The Celtic Cross appears in the little book that accompanies most every Tarot Deck. So most everyone is familar with the spread. The problem is every little book has its own varition on the spread, how it is laid out, and what cards are attached to what positions. So I do sometimes get requests for email readings, that just tell me, Its a Celtic Cross and the cards are 1. X     2. Y     3. Z

Allow me to explain the variation that I use, and how I use it for a reading. First to lay out the spread I start with the Q card, the Present Influence and the Bar. Then the Foundation, Past, Goal, Future Influance. Lastly the tableu Q Trump, Enviroment, Emotion, Final Outcome.

When I look at the cards, I look for the little stories they tell. The first little story, I look at is the Q, the Influence and the Bar. Most books dont recommend using a Q. but i find it very valuable. Its important to know where the Q is coming from in the present moment, as well as what influnces are acting on the Q.: As an example, I was doing a reading, posted on the site as 3princes.html and the Center of the reading was- Pr of Pen, Pr of Swords and bar was Ace of Swords. Now my Q was a woman, so why should her card be the Pr of Pen? I know now, but at the time it puzzled me. I could see that 2 masculine energies where pressing on her, and that one of them had something to do with her Bar. In the end it turned out the Pr of Pen was her son, so you can see how such a powerful influance can be so important is represents the Q. herself.

The next pair I tend to look at is the Foundation- Past Pair. But sometimes other pairs come to light. I had a reading recently where, The Ace of Pen was the foundation and the prince of Pen the Goal. So I saw that pair as important. The prince in his role as messanger, heralding the energy in the foundation card moving through the present into the goal. This spread has quite a symetry in that the past to future cards formed a second leg of the cross in just the same way.

The Third pair I look at is the Goal / Outcome Pair, I generally view these as more important, with the Future Influance card which I usually read as a secoundary energy to this pair. So I start with the Pair, the bring in the Future I to form a triangle.

The Q.s Trump is sometimes seen as the Q.s Perspective/ Attitude. but as we have seen, I place that card down first. I view this card as the Q's strongest energy in the situation. Is it a time for Fire, or Water, Passion, or Intellect. So I think its a very important card in providing guidance for the Q. I then work up the Tableu, either one card at a time or in pairs. Depending on the cards themselves. As you can see though, I think the Juxaposition of the cards is all important. Rather than reading one card at a time, I think its very important to find the relationships between the cards. To tease out of them the stories they have to tell, and if the story is on the Q will surely let you know.