PREPARING TO DO A READING
In part one of this series, you had a brief introduction to the Celtic Cross spread and found out why you would want to use it. Hopefully by now you’ll have seen the Celtic Cross in action and maybe even compared a few different versions of it. You’re now ready to use it yourself. Before I actually go through each placement in the Celtic Cross that I use and show you an example reading, I wanted to take a moment to go through a few things you might like to consider before you actually start your reading. You will of course need your tarot cards, but other than that, everything you need is here and within you. Please note that most of what follows would apply to any spread, not just the Celtic Cross.
Preparing the Cards
I always think it is a good idea to prepare your cards for a reading. In preparing the cards, you also prepare yourself. For me, it is when I relax and focus on the reading I am about to perform.
In preparation for a reading, I deal out the cards in an arch of seven piles. You will have one card remaining at the end which you can place on any pile. Now, starting from the left, pick up the first pile and place it on the second, then pick up that pile and place it on the third and so on, until you just have one pile of cards. The cards are now ready for the reading.
You can use this method, or leave out this step altogether. Again, it is totally up to you.
Shuffling the Cards and Any that Fall Out
Before the cards are shuffled, think of a clear question. As I have previously stated, the general rule is that beginning your question with “What” or “How” is a better way of posing the question than “Will” or “When”. The point of the reading should be to better understand a situation or problem, in order to empower you to make choices for the desired future. Whether it is you or the querent that is shuffling, think of this question as the cards are shuffled.
While the cards are being shuffled you may encounter one or two that fall out. I always make a note of these card/s as they often have a bearing on the reading. Sometimes many cards can fall out, this happens for one of two reasons. Firstly, the person shuffling is not comfortable doing so. Perhaps the cards are too big, or they just don’t know how to shuffle. The other reason I have noticed is when there are too many thoughts going through the shufflers mind or emotions are running rampant. Take a deep breath, calm your thoughts and feelings and then shuffle.
Significator
A significator is a card that represents the main subject of the question being asked. It can represent the Querent/person being read for, the topic of the question (love, money, work etc) or even objects, places and actions.
Usually a court card is selected to represent a person. This can be done based on looks, date of birth, characteristics, whatever you like; if you want to choose a significator for yourself or someone you’re reading for, take a look at the court card meanings in our Tarot Card Meanings section and see which one best corresponds to the person being read for. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a card to represent a situation, you can select any of the other cards. The chosen card can be placed to the side or in the centre and the first card is placed on top of it. I do not use a Significator, but please do so if you feel it will help you.
To Reverse or Not to Reverse
I know I’m getting repetitive now, but there are mixed feelings amongst readings about using reversed cards in a reading. Some readers have specific individual meanings for cards when they are reversed, others just interpret reversed cards as having the opposite meaning to when the cards are right side up and then there are those that do not use reversed cards in their readings.
When I first started reading, I used reversed cards in my readings, now I very rarely use them. I feel that the seventy-eight cards in the deck the right way up cover everything you will ever need in a reading, especially if you use a spread like the Celtic Cross, which looks at every aspect of your question or situation.
The next post will give a detailed breakdown of the Celtic Cross spread!