Rosa Posted June 29, 2022 Posted June 29, 2022 In every book I have read so far there is the Celtic Cross. I haven't tried it yer because of the number of cards. But it intrigues me why it is so popular. What is the value of a big spread like this that you don't find in smaller spreads?
Guest Posted June 29, 2022 Posted June 29, 2022 I don't have the answer but I have 2 books and they have different meanings for the position which is confusing.
Rosa Posted June 29, 2022 Author Posted June 29, 2022 I too have noticed that there are different versions. Waite published his own, at least that is what I read online and in books. Florence Farr was also associated with the cross. I'll have a go at different versions of the cross.
DanielJUK Posted June 29, 2022 Posted June 29, 2022 I am glad you are able to post now @Rosa yay! 😊 The Celtic Cross is an old traditional spread and many older books used to say it was "the" tarot spread to use. But I think it's a difficult, long and complex spread. It has its purpose but it's very tricky for beginners. I think part of it being in so many books is that it's a classic and it's useful to really go in-depth on an issue but I hardly ever use it. It's just too much work and I can get more insight with smaller spreads. There was a recent thread you might be interested in, discussing this here.... In recent years it's fallen out of favour and people use other spreads now. I think everyone should give it a go at least once and it does have uses. The purpose of all the positions is to give clarity but I just do 3 card spreads with no positions a lot in my own readings. Tarot is much more flexible these days, you can use it however you want! Any book that says you must only use it for every reading (there are a few old books like that still) is old fashioned! If you search google there are so many versions like you guys say. If you ever want to do it, there is a great guide to it explaining it on Learn Tarot, a free tarot online course site..... http://www.learntarot.com/ccross.htm
stephanelli Posted June 30, 2022 Posted June 30, 2022 I do use this spread, mostly when I'm reading for others. I find it can bring a lot of clarity and nuance to a situation that a smaller spread simply can't give. It helps you as a reader to get the bigger picture surrounding the problem and that can help in the interpretation of cards which are intended to guide the querents next steps. Context is key in all tarot readings, so being able to see things in the cards that the querent hasn't told you can be very helpful. That said, it is a long and detailed spread. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it for a complete beginner, but like Daniel, I would recommend you try it at some point in your reading journey! ETA: as for the different positions, I choose the version that will be most helpful for the querent's question!
Rosa Posted June 30, 2022 Author Posted June 30, 2022 I will try it one time and see. One thins that I noticed in the cross is the significator and I never got that in any reading. But that is me:)
Akara Posted July 31, 2022 Posted July 31, 2022 I'm still pretty new to reading but I've used the Celtic Cross a few times and I enjoy it. But smaller spreads are less exhausting since I'm still memorizing the card meanings. lol
tabi Posted October 13, 2022 Posted October 13, 2022 I've never been a fan of the Celtic Cross particularly for beginners, it does have it's uses & great for general information but as someone mentioned already, it's a lot of cards. However, find the version that makes the most sense to you. I use a CC that's time based (distant past, recent past, present, then future for the "wheel") as it makes the most sense to me. A lot of people simply use the Modified CC which is just the wheel (first 1-6 cards) and skip the rest until they get comfortable with the flow of the spread.
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