Archive for October, 2011

The Celtic cross is a traditional, powerful method of tarot reading. It is still widely used, due to its ability to offer a general overview of any issue the querent might have and to indicate the possible outcomes in the the querent’s current situation. This spread also may point toward the fears related to, and the people involved in the current situation.

The Celtic Cross of Tarot can be used also to get an answer to a very specific question, especially if there are two possible outcomes. Also, if a certain action is planned, this spread can be used to test the possible results – thus its other name – Alternate Future.

Some tarot readers use only the Major Arcana Cards, but it is much more easy to interpret this Spread and spot the potential keywords if one uses the full Tarot Deck. It is important to remember that the Major Arcanas in this Spread will represent the strong influences that the querent will have hard time changing. The Court Cards will represent the people interfering with the querent, while the Lesser Arcana Cards will indicate the factors directly affecting the development of the situation and the possibility to change the flow of events.

The Cards in the Celtic Cross design should be placed according to the scheme bellow:

Card No. 1. The foundation – The current situation. The querent’s current potential focused on the search for a solution. This card represents the core of the problem, the reason why the querent is there to seek solution.

Card No. 2. Challenge – What comes in your way. The energy of the opposing factors and obstacles on the road to the solution. That’s why we put this card to cross Card 1. The first two cards seen separately set the scene and make what’s usually called the “Small cross“.

Card No. 3.  Root Cause – The attitude of the querent from the standpoint of their ego. This card is often connected to the root cause of the problem and if no link can be found to Cards 1 and 2, further interpretation will have no meaning – it is better to start over. This card looks into more distant past, where the root cause of the problem is usually on the plane of thoughts or emotions.

Card No. 4. The Recent Past – The place where the problem was conceived. The events that are linked to the problem should be still quite fresh in the mind of the querent.

Card No. 5. The Future – The future goal. The possible outcome. The best results that can be achieved given the foundation and the challenge. Or alternatively,  the most likely outcome if no action is being undertaken. The past has paved the road of causes, and if nothing is done, the future will bring the result of those causes.

Card No. 6. The Near Future – The first impacts on the possible solution. Usually, the near future events, as immediate results of the querent’s past actions, will be unavoidable.  Effort should be made only to change the more distant future, as indicated by card No. 5.

Card No. 7.  The Deepest Essence of the Querent – What energy the querent brings into the situation – consciously or not. What they do, or fail to do. What they want to expose to the world, or what they want to keep for themselves. How they see themselves.

Card No. 8. Other People – The influence of the environment on the querent’s life in general. Hints as to whether the people around are working in favor of the positive outcome or not. What other surrounding factors might interfere.

Card No. 9.  Fears and Hopes – What keeps the querent from addressing the problem. Do they hope and wish to have a positive outcome or fear that they will get a negative result?

Card No. 10. The Outcome – the solution of the problem in the future, provided that one keeps the current plan of action.

In case the Tarot Reader feels he or she needs more information to clarify the reading, they may add another row beside the first one (besides the cards 7 through 10).

The Moon Tarot connects Netzach and Malkuth – two lower Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. It corresponds to the water element.

This card speaks about several important aspects: about intuition and illusion, about how to cope when being overwhelmed by emotions, and about cleaning the mistakes from the past.

Basic elements of this Tarot Card are:

• two towers,
• a waning moon,
• two dogs,
• a crab,
• desolate surroundings.

The Moon Tarot is Arcana number eighteen. Number XVII is The Star, while No. XIX is the Sun Tarot Card.  It depicts a mysterious night-time scene, so we can say that this tarot card stands for the midnight time and all the strange things one can encounter then. On the more positive side, we can imagine the possibility of artistic expression and divinity concealed in the night.

There are 32 rays emerging from the moon, 16 of which are more dominant. According to the teaching of the Kabbalah, the world has been created by 32 ways and there are 32 mysterious paths of wisdom. Indeed, if we add the number of paths on the Tree of life – 22 – to the number of Sephiroth – 10 – we get the number 32. Between the two towers we see a path that leads into the unknown. There is no clear guidance – only the reflected light of the moon can serve as a guiding aid. The fears of the mind when facing the unknown are depicted via the two animals: the dog and the wolf.

The Moon can also be understood as a symbol of witchcraft and wizardry (indicated via the symbol of waning moon).

This is the dark night of the soul that according to some source is depicted on this tarot card, so often used as a metaphor of the desolation and difficulties that the spiritual seeker meets on the path of spiritual enlightenment. Carl Gustav Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist and spiritual explorer of the inner ways of the soul, often compared this psychological state to the state where a person is facing the inner “Shadow”. In this psychological state, according to Jung, we retrieve the naive projections that used to shape our reality and our character in the past, recognize them, and grasp their meanings. By doing so, we release our psychological content. This is our lifting the veils of illusion, and facing the shadow of our misconceptions, wrong ideas, and prejudices. We all have our shadows. The less we are aware of it, the more potent and dangerous it is. This shadow is part of the suppressed, unconscious regions of our ego being – expressed via the negative emotions that we sometimes project on other people.

The message of the Arcana No. 18 is that only by attaining peace, we will be able to control our lower, animal nature and be ready to step on the path of the unknown.

In readings, The Moon Tarot can represent illusion, deception, confusion, hysteria, even madness. It can also mean crisis, mistake, delay, jealousy, and cunning.

The reversed Moon card means instability and silence. It can also mean practical life and rationality instead of irrationality. The reversed Moon tarot can also signify your ability to face danger with calm and practical mind.