How to Use Tarot Cards
Tarot card spreads, also called layouts, can range from 1 card to more than a single deck. Each different type of spread carries it own special characteristics and divination powers. While there are many standardized Tarot card spreads, it is not uncommon for readers to develop special layouts for their own use. These are adjustments that readers make to better attune themselves to their readings. We can't possibly look at all Tarot card spreads, but we can use a common one to understand layouts better. To become familiar with Tarot card spreads, we will look at the Celtic Cross.
One of the most popular Tarot card spreads, the Celtic Cross is most commonly described as having ten cards. Six form the cross, directly in front of the reader, while the remaining four are laid out vertically at the reader's right hand. Other versions use as many as thirteen, and the layout varies slightly from reader to reader. For our purposes, the most common layout will be do fine.
The first card, usually called the significator, is laid long-ways in the center of the cross, and the others progressively follow, until the divination is complete. Next comes the crossing, which is laid horizontally atop the significator; this is the conflict indicator for the reading. The third one, called the basis, is placed vertically below the cross, and is closest to the reader.
The fourth stands for the past, and is placed as the left "arm" of the cross. Centered above the cross is the fifth, which discloses the alternate possibilities of the question. Balancing the past, at the left of our cross, card number six represents the near future, and completes the right side of a plus (+) symbol, and demonstrating where this tarot card spread gets its name.
The last four in this particular Tarot card spread are laid vertically on the right of the first six, starting nearest the reader, and moving away from them. The seventh is the barrier, or obstacle, and is followed by the indicator of influence on the situation. The ninth one stands for the fears regarding the situation, and the tenth and last reveals the final outcome of the question of the reading.
The Celtic Cross is completed in this manner, which may explain why it is one of the most common Tarot card spreads. The cross, on the left, is balanced by the staff, on the right. This pattern is mainly used to answer questions. It represents the duality of life, with the staff's masculinity being balanced by the almost circular feminine aspect. A lot of power is found in this tarot card spread, and its popularity attests to its usefulness.
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