Learning to read tarot with a classic spread used worldwide, the Celtic Cross
Learning to read tarot isn’t simple, but it’s also not too difficult or impossible. Beyond the essential knowledge of the meanings of the cards, the real secret is having good intuition. It’s not just about reading the meaning of each card but interpreting and connecting them with each other, understanding, intuiting, and glimpsing the story they tell, whether it’s 3, 9, or 18 cards. That talent isn’t common, which is why there are good and bad tarot readers, but almost anyone can practice tarot reading, even if just for themselves or for close friends and family. A great way to start is with the famous and well-known Celtic Cross spread.
When I first started learning tarot, I began, like many beginners do, using the Celtic Cross spread. This is a 10-card spread that has been a staple in tarot reading ever since Arthur Waite published it, though he claimed it had been used among tarot readers long before he brought it to the public. The spread is quite general, but it’s useful and provides a lot of information, even some details that may not be necessary.
Many people struggle with the Celtic Cross spread. Some say it has too many cards; others say it’s too general and doesn’t answer specific questions well enough. I understand those objections, and there’s no reason to use this spread if it feels like it doesn’t work for you. If you notice, I’ve removed it from my catalog of readings. I no longer offer it, not because it’s not a good spread—it is! But personally, I believe it’s not the kind of spread that works well over email, like my readings are. This is a spread that works best in person, face to face, because it’s so general that the conversation helps bring out more specific conclusions. Still, I absolutely recommend this spread for anyone starting to learn tarot, and now I’ll explain the key points of how this widely recognized spread works (or how it can work): The Celtic Cross spread is like a story. It has literary elements such as a protagonist, an antagonist, a conflict, a climax, and a resolution, just like in good novels. It also reveals hidden forces in the situation, for better or for worse, and offers advice to the “protagonist” on how to complete their mission in the best way possible. Tarot is storytelling with images, and this spread lends itself very well to that style of reading.
The first two cards make up the central cross, while the next four cards form the circle around the cross. The side line next to the cross confuses many people because it seems disconnected from the circular cross, and some of the questions or issues seem to repeat those from the circular part. There are many, many variations of this spread and different ways to arrange the positions.
Some readers use a Significator card beneath the first card, as a sort of figurative card 11 (though the Celtic Cross technically has 10 cards). Many readers (myself included) use this card to add more depth to the reading, but you can easily skip it and stick with the traditional 10 cards. It’s really up to your preference and style. This Significator card or “11th card” (placed below card 1) represents how the querent sees themselves in their current situation. This card represents the protagonist of the story, the main character. Our noble hero: The Querent.
The first card (card 1) is placed just above the Significator, if used, and is called: “What covers them?” This is the main issue at hand. It can show the querent’s main focus, the key problem, a challenge they’re facing, their strongest feeling or attitude, or even how they’ve approached or want to approach the situation. Basically, I see this card as saying: “Okay, here’s the situation from your perspective.” In our literary-style story comparison, this is the protagonist’s dilemma or situation. This is the core issue the plot revolves around.
The second card (card 2) is placed crossing the first card. It’s called “What crosses them.” This card indicates obstacles or what’s opposing the querent. In terms of the story, this is the antagonist. The villain. An antagonist could be another person, an external force, or something within the protagonist themselves that brings conflict, which our hero must overcome.
The third card (card 3) is placed above the central cross, above card 1, and is called “What’s above you.” There are different interpretations of what this means, but in general, this is the querent’s goal. It’s a potential outcome if they successfully navigate the challenges and if others cooperate as well. The other cards will show whether this goal is realistic under the current circumstances. So, in story terms, this is the hero’s dream, the aim of their mission, the goal they’ve set out to achieve.
The fourth card (card 4) is placed to the right of the cross and is called: “What comes next.” This card shows what’s likely to happen next in the querent’s situation. It could offer advice or simply show the next step, but it’s something that’s just around the corner, in the immediate future. It’s often referred to as the “near future” card, showing upcoming events in the story. It’s also the beginning of the story’s action.
