| 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. 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 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. Nine of Music (Happiness), when reversed: Longing to be someplace else. Inability to evoke what you want or need. Separation from the sources of emotional fulfillment. Lack of sensual or sexual gratification. Being blinded to life's bounty, and refusing to accept spontaneous love and happiness. In the creative process: You are at your creative best, blessed with a vision of life that is extravagant and blissful. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Six of Science (Passage): Opening the way or clearing obstacles. Movement of information. A Rite of Passage. A stressful journey. Seeking a sense of purpose. Receiving guidance from a higher source. Exploring new terrain. In the creative process: Your imagination needs to be uncovered or unleashed by resolving contradictory elements and seeking spiritual guidance. |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Liberty: An emerging and powerful sense of personal freedom. Hearing a call to action. Awakening to a deeper level of awareness or sense of spiritual self. A rebirth or basic change of state. Making an important decision or judgment, perhaps one long delayed. Being released from limiting circumstances. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Error, when reversed: Rising above the temptation of manipulation or duplicity. Maintaining a sense of humor about oneself. Keeping your lower nature or personal shadow in check. Seeing beyond your fears and ignorance. Resisting the pressure of materialistic, institutional, or corporate agents. Freedom from sexual or material bondage. Not giving in to temptation, guilt, or panic. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Ace of Poetry (Inspiration): "I come in Self-annihilation & the grandeur of Inspiration / To cast of Rational Demonstration by Faith in the Saviour / To cast off the rotten rags of Memory by Inspiration / To cast aside from Poetry all that is not Inspiration". The kiss of divine inspiration. Receiving an impetus to creative action. Getting in touch with higher consciousness or Spirit. Experiencing a personal vision of truth, beauty, ecstasy. Discovering sexuality as a metaphor for imaginative experience. Sense of being guided by a higher force. The "Yes!" card. A soulful new beginning. In the creative process: Being in contact with the purest and highest part of your being provides the impetus for fresh expressions in both art and life. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Man of Music, when reversed: Repression of emotions. Discipline and mastery turned to denial. Feeling the pressure to remain on top. Making unreasonable attempts to sway others through fluency in the language of the unconscious. Reliance on dreams, oracles, and omens above the direct evidence of the senses and reason. Overestimation of ones own abilities. In the creative process: Dedicate your considerable powers to help others and for creating beauty in the world. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Nine of Science (Despair): Experiencing mental anguish or self-pity. Grief. Depression. Insomnia. Escaping reality. Hiding from joy and innocence. Feeling isolated and alone. Self-cruelty. In the creative process: Your creativity is blocked by self-judgments and criticism. Forgive yourself and get back to the basics; recapture your innocence and rejoin the human family. |
 | The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Seven of Painting (Patience), when reversed: Refusing to wait for the situation to develop or ripen. Demanding immediate material assistance or reinforcements. Possible delays and slowdowns. Feeling uncertain or apprehensive about a tangible issue. Procrastination. Squandering your resources. In the creative process: Straining to speed things up only produces anxiety, so get a grip and wait for everything to unfold according to its own timing. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Imagination, when reversed: Failure to use wisdom and prudence. Too much reliance on novel solutions to conventional problems. Unwillingness to look within and seek an inspired resolution. |
