| The Celtic Cross spread is one of the most popular Tarot spreads, providing varied insight into many aspects of a complex situation and your role in it. The William Blake Tarot explores the mystical vision and artistry of the renowned English painter and poet. Through rich interpretations focused on creative undertakings, it has long been the deck of choice for artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers. For more information about this deck, or to buy your own personal copy, go to www.blaketarot.com.
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 | The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. Ten of Music (Sublimity), when reversed: Gifts of love withheld, especially in relationship or marriage. Hiding your deepest feelings from others. Subtle barriers to friendship and social involvements. Failure to recognize achievement. A dull tinge to the happiness of hearth, home, and hospitality. Slight lack of fulfillment in communal or community involvement. In the creative process: Combine your efforts with others to create a unified whole greater than the sum of its parts. |
 | The card visible at the center of the cross represents the obstacle that stands in your way - it may even be something that sounds good but is not actually to your benefit. Three of Painting (Practice), when reversed: Failure to master your skills and talents. Lack of engagement with your peers. Unwillingness to synthesize the available factors. Failure to build support. In the creative process: Experimentation and manipulation are the keys to acquiring the experience needed to get the job done. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Child of Painting, when reversed: Being carried astray by a wave of prosperity. Relying on your innate tendencies to the exclusion of acquired sense and skills. Inability to leave a position of material advantage. Hedonistic enjoyment. Drug experimentation. Surfing the Internet. Total absorption in your activities. Being ruled by your body and instincts. Obsession with new experiences. In the creative process: Now is a time to experiment with processes and materials, taking great pleasure in what you learn and create. |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Three of Music (Exuberance): "Exuberance is Beauty". Sense of emotional expansion. Something that makes you sing for joy. Intense desire for creative expression. A cause for lively celebration. Plunging into creative new territory. Getting people excited about your idea. Supportive alliances or relationships. Entertaining gatherings, performances, meetings, get-togethers. In the creative process: Exciting and joyous progress is taking place; blow your horn! |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Child of Music: "Piping down the valleys wild / Piping songs of pleasant glee". A need to kindle your emotions. Getting in touch with your own feelings. Willingness to take emotional risks. Marching to a personal rhythm. Taking risks for love. Experimenting with genuine self-expression. Empathy with others, and with animals. In the creative process: Go inside yourself to experience emotional innocence and primal voice. Don't be afraid to improvise in your own way. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Experience: Wanting to be in control of your instincts, emotions, or elemental forces. Taking the reins in the situation. Goal-oriented drive to succeed. Journeys or involvement with motion and mobility. Meeting challenges head on. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Stars: Renewal of hope. Feeling connected with cosmic or universal energies. As Above, So Below. Opening your eyes to the highest potential of your situation. Getting in touch with your own creative powers. Self-esteem. Far-reaching effects. Receiving recognition for your abilities. Doing your own thing, no matter what. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Woman of Science, when reversed: Overly-methodical approach to a problem. Looking outside yourself for answers that can only be found within. Being confused by the facts and failing to see the truth. Refusing counsel. Dogmatic reliance on deduction over induction. Shunning personal involvement. In the creative process: Now is the time to research and gather information, get an overview, and make long-range plans and strategies. |
 | The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Four of Painting (Means), when reversed: Obsession with material prosperity and contentment. Attachment to money and material goods. Creative achievements blocked by lack of material resources. Consolidation of personnel and materials at the expense of the objective at hand. Overwhelming need for order and structure. Emphasis on controlling, dominating, or monopolizing. In the creative process: Before reaching out for creative inspiration, prepare the groundwork: by appropriately allocating your resources and assigning creative tasks. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Four of Science (Repose), when reversed: Self-absorbed solitude or seclusion. Forced withdrawal. Brooding about something. Depleted or fatigued by stress. Avoiding action by drifting. In the creative process: Allow new insights to surface by becoming more fluid and letting go of mental demands and pressures. |
