This card represents what is likely to occur within the next few weeks or even months. This is not the final outcome, simply the next step on the journey. Card 5: Above This card represents the events that have lead up to the present situation and may provide some indication of how the challenge came about. Card 4: The future

In The Devil, the Wheel of Life holds the reversed pentagram, sign of evil. A demon dances gleefully around a naked couple, bowed in shame and degradation in the foreground. Paul Mason, The Shaman; Mixed media illustration. Sacred Circle Tarot: A Celtic Pagan Journey; Llewellyn Publications, 2000. This legend of consumption and rebirth symbolized how shamanic initiates had to be absorbed into the womb of the goddess before emerging wiser and forever changed. The harvest festival of Samhain celebrated the two aspects of this divine womb, both the dormant seed that lies within, and the wisdom shared from the spirit world. This celebration used the herb vervain, an ingredient in Ceridwen’s potion and one of the most sacred herbs for the Celtic druids. Vervain was only gathered on moonless nights when the “dog star” Sirius was rising, and Celtic lore associates the wisdom of this herb with the wisdom of the wolf.According to the ancient Celts, the winter quarter of the year was ruled by the wolf. Winter was a dead time, a time of purification while the earth rested in darkness and grew ready for the rebirth of spring. This period stretched from Samhain in October to the Imbolc festival in February, which celebrated the goddess Brighid with a giant feast. In ancient Gaelic, the month of February was known as Faoilleach, which can translate to “the wolf month,”“the storm month,” or “the month of bleak death.” For the Celtic shaman, the wolf taught about instincts and psychic intuition, as well as the cyclical powers of the moon. The wolf’s wisdom guided shamans to trust their inner voice and to seek their answers within.

This card represents what is happening to the querent at the present time. It also reflects the querent’s state of mind and how they may be perceiving the situation. Card 2: The challengeThis card represents the immediate challenge or problem facing the querent. This is the one thing that, if resolved, would make life a lot easier. Even if you draw a ‘positive’ card in this position, consider it carefully as it will still represent a challenge. Card 3: The past And even though the Celtic Cross spread is in nearly every Tarot book and is used by Tarot beginners, many Tarot readers miss the deeper insights that are available in this complex spread. Compare the Below and Hopes/Fears cards (Cards 6 and 9). If you are finding it difficult to interpret the Hopes/Fears, have a look at what is happening at the subconscious level within the querent (Card 6). Is there something in their subconscious realm that is creating fear or hope? If you see reversed cards in these positions, then it is likely the querent is not yet aware of their subconscious drivers and how this is impacting them in the ‘real world’. The hillsides of Britain are carved with many chalk horses, but this is the oldest carving, dating to around 1400 BCE. Sacred to both the ancient Celts and the earlier peoples of Britain, horses fostered the spread of Celtic civilization with their swiftness and strength.

The Fool is a beautiful card with great energy. The Fool, dressed in green, the colour of youth and springtime, races towards the edge of the cliff, a white rose held to his nostrils. The element of Air, symbol of Spirit is shown around him – more heavily on the ground in white swirls, and in an ethereally beautiful interlaced pattern above him. This is where things get interesting! Many Tarot readers first learn to read Tarot by interpreting each card. But it's when we look at the dynamics between the Tarot cards and get into the story of the Tarot reading that the magic happens!

The wands suit is stunning: all these intricately decorated wands are placed against a variety of gorgeous sunburst designs. Paul Mason, The Chariot; Mixed media illustration. Sacred Circle Tarot: A Celtic Pagan Journey; Llewellyn Publications, 2000. The Knight of Cups clasps the Holy Grail. He is Sri Galahad, the most perfect knight in all the Arthurian world. His head is framed in a decorative circle into which his golden hair flows and blends. The beautiful, dreamy face is androgynous, and in its decorative circular frame is very similar in style to the Art Nouveau paintings of Alphone Mucha.