This is another post in the “Ask a Tarot Reader” series. If you have a question for me that you’d like to see featured here, please email me at hilary@tarotbyhilary.com, Subject line: “Ask a Tarot Reader”. Please specify how you would like your name to appear or if you wish to remain anonymous.
So what I found when doing the Celtic Cross spread is that people really don’t like the final outcome card – or at least they end up not paying attention to the more immediate cards on the table because they are hyper-focused on that last card that is supposed to provide an answer to their future, wrap it up in a nice little bow. That’s not the way tarot works, of course, but I keep seeing it – eyes drawn to that final card when it comes out, instead of the other 9 cards that are in a Celtic Cross spread.
I love the Celtic Cross spread. There’s a reason why it’s a go-to spread for so many readers: it’s an excellent spread when you are looking for an overall snapshot of a situation that has many layers and forks to it. Do you have a situation where you feel your work is reflecting your love life is reflecting your family life is reflecting your health? Of course you do: we all have areas in our lives where if one is affected, it pulls on the threads of the other areas.
What I’m trying to say is there’s 10 cards and a Celtic Cross spread tells you a lot if you were to focus on all 10 cards – those positional meanings tell you everything from current situation to Crossing card (which lists assets and obstacles) to message from higher self to subconscious to past influences to present ones, etc. Many of the positional cards I just described come in the main Cross formation of the Celtic Cross spread. And yet… people look to the final card, and sometimes to the last 4 cards which I call the “flow line to the future”. Basically: let’s not neglect the entire spread in favor of JUST one card.
Now that I’ve waxed philosophical about my Celtic Cross pet peeves, let’s get to the real meat of this article: what do you do about that dreaded final outcome card if you don’t like what you are seeing?
The following technique can be used in ANY reading in which you have a final outcome card (and don’t like it!).
I can’t remember who originally gave me this advice. I believe it was from Thalassa or Mary Greer, and since I can’t remember who said it, I’m crediting both.
- Take the offending final outcome card and put it in the first position.
- Now look through the deck face up and find a card that you believe accurately visually represents the situation that you would like to happen. Put that card in the third position, leaving a blank space in the middle.
- Now with the deck facedown shuffle the cards and ask the tarot for the middle card that will be the bridge to get from that first final outcome card that you don’t want to happen to the third card that you DO want to happen. Ask the tarot “how can I change this final outcome card” or “what card best represents how I can make that change?”
- Pull the card and place it in the empty space in the middle. Read the card as the advice on how you can get to the new final outcome card you drew intentionally in Step 2!
Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com
hilary@tarotbyhilary.com
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HILARY PARRY HAGGERTY is a tarot reader, witch, mentor, editor, and teacher. She has been reading tarot for over 21 years (13 years professionally). She was the winner of Theresa Reed’s (The Tarot Lady) Tarot Apprentice contest in 2011, and has taught classes on tarot and spell-work at The Tarot School’s annual tarot conference Readers Studio and at Brid’s Closet Beltane Festival. She writes a weekly blog on tarot at her website www.tarotbyhilary.com and has been featured in Maxim Magazine and BuzzFeed.
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© Hilary Parry Haggerty | Tarot by Hilary
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