| 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 Renaissance Tarot is a modern deck, with symbolism drawn from the heroic age and rendered in renaissance style. This deck is an excellent choice for exploring questions of passion, mastery, and the inner workings of human reason. If you would like your own copy of the Renaissance Tarot, you can buy it now! |
 | The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. Ace of Staves, when reversed: A beginning that is faulty from lack of conviction or from an excess of complacency. |
 | 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. Eight of Coins (Prudence): Frankness, honesty and innocence. Candid confrontation of circumstances. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Wheel of Fortune: The intrusion of chance into affairs. Unlikely coincidence. "What goes up, must come down." The intercession of good fortune in life. A sudden opportunity that must be exploited deftly and promptly; according to Machiavelli, in The Prince, Fortune is "bald behind", that is, once she runs past, it will be too late to grab her, and so she must be seized as she approaches, "by the forelock". |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Page of Swords: A Passionate young person given to seeking out the heart of the matter, even to the point of spying. Vigilance and quiet intensity. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. The Chariot, when reversed: Bullying. Grandstanding. Sword rattling. A setback or defeat. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Death, when reversed: Death averted. Brush with danger. Rising from a deathlike sleep. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Justice: The vindication of the just and the punishment of the unjust. Rule of reason. Balance of power. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Knight of Cups, when reversed: Fraudulent emotion. A charming, but irresponsible person. |
 | The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Queen of Coins, when reversed: A cornucopia emptied. A heart of stone. Crystalline coldness. A field barren and gone to seed. Preoccupation of wealth and security that stifles enjoyment of both. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. The Empress, when reversed: Stifling domesticity. Bourgeois limitations. High-handed matriarchy. Junoesque jealousy. |
