The seven-card Horse Shoe is a convenient, basic layout that can be used to answer different types of questions, especially concerning questions where insight would be helpful. Like several other layouts, it has tiles representing the past, present, and future.
The pinnacle of the Horse Shoe, looking like the top of the mountain, shows the obstacle or challenge that needs to be addressed and overcome. Tile #6 suggests a course of action to meet this challenge. The final tile shows the outcome or future, should this advice be followed.
Other clues are provided in Tiles #3 and #5, which indicate hidden or outside influences that come into play, affecting the journey to your goal.
Obstacle  Fall |
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Hidden Influences  Circles 6 |
External Influences  Plum Blossom |
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The Present  Wan 2 |
Suggestion  Circles 3 |
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The Past  Wan 5 |
The Outcome  White Dragon |
The Past Tile represents past events that are affecting the question.
Wan 5
The House stands not for the family, but for the place of dwelling itself, its architecture and character. Depending upon your past, the house can represent a place of love and shelter or a place of confinement and torment.
Wan 2
The Sword stands for an important decision you will need to make. You must be careful to use balance as you weigh your decision, or risk damage to yourself if not others.
Circles 6
The Peach stands for feminine beauty, extravagance, and unfortunately indolence. It means femininity in general, and more specifically suggests that a particular woman is a factor in this reading.
Fall
The harvest depends upon the effort you put in. The Farmer represents massive gains through hard work and dedication. It is a sign of self-sufficiency, abundance, and generosity.
Plum Blossom
The Plum represents spring, youth, innocence, inexperience, and childlike happiness. It may be a sign that you need a fresh perspective on something. Something in your life may need to be re-evaluated.
Circles 3
The Phoenix is a sign of great splendour and good feelings. Reborn out of the ashes, this sign represents rebirth, new discoveries, awakenings, healings, regeneration, and epiphany. A powerful recovery is suggested.
White Dragon
The White Dragon represents the unknown mysterious influences of the universe at work. Unknown factors may come into play, so be prepared for potential surprises.