A Sample Celtic Cross Reading
The Star and The Wheel of Fortune: the main issue + the main obstacle.
The first impression I get from these two cards are that the querent's mood is constantly adrift and changing and this affects exterior circumstances in both a positive and negative way. The juxtaposition with the moon suggests this inconsistency and wavering is a product of the mind's imaginings that, in turn, have an effect on reality. The Wheel is, however, a very neutral card. It merely presents the effect- the changing of events- without any moral overlay. The querent may imagine that negative events have divine purpose and are acting purposely against them, but this is really an illusion.
Foundation issue that prompted the problem: 8 of cups
This card is all about weariness and fatigue. Interestingly, there is a moon in this card, alluding to the Moon in the previous position (and perhaps stressing the role of the emotions in distorting reality and causing the subject in the card to feel his journey is a laborious one). There is a strong sense of penance in this card. The suggestion here is that the subject is feeling a sense of hopelessness and penance, which in turn becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as the querent's worries manifest into reality, thus strengthening the querent's belief that her anxieties are harbingers of misfortune.
Past, Present, Future: Queen of wands, 6 of cups, Ace of Pentacles
The querent has always been strongly psychic and creative (represented by the cat and wand) since her childhood. People associate the querent with a sense of overflowing creativity, which is what the wands suite represents. This card suggests that she has a very young and active creative spirit, but perhaps that has matured with time to 6 of cups which represents a sense of nostalgia, contentment and peaceful creativity. I have gotten this particular card for the querent before in association with her romantic life, and so I think- in conjunction with the Ace of Pentacles- these pair of cards suggest that her current partner will help her to move through whatever mind-pits her brain creates in order to be healthy. The garden in the 3rd card also alludes to the garden imagery in the present card. There is a good feeling, here, that the querent will overcome her obstacles with time, while also retaining the young vigour that the Queen of Wands represents.
Querent's self-perception, Environment, advice and possible outcome: 5 of cups, King of pentacles, Page of pentacles, 6 of pentacles
5 of cups: The querent's perception of this situation is that it is hopeless and that she is continuously losing or falling out of control with her emotions (note that the foundational issue card and this card echo each other, suggesting the querent's main issues that prompted the reading are caused by he fact she feels she is 'missing out'- note the 3 fallen cups). 3 fallen cups / 2 standing cups indicate this imbalance of the emotions.
King of Pentacles, here, however, suggests that the querent is doing well. Pentacles is also an earthy suite, so it's interesting how the outside world seems to perceive the querent as being prosperous. Page of pentacles as advice suggests that the querent should perhaps pay attention to the outside world's perception of herself and be grounded in experiencing the world. This card is about moulding the physical world, experiencing nature, being physical, stopping unhealthy thought patterns. It's also connected to Ace of Pentacles which the querent got for future (note the recurring garden motif), suggesting the querent has a high possibility of achieving this type of physical involvement despite the emotionally turbulent cards she got for foundational issue / key issue.
The final card presents a choice. 6 of pentacles is about outcomes, and about 2 different paths. Ie. having/not having resources, having not having knowledge and having/not having power. This card suggests the querent needs to act upon the previous card- "to have fun with your body, skills and possessions in a lighthearted way" (Source) in order to achieve the ultimate outcome of things turning the way beyond her greatest dreams. The consequence of not following this advice, it also suggests, is losing everything. The cards are quite blunt here about what is at stake. There are only two paths: life and death and choosing death will mean losing everything. Choosing life will mean gaining everything. The cards here are not so much talking about concrete outcomes, though, but are just giving a friendly nudge to keep in mind that compromising with your anxiety is not a good idea.
Overall, the reading gives an optimistic feeling about the future. It highlights clearly the querent's emotions and moods are what are causing trouble both interior and exterior, and also suggests that the querent must be more physically engaged in order to overcome these obstacles. It also seems to be quite optimistic in the querent's ability to do so provided she takes on this advice.
