| 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 Renaissance Tarot is a modern deck, with symbolism drawn from the heroic age and rendered in renaissance style. This deck is an excellent choice for exploring questions of passion, mastery, and the inner workings of human reason. If you would like your own copy of the Renaissance Tarot, you can buy it now! |
 | The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. Temperance, when reversed: Excess. Imbalance. Indulgence. Polarization. |
 | 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. The Judgment: Resurrection and rebirth. Perfection of the body and soul. Final reward or punishment. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Wheel of Fortune: The intrusion of chance into affairs. Unlikely coincidence. "What goes up, must come down." The intercession of good fortune in life. A sudden opportunity that must be exploited deftly and promptly; according to Machiavelli, in The Prince, Fortune is "bald behind", that is, once she runs past, it will be too late to grab her, and so she must be seized as she approaches, "by the forelock". |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. King of Coins, when reversed: If intelligent, one susceptible to the influence of the child of Saturn, Accidia, the inertia and melancholy of the philosophers. If conventional, then an avarice and greedy person preoccupied with money, with an idolatrous faith in the exploitation of the earth and a distrust of nature. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Three of Cups (Abundance): Rescue from difficulty. Comfort in apprehension. A strange but beautiful occurrence. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. The Magician, when reversed: Mercurial chicanery. Fraudulent activity. Demagoguery. Sophistry. Misused technology. Sideshow thrills. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Queen of Swords, when reversed: Consuming fire; the flames of the martyrdom of Joan of Arc, Phaedra's misguided passion, Medea's jealousy, Lady Macbeth's ambition. Fire, if left to burn unchecked, can consume the soul. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. The Hermit, when reversed: Barrenness. Loneliness. Cynicism. |
 | The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Two of Staves (Dominion), when reversed: Wavering in the charge ahead. Victories delayed. Stalemate. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. The Hanged Man: Sacrifice. Vigilance. Martyrlike forbearance. Suspension or paralysis of the soul. A mind divided and undecided. Stasis and constraint. |
