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 Tree |
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Hidden Influences  The Child |
External Influences  The Dog |
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The Present  The Cross |
Suggestion  The Letter |
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The Past  The House |
The Outcome  The Key |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
The House
Stability, shelter, home life, family, and responsibility. The House also indicates success in creative projects.
The Cross
Symbol of fate, karma, guilt, knowledge, belief, tests, sacrifice, grand endings, tough love, and hard lessons. The Cross indicates that you may have to make a considerable sacrifice.
The Child
The Child indicates youth, inexperience, naiveness, playfulness, and small size. The appearance of the Child may foretell a child coming into your life.
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 Dog
A follower, faith, belief, simple kindred spirit, friendliness, connection, friend(s), obedience, finding one's role in the group. The Dog indicates you have a true friendship you can rely on.
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 Key
Understanding, truth, knowledge, advice, probabilities, and possibilities. The Key means that you have what it takes to move on to another level.