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 Ring |
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Hidden Influences  The Ship |
External Influences  The Coffin |
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The Present  The Birds |
Suggestion  The Lilies |
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The Past  The Lady |
The Outcome  The Mountain |
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 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 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 Ring
Karma, cycles, monotony, group work, connections, contracts, promises, and protection. The Ring signifies solidification.
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 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.