The Celtic Cross is the classic spread for a layered question. Ten cards, read in two groups.
The central cross
The first cards hold the heart of the matter: what's happening now, the challenge crossing it, the root beneath it, the recent past that led here, the aim or possible outcome above, and the near future just ahead. Together they show the question's inner shape.
The staff
The last four open outward: your own stance, the surrounding environment and other people, your hopes and fears (often the same card wearing two faces), and the likely outcome if things continue.
How to use it
Don't translate ten cards one by one — find the through-line first. What repeats across the spread? That theme matters more than any single position. Reserve the Celtic Cross for genuinely complex questions; for a small one, it only feels heavy.