Celtic Cross, why so popular?

C.N.

So, why is the Celtic Cross such a popular spread?

While it is not bad, I find the layout slightly confusing and prefer layouts that keeps cards that have similar roles together.

Still it probably competes with the three-card spread for most common, so there has to be something that keeps it popular.

Any insights?
 

Le Fanu

I think it covers things pretty well. And out of a deck of 78 cards it doesn't use too many cards, nor too few.

Most aspects of life are covered. If ever I want a larger, more thorough spread (most of the time I use 3 or 5 card spreads) this is the one I do.

Despite the flak, I think it has a lot going for it. The problem is it's cited in LWBs so often. It isn't a beginner's spread and most people buy one deck and the CC would totally throw them. It's too much to take in and read well.

When learning, it's better (IMO) to do 1 card readings, then maybe 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. At maximum 7 cards...
 

poopsie

Hi C.N. Here are my thoughts --

I use the Celtic Cross even if I don't have a question or issue. It's quite good in telling me where I am and what I could focus on, as well as the past influences that have affected my state.

It's also the most common -- in fact, I notice that most of the Tarot books I bought always put the Celtic Cross as a spread to use ... I also like the fact that I could put variations in it. I think it's comprehensive enough for a general reading, but flexible enough to make own variations. Hope this helps.
 

Barleywine

Le Fanu said:
I think it covers things pretty well. And out of a deck of 78 cards it doesn't use too many cards, nor too few
Click to expand...

Short answer for the attention-deficient: Because I just love the thing (!!!)

Well-put, Le Fanu. I've always found it quite intuitive and flexible for something that seems so rigid and rote on paper (and, just as importantly for keeping the scope of a reading "in-hand," it's internally consistent, well-balanced and user-friendly from a structural standpoint). I find the number of cards "just right" when reading for others. It allows an effective "time-line" approach and some creative pairing and associations due to its "past/future, "behind/ahead," "below/above," "near/far," "personal/public" dualities. It bounds the duration of the reading rather nicely, leaving time to explore any interesting side-lights and flesh out subtleties without exhausting the reader. I tried some larger spreads for practice (including one that used the entire deck . . . I certainly wouldn't recommend that unless you're a masochist who loves to be confused) but keep coming back to this one. Single-card draws and 3-card progressions are my choice for a quick impression of the lay-of-the-land, but I really use them only for my own inspiration. The ten-card array (excluding the significator) also has a nice, round qabalistic connotation, even though it's not really a Tree of Life spread. It's also the first one I learned (the Eden Gray format) and the one I still use with a few tweaks and add-ons courtesy of Mr. AC and my own experience.
 

Laura Borealis

The Celtic Cross also has tradition going for it. It feels authentic, if that makes sense.* And it has the element of ritual. "This covers him." "This crosses him." Sometimes you want that. It gives a reading a certain gravitas.


*I'm not saying that new spreads, or even spreads you just made up, are not authentic. I'm all for making up new spreads. Whatever works!
 
Luke's Galaxy Spread Artist in the Ambulance