The Minor Cross (or The Simple Cross)

You can find this layout described in books by Mark McElroy and by Benebell Wen.

From A Guide to Tarot Card Reading: “When you’re ready for readings with more depth, you can opt for a more complex spread, such as the Minor Cross. It’s especially useful when you need quick insights into a persistent problem that, despite the passage of time, continues to block your progress.”

1. The Situation — This card answers the question “What’s going on?”
2. The Foundation — This card represents the person or influence that perpetuates your situation.
3. The Past — This card reveals how the Foundation has shaped past events.
4. The Catalyst — The Catalyst represents potential for change, something that can be done to shake things up, change your luck, or redirect the flow of events.
5. The Result — This card represents the outcome, or what you can expect from putting the Catalyst into play.

In Holistic Tarot: An Inte­gra­tive Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth, the Simple Cross is diagrammed with these key words:

1. (Center) Present, Heart — The current state
2. (Root) Foundation — What grounds the seeker; stability.
3. (Past) The Unfinished — What came before
4. (Crown) The Prospective — What could happen
5. (Future) Probable Outcome — What is to come