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 Letter |
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Hidden Influences  The Stork |
External Influences  The Mouse |
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The Present  The Ring |
Suggestion  The Lilies |
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The Past  The Tree |
The Outcome  The Fox |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
The Tree
The Tree is symbolic of life, health, nature, time, development, and awareness of one's place in the universe. If you do not live a healthy lifestyle already, the Tree indicates that you should become concerned about this and make changes to become healthier.
The Ring
Karma, cycles, monotony, group work, connections, contracts, promises, and protection. The Ring signifies solidification.
The Stork
The process of cleansing one's self. The stork is a deliverer. It delivers the message of card that occurs before it to the card that appears after the Stork. The ever-evolving nature of love.
The Letter
Shallow, not deep. Something is new, perhaps it is information, an idea, or a message from your inner voice. The Letter indicates that you may receive news soon, but you have to open it before you'll know if it's good news or bad news.
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 Lilies
Development of the soul, success, conscience, holiness, and learning to accept good traits and bad. The Lilies signify a happy period accomplishment.
The Fox
Deviousness, plotting, hypocrisy, lies, a warning that something is not what it seems, worldly logic, temptations, trickery. When facing away from the affected card, it means absolute honesty and survival instincts.