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 Clover |
||
Hidden Influences  The Lilies |
External Influences  The Book |
|
The Present  The Coffin |
Suggestion  The Stork |
|
The Past  The Anchor |
The Outcome  The Rods |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
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 Coffin
Transformation, adaptation, major changes, secrets uncovered, beginnings, and endings. The Coffin foretells that something will be coming to an end, which means you will need to adapt.
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 Clover
The Clover is a symbol of good luck, hope, simplicity, and nature. This card indicates a sudden burst of good luck coming your way.
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 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 Rods
The Rod represents family quarrels, arguments, heated debate, domestic trouble, strife, cleansing by fire, consequences, and the number two and duality. This card indicates the need to make some significant changes in your domestic situation.