Ask a question and click on the ten cards for your reading. You start in the middle (1. Present Situation) and simply follow the numbers e.g., "2. Challenges", "3. What To Focus On", "4. Your Past" etc. You can do multiple readings but each question must be distinct, for more information on how to conduct tarot readings click here
Back To TopThe Celtic Cross is arguably one of the most recognised and widely used spread in tarot reading today. Its ten-card layout offers a depth of insight that simpler spreads cannot match, making it the go-to choice for readers seeking a thorough exploration of a question and/or situation. Yet despite its ubiquity, its origins are surprisingly recent and, in some respects, surprisingly murky.
Contrary to what its name might suggest, the Celtic Cross spread has no proven connection to ancient Celtic culture or tradition. The name appears to be largely atmospheric, evoking a sense of mystery and antiquity, rather than a genuine historical link to Celtic peoples or their spiritual practices.
The spread's earliest known documentation appears in Arthur Edward Waite's landmark 1910 publication, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Waite, a British occultist and co-creator of the now-iconic Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, described the layout in detail within that text. He referred to it as an "ancient Celtic method of divination," though no earlier written records have been found to substantiate this claim. Most tarot historians now believe Waite either invented the spread himself, adapted it from existing cartomancy methods, or encountered it within the circles of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the influential occult society of which he was a prominent member.
The Golden Dawn, active in Britain from the late 19th century, was instrumental in formalising much of the esoteric framework that underpins modern tarot practice. It is plausible that the Celtic Cross emerged from the group's experimentations with divinatory systems, though no internal Golden Dawn documents have conclusively confirmed this. Whatever its true genesis, it was Waite's 1910 publication that cemented the spread in the tarot canon.
The Celtic Cross typically uses ten cards, each assigned a specific positional meaning. Whilst there is some variation between readers and traditions, the most commonly used structure follows this pattern:
The first card represents the querent's present situation or the heart of the matter. The second card is placed across it (in the online deck it is placed vertically above), indicating what challenges them, an immediate obstacle or complicating force. The third card, placed below, regards what to focus on in order to achieve the best possible outcome or the ideal that is being reached for. The fourth card, placed to the left, reflects the past and what is passing away or will pass away in order to realize the answer to the question and/or situation. The fifth card at the top of the cross represents the querent’s strengths and how these can be used to achieve the desired outcome. The sixth card, placed to the right, what will occur in the near future regarding the question and/or situation. These six cards form the central cross and circle formation that gives the spread its name.
A further four cards are then laid in a vertical column to the right, forming what is often called the "staff." Reading upward, these represent the approach that will be needed in order to achieve the goal/answer the question, what knowledge will be required in order to do so, both the hopes and fears which will occur along the journey to reach the goal, and what the ultimate outcome will be.
The Celtic Cross has persisted for over a century because it strikes a rare balance between structure and flexibility. It is specific enough to give readings coherence and direction, yet open enough for skilled readers to explore nuance, contradiction, and layered meaning. Unlike simpler three-card draws, it captures a narrative arc, the past feeding into the present, the present shaping the future.
The Celtic Cross spread is also extremely adaptable. Many contemporary readers modify positional meanings to suit their style or their client's needs, and the spread lends itself equally well to deeply personal questions and broader life themes. From Waite's printed page to countless practitioners around the world today, the Celtic Cross has become far more than a divinatory tool, it is the enduring backbone of modern tarot practice.
The Boston Tarot is the website of Dr. Elliot Voss, an internationally renowned astrologer/astrologist who has been studying the heavens, tarot, and numerology for over forty years.
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