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 spreads, it has cards 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. Card #6 suggests a course of action to meet this challenge. The final card shows the outcome or future, should this advice be followed.
Other clues are provided in Cards #3 and #5, which indicate hidden or outside influences that come into play, affecting the journey to your goal.
Obstacle  Jack of Diamonds |
||
Hidden Influences  3 of Spades |
External Influences  9 of Clubs |
|
The Present  Queen of Hearts |
Suggestion  7 of Spades |
|
The Past  King of Diamonds |
The Outcome  Queen of Spades |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
King of Diamonds
This symbolises a fair-haired man who has natural magnetism in pursuits of material gain. He may be a skilful farmer, builder, natural scientist, or business man. In his stubbornness he may appear dull or unsophisticated to some.
Queen of Hearts
This card suggests a fair-haired woman with a gentle and pleasant personality. She is almost stereotypically passive and receptive. This card is particularly influenced by the energies of the adjacent cards in a reading. She may have the heart of a poet.
3 of Spades
This sign represents sorrow and sadness. It could indicate a relationship gone wrong, bad feelings, or break ups. Discord and melancholy are indicated by this card. However, if other hearts are adjacent to this card, it means faithfulness and honesty in relationships of all kinds.
Jack of Diamonds
This Jack symbolises a relative. This person may be self-interested. Be wary of a selfish, jealous, or unreliable family member's advice. Alternatively, this card could also represent a bearer of bad news.
9 of Clubs
This suggests great strength and endurance will be necessary. If you face the challenge you will certainly triumph. Health and recovery may also come into play.
7 of Spades
This signifies a battle where your prospects are not good. The best you could hope for in this circumstance is a narrow victory costing at least as much as anything gained. More likely this battle is hopeless, though this is often difficult to accept.
Queen of Spades
This symbolises a dark-haired woman who may be attractive, seductive, and/or unscrupulous. You should be on your toes because deception is in the air. Is it possible that you are deceiving yourself?