The fifth card (card 5) is placed below the cross, at the foot of card 1, and is called: “What’s beneath you”, giving the backstory of how the situation came to be. It’s like a flashback in a novel, filling in missing information about a key part of the distant past that led to the current circumstances. This could be external events, other people and situations, or it might reflect a strong trait within the querent that has shaped these events, or perhaps a trait they had and need to keep in order to resolve the current situation. Of course, this is a bit more complex, and the interpretation will depend on the card drawn and its specific meaning to understand what exactly it’s referring to.
The sixth card (card 6) is placed to the left of the cross and is called “What’s behind you.” Rather than being the core issue like in the fifth position, this card tells the reader what has just recently happened in the past, immediately leading up to the situation the querent is facing now. It’s also part of the backstory, but it’s still relevant and active—it’s an ongoing dynamic. This action is already in progress, like walking onto a movie set mid-scene. Along with the previous card, these are often the hardest to interpret because their messages tend to be subtler.
This part of the Celtic Cross up to card 6 already gives a good idea of what’s going on and where things might be headed. But our hero still has other influences, and the challenge remains before them. That’s why we draw more cards, the side row.
The seventh card (card 7) is placed at the lower right of the spread and indicates the querent’s current attitude, their feelings, and actions. It should be taken as advice, where if a card shows a negative approach or attitude, the reader can point out that this may be what’s causing a disadvantage in reaching the goal shown in card 3. If the card is positive, showing that the querent’s approach has been favorable, you can affirm that they’re on the right track. This is our literary hero’s plan of action.
The eighth card (card 8) is placed directly above card 7 and indicates the querent’s environment, external forces, influences, and other people affecting (for better or worse) the situation and how they might impact things: their actions, opinions, advice, etc. For example, if The Tower appears here, it might show an event outside the querent’s control that will dramatically impact the situation. If a “people card” is in this position (for example, Justice, The Emperor, The Hermit, or any of the court cards like Page, Knight, Queen, or King), this would indicate another person who plays a direct role in shaping the events. They could help or hinder, depending on the situation. This is certainly useful information for our hero to know.
The ninth card (card 9), placed above card 8, represents the querent’s hopes and fears, their worries about the outcome. Some readers use a different version for this position, and instead of “hopes and fears,” they use it as “something the querent needs to know.” Either way, it sheds more light on what approach is needed, given all the information from the previous cards. It’s the final conflict, and if it’s their own hopes and fears, it’s the protagonist’s inner struggle that causes the climax as they resolve this internal conflict.
The tenth card (card 10), placed above the ninth card, indicates the possible final outcome. The future, so to speak. This card shows what’s likely to happen if the story continues as the sequence of cards suggests. Sometimes, a negative, unwelcome card might appear here, so you may need to carefully review the other cards to determine where something might be going wrong. It’s possible that the final outcome is simply out of our hero’s control, turning the story into a tragedy, which is never a pleasant reading for either the tarot reader or the querent. Other times, there are clues about attitudes and behaviors we can change, things to adopt, and new approaches to try. The outcome isn’t set in stone. Ever. All the other cards are there to tell our hero what they need to know to create their own outcome, if possible. They can rewrite the story as they wish, and that’s one of the best things about a tarot reading: it gives us information, insights, and clues to help us write the story of our own lives as we go along. When a positive card appears in the final outcome or future, we certainly want to believe that it’s set in stone, but I’m sorry to say it’s not. The future is always open, and there are infinite possibilities; everything can change out of the blue, but it certainly sets us up with a lot more strength, joy, and optimism to face the situation we’re trying to solve. The Tarot has shown us that a favorable outcome is possible, and all our being—consciously and unconsciously—grabs onto that and will try to steer toward that outcome, which is without a doubt a great way to try and achieve it.
That’s why, even though I reserve this spread for in-person readings, with the person right in front of me, and I don’t have it as an option for you to request, I still highly recommend it. It’s a great overall view reading and will be very helpful for learning tarot and advancing your knowledge of this mystical and fascinating divination art.
