| 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.
|
 | The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. 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 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. Forgiveness, when reversed: Unwillingness to learn from mistakes. Magnifying errors out of proportion. Refusal to hear the inner voice. Lack of forgiveness and compassion. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Eight of Music (Discontent): "Clouded with discontent & brooding in their minds terrible things". Disappointment or dissatisfaction. Troubled emotions below the surface. Feeling at the mercy of circumstances. Possibility of emotional breakdown. Fears of what may happen. Apprehensions about the unknown. Paranoia. Feelings of missing out on something. Former values and friends no longer interest you. Wanting to escape the situation. In the creative process: Psychodrama and emotional torments can serve as imaginative stimulants. Expressing and documenting what you feel can be artful as well as healing. |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Angel of Music, when reversed: Restrained surge of passionate emotion. Lack of compassion. Inability to rise above a mundane or materialistic milieu. An unexpected lack of emotion. Withheld personal transformation. Undeveloped aesthetic sensibility. Misunderstanding of public needs or the mass media. In the creative process: An inrush of excitement or appearance of a new factor offers alternative possibilities for your work. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Imagination: A murky situation requires wisdom and prudence. Allow your beliefs and convictions to guide you through the door of perception. Use your imagination to illuminate the unknown. Finding an answer or solution through introspection. Putting your own light and wisdom into action. Evoking the divine imagination as a transformative force in your own life. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Four of Poetry (Harmony), when reversed: Things refuse to come together. Achievements or personal successes go unrecognized. What was sown cannot be reaped. Discord among friends and family. Inability to working together with a partner or share a special experience. In the creative process: The various elements and personalities involved in your project are interacting harmoniously, generating an appropriate sense of gratitude for what has been accomplished so far. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Reason, when reversed: Naked rationalism is in the driver's seat. Being out of touch with your heart and inner voice. Feeling bound by rules without context. Finding oneself trapped in a hierarchy, whether at the top or the bottom. Reliance on the patriarchal or traditional approach in the face of changing times or contexts. Fathering issues. Watch for ironies, as the emperor has no clothes. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Ace of Music (Passion): "The desire of Man being Infinite the possession is Infinite & himself Infinite." Release of emotions. Upsurge of creative power. Unlimited potential. Being carried away by your emotions (swept up on wings of song). Feeling a passion for life. Wanting to achieve the highest potentials in yourself and the situation. Following your bliss. Feeling a deep sense of grace and fulfillment. Vulnerability and openness. In the creative process: A passionate desire to rise above the norm, to soar to personal new heights of creative vision. |
 | The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Eight of Science (Restriction): Being limited by mental obstacles, or by logical constraints. Feeling confined or blinded by the situation. A captive of your own ideas, anxieties, or dogmatic attitudes. Fear of failure. Repressed desires. Being in denial. Feeling frustrated or powerless. In the creative process: Make your obstructions or limitations productive by stimulating greater intensity of thought and a deeper sense of spiritual freedom. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Ten of Poetry (Prophecy): "In futurity / I prophetic see / That the earth from sleep / (Grave the sentence deep) Shall arise and seek / For her maker meek: And the desart wild / Become a garden mild". Experiencing a feeling of spiritual elevation. Profound existential gratitude. Communion with elemental forces. Acceptance of divine will. Things are turning on the hinge of fate. Having the gift of prophecy, and speaking the truth. "Telling it like it is." Commitment to serve the greater good. Awakening to the larger implications of life. In the creative process: A time of divine grace in which you have special access to creativity. Be humble despite your achievements; you are channeling from a higher source. |
