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I used to use the Celtic Cross tarot spread for nearly every hour-long reading I did. No matter the question, no matter the client, we’d lay out those ten cards and get stuck in. And honestly? It worked every time. It gave us a structure, a shape, something to lean into while we unpacked whatever was going on.
But at some point, I stopped using it.
Not because it stopped being useful, but because my reading style started to shift. I got more comfortable reading without spreads. If a client didn’t request one, I’d just lay cards in groups of three and let the conversation shape itself from there. I call those my “free tarot readings”, no set layout, just card clusters facilitating a real-time back-and-forth. And when I did use spreads, I’d usually reach for ones I’d created myself. Spreads that had grown out of my own process and voice.
And so, without really meaning to, I left the Celtic Cross layout behind.
But lately I’ve been coming back to it. And I’m remembering just how fucking powerful it is.
That’s why I’ve started offering it again as a standalone option. Because the Celtic Cross tarot spread still works for everything. And if you’re someone who’s overlooked it, this is your invitation to give it another go.
Why I Drifted and Why I’m Circling Back
Letting Go of Spreads for a While
Letting go of spreads was part of me getting more confident as a reader. I didn’t need a fixed layout to give a good reading, and for a while it felt freer to go without one. I still think that’s a powerful way to work with the cards, following what shows up rather than fitting it into a shape.
But spreads do have a purpose. They help structure the conversation. They give us a way to approach a question from multiple angles, a framework to build meaning on.
Remembering the Strength of Structure
The Celtic Cross tarot spread is one of the best frameworks out there. It’s structured, layered, and holistic. It gives you past, present, and future, conscious and unconscious, internal and external all in one go. And it does it in a way that flows, that moves, that actually helps you go from “here’s what’s going on” to “here’s where it might be heading”.
It’s not just a classic. It’s a fucking solid piece of tarot architecture.
Ten Cards That Cover Everything
A Layout for the Whole Picture
What I love about the Celtic Cross tarot spread is that it doesn’t rely on a theme. It doesn’t care whether you’re asking about love, your career, your identity, your meltdown, your fresh start, your fifth Saturn return. It just works.
Because the layout is universal. These positions aren’t niche or abstract. They’re human. You’ve got:
- The heart of the matter (Card 1)
- The challenge (Card 2)
- What you’re conscious of (Card 3)
- What’s going on underneath (Card 4)
- Where you’ve come from (Card 5)
- Where things might be headed (Card 6)
- Your attitude or approach (Card 7)
- External influences (Card 8)
- Hopes and fears (Card 9)
- Likely outcome (Card 10)
That’s everything. That’s a full 360-degree check-in.
Two Kinds of Future and What to Do With Them
Near Future vs Likely Outcome
One of my favourite things about this spread is the way it handles the future. You’ve got Card 6 showing the “near future”, what seems to be approaching, and Card 10 showing the “likely outcome” if nothing changes.
Sometimes those cards line up. Sometimes they don’t. And when they don’t, that’s where things get juicy.
Letting Contradictions Speak
A contradiction in a reading doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It means something’s revealing itself. Hegel talks about contradictions as things we need to hold, not fix. When Card 6 and Card 10 tell different stories, you get to ask: What are the consequences here? What will I gain, and what might I lose? Which direction feels more aligned, and which one’s going to ask something bigger of me?
You don’t have to choose one over the other. Let both futures speak.
Honestly? That’s some of the most powerful shit tarot can offer.
How I’ve Used the Celtic Cross Tarot Spread for All Kinds of Readings
Love and Relationships
This is probably where most people expect to see a Celtic Cross spread used and yeah, it works. But it’s not just about whether someone’s “The One” or not.
It’s about patterns, wounds, desires, communication, self-sabotage, fear, longing, and all the stuff that lives in between. The heart of the matter (Card 1) might show what’s really going on: a breakup, a dynamic, a fear. The challenge (Card 2) often reveals emotional friction or misalignment. The unconscious card can be where your trauma speaks. The future cards can point to where a relationship is heading, not as a fixed fate, but as a potential that’s building unless something changes.
Reversals in these positions (especially the Outcome) often hint at internal change rather than external events. Or a delayed truth. Or something unacknowledged that needs to be seen before it can move.
It’s not a spread that tells you what your partner is thinking. It’s a spread that helps you look at the landscape of your love life and actually understand it.
Career, Purpose, and Burnout
I’ve used this spread for people who were quitting jobs, changing direction, starting projects, or burning out completely. The shape holds.
In career-focused readings, the Challenge card might speak to imposter syndrome or lack of support. The Environment card shows external pressure or expectations. Hopes and Fears might point to a desire to grow and a terror of failing. Sometimes those sit side by side. Sometimes they’re the same thing.
This layout helps people see what’s actually blocking them and what they think is blocking them. And from there, they can move.
Identity, Healing, and Transformation
Some of the most powerful Celtic Cross readings I’ve done have had nothing to do with a specific situation. They’ve been about self-understanding. About someone sitting down and going, “I don’t know who the fuck I am anymore, and I need to figure it out.”
This spread makes space for that. It reveals what’s under the surface. It lays out the old story and helps you see what new one is forming.
You don’t need a “shadow work” spread. You don’t need a “life transition” layout. The Celtic Cross spread already has that structure built in.
Why I’m Offering It Again
Rediscovering the Classic
For a long time, I didn’t feel like I needed the Celtic Cross tarot spreadanymore. But what I’ve realised is: it’s not about needing it. It’s about knowing when to return to something solid. Something that holds the weight of a big question. Something that shows you the full shape of what’s going on.
You don’t always need a spread. But when you do? This one still fucking delivers.
Your Turn
So yeah, I’m offering it again. Not because it’s trendy, not because it’s easy, but because it works. If you’ve written off the Celtic Cross spread (or just never given it a proper go), maybe it’s time to revisit it. Try it with a love question. A work one. A general life check-in. Whatever’s on your mind, this spread can hold it.
If you’re brand new to it and want a full Celtic Cross tarot spread diagram or breakdown, I’ve got a whole page showing how to read the Celtic Cross tarot spread here, including the card positions and what they mean. Whether you’re after a simple guide or a deeper interpretation, that page has you covered.
And if you want to go deep with it, you can book a Celtic Cross tarot reading with me. I’ll bring the cards. You bring the questions. Let’s see what shows up.
