The Celtic Cross Spread: Free Tarot

The Celtic Cross, a precise and complete spread

We know that the game of Tarot has its origins in Italy in the 15^th century, where it enjoyed a certain critical acclaim. But it was by spreading throughout Europe a few years later that it would achieve a popular success unprecedented for a card game.

Indeed, it was in France, in the form of the Tarot of Marseilles, that it reached every social class and found its place in every household. Among our Anglo-Saxon neighbours too, tarot had taken over the gaming circles and the taverns, but through a then still novel divinatory spread known as the Celtic Cross.

What is the Celtic Cross spread?

Greatly appreciated by the English, then, the Celtic spread, also called the Celtic Cross method, is performed with a deck of Tarot of Marseilles cards. It is one of the oldest and most traditional divinatory spreads, since its origins date back to the 16^th century in the outskirts of London and the countryside of Normandy and Brittany.

While some tarot enthusiasts prefer to avoid it for its rigidity and its overly rational nature, others swear by it and return to it regularly. It is, in any case, a very effective spread if you are focused on a clear, specific question or wish to obtain more information about upcoming events that concern you personally.

The distinctive feature of this spread lies in the layout of the cards once they have been drawn from the deck. Indeed, this layout is quite unique, but it adds a touch of intrigue to a spread that remains, in any case, one of the most revealing there is.

Though it is not one of the most renowned, the Celtic spread nonetheless attracts a good many devotees who, after trying it, remain faithful to it and practise it regularly. As with many spreads, the Celtic Cross will take into account a great number of elements from the outside world to provide an answer to the question asked by the querent.

This is what makes its strength when the time comes to interpret the cards, even if, for some, the number of cards being ten makes the task somewhat long and complicated compared with other spreads.

A real matter of feeling, then.

How does the Celtic Cross spread work?

The Celtic Cross method, more commonly known as the Celtic spread, is therefore performed with an old Tarot of Marseilles deck. And more precisely with its 22 cards or major arcana, also called trumps. These cards, magnificently illustrated with figures and accessories symbolising the traits and characters of human nature, will be drawn to the number of 10.

Once these 10 cards have been taken out of the deck one after another without our being able to see their face, they are laid out, still face down, on a flat surface. The layout is important and very meticulous. It somewhat resembles a cross spread of 6 cards, to which 4 cards are added in a vertical line on the right-hand side of the cross. The querent can then ask their question or share the event about which they would like more information. There, the interpretation of the cards drawn and laid out can now begin.

The 1^st card drawn will embody your position in the present. The second will represent all your influences, whether favourable or not. The 3^rd will set out the desires within you. The 4^th will designate your achievements gained in the past. The 5^th will be more oriented towards your material needs and what you already possess. The 6^th will point to your present achievements that will allow you to attain more in the future. The 7^th will embody your psychological state in the present moment.

Mental, emotional and spiritual are on its agenda, then. The 8^th will tell you about the negative or positive waves and energies given off by those around you. It is of the utmost importance, especially if the question is of a professional nature. The 9^th will be complementary to the 7th, dealing more deeply with your emotional state. As for the 10^th card, it will evoke for you any development to come in your life, whether favourable to your path or not. It is therefore the final result of this spread.

Why do a Celtic Cross spread?

Whether in matters of the heart, a delicate professional situation, financial difficulties, or a vital health problem, this Celtic spread can answer one of your questions. It can also help you to dispel a lingering doubt arising from an action soon to come.

In both cases, it can be useful in helping you to step back, whether the final answer satisfies you or not. By preparing yourself for this eventuality, you put the odds in your favour to get through it as best you can, because you will now be ready for it.

Therein often lies the strength of a divinatory spread: preparing the querent for a series of upcoming events, so as to experience them as best they can when they truly come to pass.