This article covers advanced tarot spreads and topics for tarot reading. We go over the Celtic Cross spread and 9 card tarot spread, and how to find groupings.
If you’re looking for how to choose a deck, see my article on that.
If you’re looking for the basics and how to get started, see my article on that. We have guides to the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
This article will cover some more advanced spreads and topics for tarot reading than what I’ve previously covered.
The first spread I recommend learning after you’ve familiarized yourself with your deck and gotten some practice with basic spreads is the Celtic Cross.
This is probably the most famous spread in the history of tarot. It’s in pretty much every introductory book and pamphlet.
But this spread requires a lot from the reader, and so it isn’t the best for learning.
You don’t want to have to remember the order and purpose of all 10 card positions while struggling with basic readings.
This spread is one of the oldest and most flexible. It can be used for almost any type of reading or question.
Beware: it also has a lot of variation. I tend to think of the version in the Universal Waite deck pamphlet as the “official” version, but the many variations on it are all equally valid.
As I said in my beginner post: it’s important to make every spread your own. In fact, I just looked up the Waite version only to realize I changed the order at some point.
The reading method and spread style or variation that works best for you is always the correct version for you.
The “official” or “correct” versions might be nice to preserve from a historical perspective, but from a teaching perspective, I’d rather have you get the best results.
How to read a Celtic Cross Spread
If you want a mnemonic device to remember the order I do, here’s how I remember.
You’ll make a cross: first upright, next across that card. Then 3, 4, 5, and 6 make a second cross: left to right, top to bottom.
Easy! You should now never forget the first six cards. The last four are just a pillar growing up from the ground.
Congratulations, you should now have memorized the order of the whole ten-card spread in less than a minute.
The purpose of each position can be learned fairly easily, too. The first four cards should look like the basic three-card past/present/future spread that we did before.
The crossed (2nd) card just adds some depth to this by giving the main current challenge.
Cards 5 and 6 are what they look like. The one hovering up above are the hopes, dreams, and aspirations. The one below represents being below the conscious, in other words, the subconscious.
I don’t really have a way to remember the last four, but you’ll learn those quickly with after a few readings.
Now, this is supposed to be an article on intermediate and advanced topics. So, let’s dig in a little deeper with reading.
Card groupings
If you’ve been following along so far, you’ll notice I’ve grouped cards as the initial two-card cross, the first four cards as a past/present/future unit, the above and below as a unit, and the final four as a unit.
I really do think in these groupings to connect the cards.
As soon as you get comfortable with individual card readings and meanings, you’ll want to start to understand how groupings alter and affect readings. Look at these groupings together to develop a deeper narrative.
I recently did a reading in which the Four of Pentacles was above and the Ten of Pentacles was below. It was abundantly clear to me that this person had a lot of fears about financial security.
Subconsciously, his goals had noble intents: family safety and providing.
But these underlying fears had manifested as independent goals of control and obsessively saving money. I won’t go into the full details of the rest of the reading, but you should start to see how this grouping of cards let me get a clearer picture.
The advice card (7th) was a reversed Nine of Cups. Because I had seen this earlier story, I read this as a
The subconscious desire was security for his family.
Did they have enough to be happy? Yes.
My advice was to try to let go of his fears. For now, they were financially okay. What was the point of working to death for the family if he never got to spend time with them?
The goals had misaligned with the original purpose.
Pulling for a 9-card tarot spread
There are many different tarot spreads, or layouts, that you can use to reveal insights and guidance through a tarot reading. The specific spread that you choose will depend on your question or focus for the reading, as well as your personal preferences. Here is one way you could approach a 9-card tarot spread:
- Begin by shuffling your tarot deck and focusing on your question or the issue that you would like guidance on.
- When you feel ready, draw the first card and place it face up in the center of your spread. This central card represents the core issue or the heart of the matter.
- Draw four more cards and place them in a cross shape around the central card. These cards represent the past, present, future, and the foundation or basis of the situation.
- Finally, draw four more cards and place them in a horizontal row below the central card. These cards represent the challenges or obstacles, the guidance or advice, the likely outcome, and the final resolution or outcome.
As you lay out the cards, pay attention to the symbolism and meanings of each card, as well as how they relate to one another and to the central theme of your question. You can then interpret the spread as a whole to gain insight and guidance on your question or issue.
How to read a 9-card tarot spread (box spread)
This is the 9-card tarot spread, also known as the box spread. It applies the same basic principles we’ve discussed in other spreads.
You will lay down a 3 x 3 box. The first column is past, the second present, and the third future. The top row represents goals and aspirations, the middle current feelings, and the bottom the subconscious.
Notice how similar this spread is to the Celtic Cross and the standard three-card spread. What’s so interesting about this one is to really dig into the connections and weight of each card.
The central card of the Lenormand 9-card spread
There is one central card with the most importance. It sheds light on the core question or difficulty in the person’s life.
This primary card is the significator, describing the person for whom you are reading. It can also be the question’s core, defining the substance of the problem as well as its solution and consequence.
Once you’ve established the central card of the 9-card tarot spread, there are also a lot of ways to move through the spread. See what you’re drawn to in each reading. Maybe you narrate from the top left diagonally down to the bottom right.
Other times you might focus on moving across the middle row where the tops and bottoms just illuminate little changes in the reading.
Reading across the 9-card spread
The easiest method is to read the 9-card spread horizontally. The first line is the path of aspirations, which means they are all about our thoughts, hopes, and desires. They symbolize our goals in life.
You can easily remember this meaning because the line is above the central card, in other words, our aspirations are above us. As you go across, you’ll find a theme emerging from the past, present, and future goals and hopes.
The second line symbolizes your reality. They consist of your everyday, conscious existence. This is the terrestrial plane and should be interpreted literally.
Reading this can provide you with specific information such as timing or a description of the persons involved.
The bottom row reflects the subconscious mind, the stream that is influencing your circumstances. You can remember this easily because it’s what’s beneath you – the foundations on which you stand.
Secret desires, intuition, and inner wisdom are all represented by this line. It’s critical to pay close attention to this row while learning how to interpret a 9-card tarot spread since it reveals personal issues and sentiments.
The corners of the 9 card spread
In a 9-card tarot spread, the corner cards (also known as the “cross” cards) typically represent the past, present, future, and the foundation or basis of the situation. Here is a brief overview of what these cards might represent:
- Past: This card represents the events or influences from the past that have led up to the current situation. It can give insight into the origins of the issue and any patterns or themes that may be at play.
- Present: This card represents the current situation and the factors that are influencing it. It can provide a snapshot of what is happening now and what needs to be considered.
- Future: This card represents the likely outcomes or potential developments in the near future. It can offer a glimpse into what may be coming and help to clarify the direction in which the situation is heading.
- Foundation: This card represents the underlying basis or foundation of the situation. It can provide insight into the underlying causes or themes that are at play and help to clarify the deeper meaning or significance of the situation.
As you interpret the spread, consider how these four cards relate to one another and to the central theme of your question. This can help you gain a more complete understanding of the situation and the guidance that the tarot is offering.
Tying it together
This spread leaves open a lot of flexibility for skill. The more experienced you are at reading, the more likely you’ll find this spread a rewarding method.
Remember to always come back to the central card to tie it all together. The reading shouldn’t be sporadic and disjointed. The past/present/future of your aspirations should all relate to the central card. The subconscious influences are the ones that actually affect the central problem.
If you’re just starting out, this one can be quite intimidating, but it’s well worth the effort to learn. Remember to also pay attention to card reversals in a tarot reading.
For my favorite non-standard tarot deck, Shores of Moon Luna Somnia, click here:
