Honestly, the “right” way is just whatever works best for you — so in a way, there isn’t really a wrong way 🙂
If you end up liking the Celtic Cross (it’s definitely one of those spreads people either love or hate), you’ll probably want to settle into a version that feels natural to you. Especially if you eventually want to read without constantly checking a guide — whatever layout and position meanings stick in your head easily are usually the ones that fit you best.
When you’re starting out, it can help to break it into two smaller parts instead of trying to take on the whole spread at once.
The first part can work like a 5–6 card “situation” spread:
1 – Center card: the person, present situation, or overall context
2 – Crossing card: the main challenge or obstacle
Then going clockwise from the top:
3 – Goals, ideals, or what “should” be happening (kind of like higher guidance)
4 – Near future (however you interpret timing)
5 – Unconscious influences or underlying motivations
6 – Past influences
Then the “staff” section can be read almost like its own spread for clarity:
(laid out left to right, or bottom to top if you prefer)
1 – Current circumstances
2 – Inner beliefs or judgments
3 – External influences or others’ perspectives
4 – Outcome or advice
Breaking it up like this can make it feel a lot less overwhelming, and helps you build confidence with each section before putting it all together.
