| 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. Lightning, when reversed: An unexpected shock, upheaval, or stunning event. Possibility of mental, material, or spiritual breakdown. A missed opportunity. An angry or emotional outburst. An embarrassment or blow to the ego. Broken pride. An unintended release of energy that was being conserved for another task. The house of cards collapses. Illusions are shattered. Helplessness. |
 | 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. 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 at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Union, when reversed: Something vitally important to you refuses to come together. Discord between male and female forces, or inner and outer life. Holding back. Incompleteness. Fear of intimacy or self-sacrifice. |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Moon: Psychic insights. Relying on your instincts. Using your dreams and musings as sources of inspiration. Hidden conditions and unknown circumstances. Cyclic patterns and influences. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. 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 right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Three of Science (Jealousy): Loss of mutual understanding. Narrow-mindedness due to emotional or erotic stress. A conflict of wills. Disempowerment through obsession. Need for decisive attitude readjustment. Confusion. Betrayal. Fear of a rival. Experiencing the negativity of love. 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 base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Ten of Poetry (Prophecy), when reversed: Being swept away by a feeling of spiritual intervention. Profound existential awe. Bondage to elemental forces and divine will. Predetermination. The burden of prophecy and commitment to serve the greater good. Awakening to the full scope and indifference of the universe. 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. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. 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 second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Energy, when reversed: Intoxication with vitality and lust for life. Reliance on physical strength and endurance rather than wit and reason. Being blinded by your natural instincts. Seeking in vain for animal or totem forces as allies. Being imprisoned by language, as the Tower of Babel. Irrationality and stubbornness. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Five of Science (Division): Feeling overwhelmed and unable to focus on the whole problem. Being unable to cut yourself loose. Being mentally hung up. Personal entanglements. Intellectually split. Divided loyalties. Inaction through indecision. In the creative process: Caught in your own net of plans or scheme. Divide the problem into smaller segments for greater freedom of action. |
