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  The Key |
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Hidden Influences  The Child |
External Influences  The Mountain |
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The Present  The Anchor |
Suggestion  The Lilies |
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The Past  The Mouse |
The Outcome  The Ring |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
The Mouse
Obstacles, losses, hidden enemies, old debts, secrets that eat away at a person, annoyances. The Mouse signifies some minor losses from which you should recover easily, as long as you deal with them while they are still small.
The Anchor
Lifestyle, foundation, roots, gravity, and security in work or relationships. The Anchor indicates a firm base of success and profit from your endeavours. Now is a good time for you aggressively work towards your goals.
The Child
The Child indicates youth, inexperience, naiveness, playfulness, and small size. The appearance of the Child may foretell a child coming into your life.
The Key
Understanding, truth, knowledge, advice, probabilities, and possibilities. The Key means that you have what it takes to move on to another level.
The Mountain
Obstacles, danger, frustration, roadblocks, coldness, and hard work. The Mountain indicates a difficult challenge that will most likely isolate you from friends and enemies alike.
The Lilies
Development of the soul, success, conscience, holiness, and learning to accept good traits and bad. The Lilies signify a happy period accomplishment.
The Ring
Karma, cycles, monotony, group work, connections, contracts, promises, and protection. The Ring signifies solidification.