# Celtic Cross tarot spread: ten cards for one question

> The Celtic Cross is a ten-card tarot spread: six cards form a cross that describes the situation and four form a staff beside it that describes you, your surroundings, your hopes and fears and the outcome. A. E. Waite published it in 1910 in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, and it is still one of the best-known spreads. On AI Tarot Reading ten cards are drawn at random from all 78 and read for your question in about 700 to 950 words, for 25 credits (about $0.14 to $0.25).

The Celtic Cross looks at a situation from every side: where it stands, what crosses it, what lies beneath, what is coming and the part you play. Ten cards are drawn at random and read position by position, then as a whole.

## At a glance

- **Cards drawn:** Ten, each upright or reversed
- **Layout:** A cross of six cards and a staff of four
- **Reading length:** About 700 to 950 words
- **Price:** 25 credits, about $0.14 to $0.25 depending on plan or pack
- **Purpose:** Entertainment and reflection; not medical, legal, financial or psychological advice

- Ten positions
- Cross and staff
- Read card by card

[Draw a Celtic Cross](https://aitarotreading.app/create)

## What a Celtic Cross reading gives you

- **The whole picture**: Past, present and future, what helps and what blocks, your inner state and the world around you, in one layout.
- **Card by card**: Each of the ten positions is read in two or three sentences, so you can see where every part of the answer comes from.
- **Tied together**: An overall reading connects the outcome card to the present card and to your hopes and fears.
- **Best for big questions**: A move, a relationship at a crossroads, a career change: situations with many moving parts.

## How to read a Celtic Cross

1. **Start with the centre**: Cards 1 and 2 show the situation and what crosses it.
2. **Walk around the cross**: Cards 3 to 6 add the root, the recent past, the goal and the near future.
3. **Climb the staff**: Cards 7 to 10 show you, your surroundings, your hopes and fears and the outcome.

## The ten positions of the Celtic Cross

These are the positions the reading tool uses, in the order the cards are dealt:

- 1. The present: the heart of the matter as it stands
- 2. The challenge: the card laid across the first, what complicates it
- 3. The foundation: what lies beneath the situation, often from further back
- 4. The recent past: what is passing out of your life
- 5. What you aim for: the goal or best result you are aware of
- 6. The near future: what is likely to come next
- 7. Yourself: your attitude and the part you play
- 8. Your surroundings: other people and outside influences
- 9. Hopes and fears: what you hope for and what you fear, often the same thing
- 10. The outcome: where things are heading if nothing changes

## The cross and the staff

The first six cards form the cross: two cards at the centre, one laid across the other, surrounded by four cards for what lies below, behind, above and ahead. Together they describe the situation itself.

The four cards of the staff, laid in a column to the right, turn to you: your attitude, the people around you, your hopes and fears, and the outcome. Reading the outcome next to the present card and the hopes and fears card shows whether things are moving the way you want.


## Where the Celtic Cross comes from

A. E. Waite described the spread as “An Ancient Celtic Method of Divination” in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), the companion book to the Rider–Waite–Smith deck. Books and readers since then have named and ordered the positions a little differently; the list above is a common modern version.


## When to choose the Celtic Cross

Ten cards are a lot of information. It pays off when:

- The situation has several sides or people involved
- You want to understand it, not just get a Yes or No
- You have time to read slowly and come back to it later

## Pricing for tarot readings

- Starter: $7.99 / month, 1,200 credits
- Pro: $19.99 / month, 3,600 credits
- Small: $4.99, 500 credits
- Large: $14.99, 2,000 credits

## Celtic Cross tarot FAQ

### How do you read a Celtic Cross tarot spread?

Read the centre first (cards 1 and 2), then the four cards around it, then the staff from bottom to top. Finally compare the outcome card with the present card and with hopes and fears, which shows the direction of the whole spread.

### Why is the Celtic Cross so well known?

Waite published it with the Rider–Waite–Smith deck in 1910, and that deck's book became the starting point for generations of readers. Its ten positions cover a situation from more angles than smaller spreads.

### Is the Celtic Cross good for yes or no questions?

Not really. It describes a situation in depth, and ten cards rarely agree on a single word. For a quick verdict, use the one-card yes-or-no spread instead.

### How much does a Celtic Cross reading cost?

25 credits of purchased credits, about $0.14 to $0.25 depending on your plan or pack. Registration is free, and failed readings are refunded automatically.

## Lay out a Celtic Cross for your question

Ten cards drawn at random and read for you, for 25 credits.

_Last updated 2026-10-29_