· OVERVIEW ·
Celtic Cross · Simplified
Seven cards instead of ten — the cross of forces plus a single outcome
Layout
Position guidance
Present situation
The heart of the matter as it stands today. Not the whole situation — the one thing at its centre that every other card leans against.
The challenge
Laid sideways over the centre: the force pushing against it. Read it as friction, not as an enemy — often it is the very thing the situation needs to grow past.
Root cause
Below the cross: the root the whole thing grew from. Usually older than the question, and usually something you already half-know.
Recent past
To the left: what has just moved out of the way. Its influence is fading, which is exactly why it is worth naming before it disappears.
Best outcome possible
Above the cross: the best this could become if it were handled well. An aspiration, not a promise — read it as the direction worth steering toward.
Near future
To the right: what is already on its way in the next weeks. Read it as the next scene rather than the ending; it sets up the outcome without deciding it.
Where this is headed
The single card standing in for Waite's whole staff. Where this is headed if nothing in the cross changes — so read it back against the crossing card and ask what one shift would rewrite it.