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 Moon |
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Hidden Influences  The Book |
External Influences  The Scythe |
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The Present  The Fox |
Suggestion  The Serpent |
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The Past  The Lady |
The Outcome  The Bear |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
The Lady
The Lady represents you if you are a woman. All cards in your spread are interpreted by their distance to this card.
If you are a man this card represents a strong woman with good intent who will have a positive influence on you: a friend, wife, significant other, girlfriend, love. Could also indicate intuition, passiveness, instinct, or patience.
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.
The Book
Wisdom, the Book of Life, facts, things are in good standing, learning, and the symbol of the teacher. The Book may represent a secret of great importance. This secret should be diligently sought after with an open mind, or you will gloss right over it.
The Moon
Magic, spiritual rituals and traditions, the past, intuitiveness, career/success, recognition, fears, and the unknown. The Moon signifies a period of uncertainty. You may be in or entering a time when it is difficult to be certain about things.
The Scythe
This card indicates inner knowledge, but not really wisdom. Something that one does not understand by experience, but in theory. A warning to be careful, as something that happens quickly can bring much pain. This card indicates that you will reap the harvest of what you have sewn.
The Serpent
Temptations, dark forces, cunning, deviousness, earthly intelligence, lower nature, and biological urges. The Serpent may represent someone trying to trick you. Be wary of people trying to take advantage of you, who may lead you down the wrong path. If the cards surrounding this card are favourable to you, this is a sign that you may be the one who is being devious.
The Bear
Power, great strength, protection, spiritual energy, fame, a foundation of truth – but possibly jealousy, envy, and through these, tremendous wrath. The Bear is a very powerful sign, but be wary of the potential for excessive force.