonderful little book, I've since lost it, unfortunately. In it, curiously, cards 1 and 2 don't cross, they're simply two cards one perpendicular to the other, and show the "general situation. Card 3 is the one above the cross and is "on your mind." Four is the lower and is the near past while five is the left arm and shows the farther past. Six is the cross's right arm and is the "doorway from the present to the future," while seven is at the base of the pillar and is advice. Eight is the next one above and is family or other people connected to a situation, nine is "hopes and fears" and ten is the overview/any other matters.

I don't know which "school" this one comes from but it seems to work. And after so many years the other ones don't seem right to me.

Zephyros said:

I learned my version from Terry Donaldson's book, Step by Step Tarot. Wonderful little book, I've since lost it, unfortunately. In it, curiously, cards 1 and 2 don't cross, they're simply two cards one perpendicular to the other, and show the "general situation. Card 3 is the one above the cross and is "on your mind." Four is the lower and is the near past while five is the left arm and shows the farther past. Six is the cross's right arm and is the "doorway from the present to the future," while seven is at the base of the pillar and is advice. Eight is the next one above and is family or other people connected to a situation, nine is "hopes and fears" and ten is the overview/any other matters.

I don't know which "school" this one comes from but it seems to work. And after so many years the other ones don't seem right to me.

Click to expand...

This is different from any other I've seen, although there are a number of creative variations I've come across in internet blogs lately. I don't think it matters which way you do it as long as you understand why your method makes sense to you, and you're consistent with it. I've never been satisfied with the "It just works" rationale because it reminds me of "I'll know it when I see it." Personally, I like to have a logical appreciation for the structure of a spread and what makes it tick.

Grizabella said:

This is the method Dusty White teaches in his book Advanced Tarot Secrets.

Click to expand...

Yes I remember when I first read it I mentally hi-fived him for doing it logically like me
He has some great things to say about 'hidden' spreads within CC too

MandMaud said:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f2/d0/b4/f2d0b4ff6c9c34bc8aa6f1311decac8b.jpg

Click to expand...

Brilliant

MandMaud said:

I was already thinking of doing just that!

I'm not all that experienced with the CC. And I'll never reject an approach without a fair trial!

So far I've done mainly general questions with it, because I'm practicing and can never think of a question for myself. Since people here are saying it's much better with a question, I'll have to think some up!

Click to expand...

Like a few others have said, CC is great for strangers with no question! Grab one off the street I think CC was developed at a time when readings were mostly done to foretell the future for strangers, so I can see that people who mostly read for themselves may not need so many cards nowadays.

Wow, it's really interesting how everyone reads the Celtic Cross differently. Fascinating stuff!

I had to tweak the CC as well because some of the positions didn't really work for me (like the much discussed hopes/fears position). It's a mish mash of different approaches.

The way I do it:

Cards 1 & 2 = basic situation and what's influencing it
Card 3 (what crowns you)= querent's conscious thoughts on the situation
Card 4 (below you) = querent's subconscious thoughts on the situation. It's like the stuff that keeps people awake at night

Reading cards 3 and 4 together usually end up answering the hopes and fears question.

Left and right arms of the cross:
Card 5 = the past that has led to the current situation
Card 6 = possible future

The staff:
Card 7 = The querent. It functions like a significator for me.
Card 8 = querent's environment
Card 9 = advice on what to do about the situation
Card 10 = outcome for the querent (I read this together with card 6, the future)

Sibylline said:

Wow, it's really interesting how everyone reads the Celtic Cross differently. Fascinating stuff!

I had to tweak the CC as well because some of the positions didn't really work for me (like the much discussed hopes/fears position). It's a mish mash of different approaches.

The way I do it:

Cards 1 & 2 = basic situation and what's influencing it
Card 3 (what crowns you)= querent's conscious thoughts on the situation
Card 4 (below you) = querent's subconscious thoughts on the situation. It's like the stuff that keeps people awake at night

Reading cards 3 and 4 together usually end up answering the hopes and fears question.

Left and right arms of the cross:
Card 5 = the past that has led to the current situation
Card 6 = possible future

The staff:
Card 7 = The querent. It functions like a significator for me.
Card 8 = querent's environment
Card 9 = advice on what to do about the situation
Card 10 = outcome for the querent (I read this together with card 6, the future)

Click to expand...

If I were to summarize what seems to be emerging as a de facto modern standard for reading the CC, yours would be pretty closs.

Waite's "sign of the cross" or "papal blessing" structure is intact.
The "crown" card and the "base"card are read as conscious/subconscious.
Card 7 is treated like a "significator."
More and more, I've seen readers using Card 9 as "advice."
Left and right arms of the cross show the "active" effect of the past on the present and near future.

