Universal Celtic Tarot

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This is perhaps one of the most difficult positions to interpret. Keep in mind that hopes and fears are closely intertwined, therefore that which we hope for may also be that which we fear, and so may fail to happen. Sometimes it is useful to draw a second card for clarification after the reading has been laid and to read the two together. Card 10: Outcome Together these six cards give a snapshot of the inner and outer environment at the time of a reading. Compare the Above and Below cards (Cards 5 and 6). Is there a synergy between the conscious and the subconscious levels? Is there alignment between what is driving the querent and what the querent aspires to? If there is alignment, great – it will be a lot easier to resolve the issue. If not, then assist the querent in understanding what is happening at the subconscious level and how this may be impacting their response to the issue.

Many of these Major cards have decorative circular wheels or windows above or behind the characters. The Magician stands in front of a zodiac wheel, its energies controlled by a Star of David, that holds within it his Cup, Coin, Wand and Sword. In The Star, this wheel is a cosmic mirror studded with seven stars. It holds a a pentagram, which in turn holds another pentagram. A white dove hovers over it. The naked woman draped in a purple cloak is a personification of Aquarius, symbol of universal consciousness.The Knight of Coins is an interesting card, his shield has the coins symbol, and his horse is brown representing the energy of Earth. Violets growing in the foreground indicate that he is on a spiritual mission. Many of the court cards feature characters from the Arthurian legends, and this knight is Sir Bors of the Round Table, who eventually found the Holy Grail.

And even though the Celtic Cross spread is in nearly every Tarot book and is used by Tarot beginners, many Tarot readers miss the deeper insights that are available in this complex spread. This is where things get interesting! Many Tarot readers first learn to read Tarot by interpreting each card. But it's when we look at the dynamics between the Tarot cards and get into the story of the Tarot reading that the magic happens!

The Celtic goddess Ceridwen is said to have captured the wisdom of the Three Realms in her potion. She charged the youth Gwion to keep the fire going beneath her cauldron, and one day he splashed three drops onto his finger. When he put his finger into his mouth to soothe the burn, Gwion instantly became one with the past, present, and future of all things. The knowledge frightened him, and Ceridwen decided to test his worthiness by appearing as a terrifying beast. Gwion fled, taking on the forms of different animal familiars, and these animal spirits helped him integrate his new knowledge. The goddess continued chasing him until Gwion took the form of a grain of wheat, and Ceridwen ate him. Nine months later, she gave birth to him as Taliesin, meaning “radiant brow.”