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![]() Three of Clubs |
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Hidden Influences![]() Queen of Hearts |
External Influences![]() Eight of Hearts |
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The Present![]() Seven of Clubs |
Suggestion![]() Three of Spades |
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The Past![]() Four of Diamonds |
The Outcome![]() Eight of Spades |
The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.
Four of Diamonds
Power (Sun in Capricorn): Radiating with the commanding energy of the Sun in Capricorn, the Four of Diamonds symbolises earthly dominion and structured success. This card speaks to the attainment of power through established order, discipline, and skilled confrontation. It indicates that mastery over your environment is achievable through strategic control and authority—reminding you that the wise use of power can create stability and influence in the material realm.
Earthly power, dominion, law and order, material success, skill in confrontation.
The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.
Seven of Clubs
Valour (Mars in Leo): Embodying the courageous spirit of Mars in Leo, the Seven of Clubs champions the power of bravery in the face of adversity. This card reflects the grit required to overcome ongoing challenges—even if the victories are small, they are hard-won and significant. It is a call to confront obstacles head-on, relying on your inner valour and determination. It reminds you that every courageous step, no matter how modest, builds the foundation for enduring strength.
Struggles, obstacles, difficulties met with courage. Small victories.
Hidden Influences - Things that you may not be aware of, or barely be aware of.
Queen of Hearts
Cancer: A luminous, poetic soul, she exudes a dreamy and tranquil sensitivity that enchants all who come near. Deeply receptive, her nurturing nature is both a wellspring of inspiration and, at times, dependent on the energies surrounding her. She invites you to explore your inner landscape with creativity and compassion while maintaining the strength to stand on your own.
Obstacle - This is the challenge.
Three of Clubs
Virtue (Sun in Aries): Radiating with the intense light of the Sun in Aries, the Three of Clubs celebrates the realisation of a noble vision. It heralds the flourishing of creative ambition, where hope transforms into achievement. Yet, while it honours pride in one's pursuits, it also cautions against the perils of arrogance. This card invites you to honour your successes with humility—using your newfound strength to inspire rather than dominate.
External Influences - Attitudes about this situation from people around the querent.
Eight of Hearts
Indolence (Saturn in Pisces): Here, the Eight of Hearts reflects a state of emotional stagnation—a weariness that comes from either a deliberate renunciation of worldly pursuits or a surrender to melancholic inertia. Under Saturn's disciplined influence in Pisces, it signals a pause, a moment of introspection where success is abandoned or delayed. This card prompts you to assess whether you're disengaging from life out of necessary spiritual recalibration or simply succumbing to apathy, urging you to find the courage to reawaken your heart's ambitions.
Success abandoned, apathy, misery, transience, instability, a small victory. Sometimes means abandonment of materialistic pursuits in favour of the spiritual.
Suggestion - The recommended course of action.
Three of Spades
Sorrow (Saturn in Libra): Shrouded in melancholy, the Three of Spades brings the weight of sorrow and disruption. Under the sombre influence of Saturn in Libra, it embodies the inevitability of loss, delay, and separation. This card gently warns that the seeds of discord and melancholy, though painful, are integral to the cyclical nature of growth—each moment of sorrow paving the way for deeper wisdom.
Melancholy, disruption, discord, delay, separation.
The Outcome - What will happen if the suggestion is followed.
Eight of Spades
Interference (Jupiter in Gemini): Marked by the restless energy of Jupiter in Gemini, the Eight of Spades warns against the dangers of distraction and needless complexity. It speaks of interference—where attention to minutiae undermines the broader vision, leading to restrictions and unforeseen misfortunes. This card urges you to step back from over-analysis and focus on the larger picture, lest the clutter of details obscure your true objectives and sap your momentum.