The Celtic Cross Spread, Explained Position by Position
The Celtic Cross is the most famous spread in tarot — and the one beginners most often abandon halfway through. Ten cards is a lot to hold in your head, and if you don't know what each position is asking, the whole thing turns into a pile of cards you can't read. This guide fixes that by walking through all ten positions one at a time, in plain language, so the next time you lay it out you know exactly what each card is answering. If you'd like a visual reference alongside this, there's a fuller Celtic Cross spread walkthrough you can keep open. The layout in brief The spread has two parts: a central cross of six cards (positions 1–6) that describes the heart of the situation, and a vertical staff of four cards (positions 7–10) that describes the wider context and where it's heading. The Cross (positions 1–6) 1. The Present / The Heart of the Matter. This is the situation itself — where you stand right now. Everything else is read in relation to this card. Read ...