| The Cross and Triangle spread is a powerful means of understanding complex situations, developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This spread is rich in occult and mystical symbolism, and one of our favorites here at Facade. 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 first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. Five of Coins (Worry): Impoverishment and barrenness. Yearning for one absent. |
 | The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. Knight of Swords, when reversed: Opinionated person who is too quick to condemn others. Bigotry. Action without forethought. |
 | The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. Three of Staves (Virtue), when reversed: Dishonesty and conflict in affairs. |
 | The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. Seven of Coins (Assessment): A step forward, accomplished with grace and skill. |
 | The fifth card, placed to the left of the significator represents Earth. It describes your physical presence, position in life, and the influence of the material world. Eight of Staves (Swiftness): An explosion of movement and activity. A dramatic event. An unusual manifestation. |
 | At this point the cross is complete and the triangle is formed. The sixth card, placed on the bottom left of the triangle represents one of two opposing forces. Death: Death. Loss. Death and rebirth. End of an old situation and the beginning of a new one. |
 | The seventh card, placed on the bottom right of the triangle represents the force that opposes the bottom left card. These forces may be external, but they are frequently one's own inner archetypes in conflict. The Empress, when reversed: Stifling domesticity. Bourgeois limitations. High-handed matriarchy. Junoesque jealousy. |
 | The eighth card, the reconciler, is placed below the cross in the third vertex of the triangle. This is the force that will resolve the conflict between the bottom left and bottom right cards. By meditating on this force and bringing more of it into your life, you can bring the matter at hand to a swifter conclusion than would naturally occur. Three of Cups (Abundance): Rescue from difficulty. Comfort in apprehension. A strange but beautiful occurrence. |
 | The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. The Magician, when reversed: Mercurial chicanery. Fraudulent activity. Demagoguery. Sophistry. Misused technology. Sideshow thrills. |