I wrestled with these ideas when I rethought my CC approach upon returning to tarot a few years ago, but ultimately decided to stay with my own model, for the following reasons:

Waite's "sign of the cross" structure is too Catholic for me; I like the "clockwise flow" model of Eden Gray.

I decided that aspects of the querent's personality ("conscious and subconscious") belong in the "staff" section which describes the querent, not in the "cross" section which describes the matter itself. I figured Cards 7 and 9 as "fears" and "hopes" (although I deepened those concepts considerably) taken together get you to the same place.

The "past" position as present stimulus and harbinger of the near future: I renamed it "active past" for the same reason - as those prior developments which had the most immediate impact on the present situation.

Card 7 as "Himself" (Waite's name for it), essentially a redundant Significator: I can see no good reason why Waite chose to introduce this confusion since he also applies a separate Significator card, although it does dodge the need to pick a significator, which can be a dicey proposition.

Card 8 as environment: Yes, I also see it as broader than "family, friends, and other people." This is one I adopted.

Card 9 as "advice:" I see advice arising from the combined reading of Cards 6 and 10. There is "advice for the early going," which feeds off the near-future card as the best way to get from there to the eventusl outcome, and "long-term advice for taking the 'end of the matter' forward." I never saw a good reason to "steal" a position from the spread just for this purpose.

Thanks for the thought-provoking response. I always find it worthwhile to revisit why I do things the way I do.

I really like the celtic cross.
I like the layout, and all that encompasses it.

Sibylline said:

Wow, it's really interesting how everyone reads the Celtic Cross differently. Fascinating stuff!

I had to tweak the CC as well because some of the positions didn't really work for me (like the much discussed hopes/fears position). It's a mish mash of different approaches.

The way I do it:

Cards 1 & 2 = basic situation and what's influencing it
Card 3 (what crowns you)= querent's conscious thoughts on the situation
Card 4 (below you) = querent's subconscious thoughts on the situation. It's like the stuff that keeps people awake at night

Reading cards 3 and 4 together usually end up answering the hopes and fears question.

Left and right arms of the cross:
Card 5 = the past that has led to the current situation
Card 6 = possible future

The staff:
Card 7 = The querent. It functions like a significator for me.
Card 8 = querent's environment
Card 9 = advice on what to do about the situation
Card 10 = outcome for the querent (I read this together with card 6, the future)

Click to expand...

This is a great CC spread. Thank you for sharing.

Since I last posted in this thread, my thinking about Celtic Cross position meanings has evolved a good deal. Rather than having a "kitchen sink" jumble, I sorted everything into "primary" and "secondary" meaning categories, and played around with the "staff" positions a little more. It's still basically Eden Gray's structure with a dollop of Anthony Louis, a pinch of AT input and a hefty dose of my personal brand of interpretation.

Celtic Cross Position Meanings

The first six positions provide a "situational snapshot" and a "time-line" for advancement of the matter. The span of positions 4, 5 and 6 can be flexible, forming a continuum; conditions arising in the “present” may already be glimpsed as the “recent past” evolves, and the emerging “near future” may be visible before the “present” completely unfolds. Positions 7, 8 and 9 relate to the Querent's personal, psychological and social circumstances as they variously affect or are affected by the “ripening” of the matter. Position 10, in addition to its individual card interpretation, summarizes and synthesizes the meanings of all ten cards in the spread, providing a comprehensive overview of the result.

Significator

None, unless I decide to experiment with the "facing" of a court card as an indicator of the querent's fixation on a particular moment in time ( i.e. "hung up on the past; looking over the horizon toward the future").

1 - "Covering"

Primary Meaning: The situation itself; the environment or circumstances of the question.

Secondary Meanings: That which caused the Querent to ask the question; the “heart of the matter.”

2 - "Crossing"

Primary Meaning: What the situation lacks at this time (challenges and opportunities).

Secondary Meanings: Major motivators or stresses (people if shown by the card) that affect progress in the matter; challenges that must be worked through to harvest the opportunities they often conceal.

3 - "Beneath"

Primary Meaning: The situational history (“distant past”) or “foundation” of the matter.

Secondary Meanings: That which the querent has accepted as fact and which is no longer subject to change. Underlying factors that – while still influential - have been pushed into the background.

4 - "Behind" (to the left)

Primary Meaning: The recent past; developments in the matter that have just occurred and are now passing away.

Secondary Meanings: Prior situations or influences that are still fresh in the mind; may also show the “light at the end of the tunnel;” the threshold of a change; the first inkling of the next step.

5 - "Crown"

Primary Meaning: The present; the situation coming to a head.

Secondary Meanings: Developing trends; a critical "tipping point" in making something happen; the “realm of possibilities and opportunities;” options available to move the matter forward; “where the rubber meets the road;” seizing the initiative; gaining traction and momentum toward resolution; dawning realization about what may soon occur.

