| 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. Six of Cups (Pleasure): Regret and nostalgia for a time past or a love lost. Disillusionment. |
 | 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. The Empress: Feminine fertility and power. Civilization. Domestic tradition. Family and childrearing. The active, fecund aspect of the anima. The mother and the queen, on earth and in heaven. |
 | The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. Queen of Cups, when reversed: A melodramatic scene stealer. A sentimental hypochondriac. A person prey to wild and shifting emotional fancies. |
 | The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. The Hanged Man, when reversed: Masochism. Self-imposed confinement. Potential release from bondage. |
 | The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Two of Cups (Love): The flower of first love, of love at first sight. The bond between two people, invisible but formidable. |
 | The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Four of Swords (Truce): Retreat from the battlefield of life. A rest from the conflicts with colleagues or competitors. Calm in the storm. Self-imposed exile. |
 | The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Six of Staves (Victory), when reversed: Fear of failure and fear of success. |
 | The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. 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 second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Five of Staves (Strife): A project or adventure abandoned or cut short because of the departure or disappearance of a necessary colleague, partner, friend or lieutenant. |
 | The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Six of Swords (Science), when reversed: A bluff. Deceptive show of force. A desperate attempt to impress. |
