Horse Shoe Spread

Difficulty: Easy
The Horse Shoe is a classic tarot spread. It is more advanced than the three-card reading, yet simpler than most other spreads. It is a versatile method that can be used for most queries, though there are other spreads which would go into more depth. Like the simple Past, Present, and Future spread, it contains these cards in positions #1, #2, and #7, but also has four other tarot cards that help the reader understand how to deal with the future better. The cards are to be read as follows:
- The Past: Past events affecting the question.
- The Present: The current state or approaching influence.
- Hidden Influences: Things the reader may not be aware of (or barely be aware of).
- Obstacles: This is the challenge: obstacles may be avoided or may have to be dealt with.
- External Influences: Attitudes and thoughts regarding people around the reader.
- Suggestions: Recommended course of action.
- Outcome: The result of following the suggestions.
Your Horse Shoe Reading
Obstacle![]() The Letter |
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Hidden Influences![]() The Fox |
External Influences![]() The Mountain |
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The Present![]() The Child |
Suggestion![]() The Key |
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The Past![]() The Fishes |
The Outcome![]() The Mice |
The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.
The Fishes
Intellectualism, psychic abilities, material success, luxury, and wealth. Also, instability, excess, drugs, and alcohol. The Fishes are a sign of great fortune, but also a warning to set boundaries or luxury may lead to corruption.
The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.
The Child
The Child indicates youth, inexperience, naiveness, playfulness, and small size. The appearance of the Child may suggest a child coming into your life.
Hidden Influences - Things that you may not be aware of, or barely be aware of.
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.
Obstacle - This is the challenge.
The Letter
The Book is symbolic of hidden knowledge. The element of water got the quality to neutralise all polarities, all possibilities. The Letter is open and shows us a bit of this knowledge or information. This means news or communication in one direction, opening for new possibilities.
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.
External Influences - Attitudes about this situation from people around the querent.
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.
Suggestion - The recommended course of action.
The Key
Understanding, truth, knowledge, advice, probabilities, and possibilities. The Key means that you have what it takes to move on to another level.
The Outcome - What will happen if the suggestion is followed.
The Mice
Obstacles, losses, hidden enemies, old debts, secrets that eat away at a person, annoyances. The Mouse signifies some minor losses from which you should recover easily, as long as you deal with them while they are still small.