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 Bear |
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Hidden Influences  The Moon |
External Influences  The Ship |
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The Present  The Sun |
Suggestion  The Birds |
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The Past  The Fox |
The Outcome  The Stork |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
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 Sun
Creation, brilliance, success, heat, positivity, happiness, will-power, aura, the absolute, the centre of attention. The Sun indicates great honours will be bestowed upon you.
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 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.
The Ship
On a spiritual level, the Ship symbolises desire, hope, dreams, spiritual growth, exploration, and expansion. On a material level the Ship indicates incoming wealth and material gain. However, it may indicate loss, depending on neighbouring cards. You may be making a trip soon.
The Birds
Meditation, fantasy, further education, also two older people, perhaps a couple. Butterflies and nervous excitement. The Birds may indicate social fear and subsequent flight.
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.