6 - "Before" (to the right)

Primary Meaning: The near future; the next step forward; short-term advice for the early going.

Secondary Meanings: Advancement of the matter to the point that the way ahead is discernible; a foothold in the eventual outcome; an emerging reality that is still within the Querent's power to change over the long haul; early hints of ultimate success or disappointment (to be either nurtured or mitigated), and the degree of ease or difficulty anticipated along the way.

7 - Negative Factors - "Fears" (traditional per Eden Gray)

Primary Meaning: What holds the Querent back; uncertainty over how to come to grips with the energies that are now being unleashed in the life.

Secondary Meanings: Potentially self-defeating behaviors and attitudes; trying to “jump-start” the future and thereby discovering one's limits; lack of self-confidence; second-guessing; mental/emotional blocks or upsets; negativity; pessimism; “your own worst enemy;” the deepest part of the Self; the Subconscious; the “psychic basement.”

8 - Extenuating Factors - "Querent's Environment" (both situational and interpersonal)

Primary Meaning: What furthers the Querent's position; the Querent's “home base” and personal support system.

Secondary Meanings: Environment as an enabling factor; influence of other people close to or in a position to affect the Querent's decisions and actions; aid from supporters; energizing competition from adversaries.

9 - Positive Factors - "Hopes" (traditional per Eden Gray)

Primary Meaning: What the Querent wants; conscious choices and actions that are in the querent's best interests.

Secondary Meanings: The Querent's emotional “stake” in the matter (what may be gained or lost); goals and objectives, both realistic and naive; hopes (well-founded or otherwise) and wishes (or “wishful thinking”); optimism, warranted or not as shown by the card; advice that, if followed or ignored, could substantially alter the outcome; last chance to shape the outcome “closer to the heart's desire.”

10 - "Outcome"

Primary Meaning: What the Querent gets (blending of factors); the final outcome, the “end of the matter;” long-term advice.

Secondary Meanings: The best that can be achieved at the time; the point of integration for all inputs to the reading.

Somehow I didn't notice these replies and forgot about the thread! Sorry!

Barleywine said:

If I understand Waite correctly, where you put the "near future" card depends entirely on which way the Significator is facing. I guess if a deck has the Significator facing straight out of the card, you're SOL and should pick a different spread.

Click to expand...

I never have taken any notice of which way the figures on the cards face. That's a Marseille-ish thing to take into account, isn't it? If I remember right... or some other, older method?

When I do use a significator in readings (not often), I prefer to let the cards select it any rather than going through and picking one. But that's a personal preference thing.

earthair said:

Like a few others have said, CC is great for strangers with no question! Grab one off the street

Click to expand...

Yeah. I need to practise my stranger-grabbing technique.


Since November when I last looked at this thread, I've got myself familiar enough with the CC to have shaped one of my own, which I'm comfortable with for the moment. All the ways of doing it shared here are going to be useful "idea fodder" as my understanding evolves, which happens with anything the more experience we get, doesn't it.

This is my current version:

Central + crossing:

• 1 . significator - the "real me" (insofar as relevant to this situation);
• 2 . the question. If no question, 2 sums up the prevailing situation/environment ("weather summary").

Clockwise starting from below:

• 3 . deep influences - history; heritage; upbringing/culture; or influences we're unconscious of;
• 4 . recent past, receding;
• 5 . surface influences - the visible, what we're conscious of (present);
• 6 . near future, just round the corner.

Bottom to top:

• 7 . querent in her/his own eyes (as relating to this situation) - as distinct from that elusive real me;
• 8 . querent in others' eyes (as relating to this situation) - may be a more, or less, accurate idea of me than my own idea of me!
• 9 . distractions - hopes/fears or rather, "hopefear" as I mention in post #10, the wish rooted deeply which it's hard to be clear on;
• 10 . resolution - where things are ultimately heading with regard to this question, resolution of this chapter of the life story (because nothing is final).

When the reading's about a specific situation, 7 and 8 refer to role rather than psychology.
"Environment", which is carried by card 8, here sits with 8 and 9. They sort of overlap. The view of those around us is sometimes a huge influence - or distraction (and one we're not necessarily aware of, which would be shown by card 5).

I like to read pairs of cards, using a "noun+qualifier" approach. With cards 1+2 it's good to try each as the noun with the other as qualifier, and then swap, for extra insight. To me it's interesting how passive or active we are, how far we affect/precipitate what happens, versus how far it happens "to" ("at"!) us.

Joan Bunning's

I"ve done the CC a few different ways, but what I really appreciated (that I only saw recently when looking into variations) is Joan Bunning's chart on the different positions. She gives a sort of 'sliding scale' for each position's implication on the spread, and it seemed very sturdy to me. It's not a landmark deviation, but it is a bit more encompassing.

Here's her chart.