| The Celtic Cross spread is one of the most popular Tarot spreads, providing varied insight into many aspects of a complex situation and your role in it. The William Blake Tarot explores the mystical vision and artistry of the renowned English painter and poet. Through rich interpretations focused on creative undertakings, it has long been the deck of choice for artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers. For more information about this deck, or to buy your own personal copy, go to www.blaketarot.com.
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 | The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. Man of Music: "Music as it exists in old tunes or melodies ... is Inspiration, and cannot be surpassed; it is perfect and eternal". Using emotional self-control. Experiencing a sense of self-integration and mastery. Feeling at the top of your form. Swaying others with your gift of expressiveness and fluency in the language of the unconscious. Ability to interpret dreams, oracles, and omens. Be cautious of a tendency to overestimate yourself. In the creative process: Dedicate your considerable powers to help others and for creating beauty in the world. |
 | The card visible at the center of the cross represents the obstacle that stands in your way - it may even be something that sounds good but is not actually to your benefit. Five of Music (Melancholy), when reversed: Denial. Failure to reach spiritual insights following a sad event. Inability to leave past failures behind. Buried hopes. Refusal to acknowledge mistakes. Letdown after intense effort. In the creative process: Convert the pain of disappointment or loss into artistic expression. Let go of something old or dead and move on to something new and alive. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Three of Science (Jealousy), when reversed: A challenge to mutual understanding. Transcending emotional or erotic stress. A conflict of wills that adds to the excitement of a relationship. Intoxicating mutual obsession. A decisive attitude readjustment. Concern over a rival motivates you to proper action. Realizing the things you take for granted. Putting your heads together helps. In the creative process: When loss of understanding triggers pain and creative numbing; stay close to the people involved; this is a point of transition. |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Seven of Painting (Patience), when reversed: Refusing to wait for the situation to develop or ripen. Demanding immediate material assistance or reinforcements. Possible delays and slowdowns. Feeling uncertain or apprehensive about a tangible issue. Procrastination. Squandering your resources. In the creative process: Straining to speed things up only produces anxiety, so get a grip and wait for everything to unfold according to its own timing. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Imagination, when reversed: Failure to use wisdom and prudence. Too much reliance on novel solutions to conventional problems. Unwillingness to look within and seek an inspired resolution. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Two of Music (Contraries): "Without Contraries is no progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Reason and Energy, Love and Hate, are necessary to Human existence". A paradoxical situation at hand. Being faced with emotional choices. Different kinds of energies needing to be harmonized. Attraction of opposites. Focus on strengthening friendship and partnership. Transcending differences. Exchanges for mutual benefit. Being willing to meet someone halfway. In the creative process: Use the presence of contrary elements as an impetus for unleashing your imagination to exploit the inherent possibilities. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Ten of Music (Sublimity), when reversed: Gifts of love withheld, especially in relationship or marriage. Hiding your deepest feelings from others. Subtle barriers to friendship and social involvements. Failure to recognize achievement. A dull tinge to the happiness of hearth, home, and hospitality. Slight lack of fulfillment in communal or community involvement. In the creative process: Combine your efforts with others to create a unified whole greater than the sum of its parts. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Nine of Science (Despair), when reversed: Enduring mental anguish without the need to escape reality. Support from friends in dark times. Keeping a vision of hope despite loss. A period of dark gestation. Love and forgiveness may be closer than you think. Working through guilt. Getting to the bare bones of a situation. In the creative process: Your creativity is blocked by self-judgments and criticism. Forgive yourself and get back to the basics; recapture your innocence and rejoin the human family. |
 | The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Five of Painting (Hardship), when reversed: Transcending difficulties, insecurity, and financial worries. Taking responsibility for ones own actions or mistakes. Stripping down for action. Facing up to your fears and critics. Issues of support, loyalty, or companionship in hard times. In the creative process: Realize that the problems you are trying to solve may put you at odds with others who do not recognize your value. Be ready to grapple with personal blocks and fears, and to hear more from your inner voice than reasons why things won't work. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Seven of Poetry (Boldness), when reversed: Fighting the wrong fight. Taking foolhardy action. Grandstanding over empty idealism. Tests of true integrity, firmness, and commitment. The challenge to do the right thing even if it is the inglorious thing. In the creative process: Maintain your artistic tenacity and courage despite any criticism, disapproval, or influence of societal prejudices or market pressures. |
