The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread: Cutting to the Chase

After a long search for a book on positional meaning of tarot cards, I was eager to find this one. Aspirational attempt but poorly executed. Each card is given meaning based on each position of the Celtic spread. Sounds good right? The author gets in their own way by offering pithy, modern cliches that dilute meaning. So I have to get other books to clarify the cards meaning and what it might mean given the position. There is no variation in meaning for love, career, or health reading. Bummer

Interesting!

The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread: Cutting to the Chase, by Shannon MacLeod, illustrations by Beth Seilonen from Schiffer BooksSo today I wanted to share some thoughts on a new book by Shannon MacLeod. It’s from Schiffer. Beth Seilonen illustrated it. The book is The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread: Cutting to the Chase.So what do I think of a Tarot book that claims no memorization needed? I'll tell you! I've been a professional Tarot consultant for 30+ years so I do have an opinion. :DFirst let me say that I had some reservations about this book. I wasn’t sure it could deliver. The back starts out with “Reading the Tarot doesn’t have to be hard! The Celtic Cross spread requires no long hard hours of study, no memorization, no muss or fuss–just lay out your cards, open the book, and begin!”That’s a pretty big claim, y’all. Still I put aside my reservations to open the book. I have to say that it delivers what it offers.Every card is interpreted in every position. The nuances of how a card’s meaning changes depending on the position it falls in is clearly highlighted.The writing is crisp without a lot of filler. The illustrations are simple and direct. The table of contents is easy to navigate.All in all, a very good book.However, the one caveat I would have is that this shouldn’t be the only book you use. I don’t think being dependent on a book is a good thing. But to use this as a jumping off point? Yes, excellent.Think of this as a primer for Tarot language. Just as you might “see Jane. See Jane run.” here you can “see the two of Swords. See the two of Swords in the past or as the outcome” to begin refining your own language skills.I would recommend The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread: Cutting to the Chase, by Shannon MacLeod, illustrations by Beth Seilonen.

I shook my head after reading the forward in this book. The brilliant honesty really made me smile. Imagine a tarot book that teaches you how to do a Celtic Cross reading without ever studying the tarot! Actually with this book and a deck of cards you can read three different spreads: The Celtic Cross, The Three Card Spread and a One Card reading. I do have one word of caution here, if you don't have a sense of humor you may not enjoy this book to its fullest potential. I happen to love a book with a sense of humor-especially the witty humor of Shannon MacLeod.There's an image of how to lay out the Celtic Cross cards with appropriate numbers so you don't get confused.Okay, each tarot card is listed in the book with a description for each position of the Celtic Cross spread-both upright and reversed. If you're using one of the other spreads it will tell you what position to look at for the description. There is also a general description that you can read to get a feel of what the card is all about.The beauty of this book is although you are looking up a quick answer for your question you are also learning to read the tarot!I recommend this to anyone who has any interest in divination with cards but doesn't really want to learn the whole system or memorize anything. In fact, this is perfect for those who feel they can't memorize all of the meanings of the tarot cards.The illustrations throughout the book are by Beth Seilonen. I would say these images are simplified in a pleasing way and work perfectly for this type of book.I applaud Shannon MacLeod for this great work and I think many will benefit from this lighter and more modern approach to reading tarot cards.

The Celtic Cross is an accessible reference for beginners or anyone who would like to tease out tarot interpretations based on cards, upright or reversed, and within the ten positions of the Celtic Cross spread. In this way, it is similar to the Tarot Decoder. There are three spreads suggested, and a brief forward and one page on how to use the book, with the bulk of the text providing the meanings of each of the 78 tarot cards as they might appear within the Celtic Cross.Each card meaning is briefly noted, followed by interpretations for upright and for reversals over the ten positions. I found the meanings often similar to those found in the Tarot Decoder; yet there are some distinct variations that are unique. Simple pen and ink drawings accompany the text and the style of writing is informal. One example, for the Six of Wands, reversed, 3rd position, states: “Don’t let stubborn pride prevent you from admitting you are wrong. Nobody’s perfect. Everyone makes mistakes—even you.”This interpretive tour through the tarot on the Celtic Cross spread begins with meanings for the Major Arcana, followed by the Minor Arcana and finishing up with the Court cards. There are a few good reasons to add The Celtic Cross to your tarot reference library. It adds an alternate voice to the understanding of each single card; have a good read through all the interpretations for any one card which would help you get a feel for how that card morphs in nuanced meanings within the Celtic Cross. In addition, if you feel stymied with a repetition of a vexing card meaning—something you may not accept as given in other books—have a look at The Celtic Cross and you may find a more gentle or appropriate interpretation. It is a lovely new resource to enjoy for those who often cast the 10 card Celtic Cross.

Great book excellent service