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  4 of Spades |
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Hidden Influences  7 of Hearts |
External Influences  3 of Clubs |
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The Present  Jack of Diamonds |
Suggestion  10 of Hearts |
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The Past  7 of Spades |
The Outcome  3 of Hearts |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
7 of Spades
This signifies a battle where your prospects are not good. The best you could hope for in this circumstance is a narrow victory costing at least as much as anything gained. More likely this battle is hopeless, though this is often difficult to accept.
Jack of Diamonds
This Jack symbolises a relative. This person may be self-interested. Be wary of a selfish, jealous, or unreliable family member's advice. Alternatively, this card could also represent a bearer of bad news.
7 of Hearts
This is a sign that someone may not be as reliable as you have hoped. It is possible that lust will cross the line and turn to debauchery. Deception, delusion, intoxication, and broken promises come with this sign.
4 of Spades
Reconciliation, compromise, and signing deals of different kinds is the meaning of this card in a reading. There will be recovery after a period of struggles. The quarrel is resolved by intellectual means.
3 of Clubs
Strong, enduring partnerships are indicated by the presence of this card. No matter which type of relationship this card refers to, it suggests a bond with great longevity.
10 of Hearts
This sign indicates pleasures fulfilled yet somehow incomplete. A brooding passion overflows beyond the limits some are willing to accept. Insatiability is indicated by the presence of this card.
3 of Hearts
This is the card of overflowing fertility and abundance. This can even mean addition to the family, as in pregnancy or adoption. Kindness, hospitality, and creativity come with this sign.