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:

1. The Past: Past events affecting the question.
2. The Present: The current state or approaching influence.
3. Hidden Influences: Things the reader may not be aware of (or barely be aware of).
4. Obstacles: This is the challenge: obstacles may be avoided or may have to be dealt with.
5. External Influences: Attitudes and thoughts regarding people around the reader.
6. Suggestions: Recommended course of action.
7. Outcome: The result of following the suggestions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Horse Shoe Reading

	Obstacle Queen of Cups
Hidden Influences Ace of Pentacles		External Influences The Tower
The Present Queen of Wands		Suggestion 3 of Swords
The Past 2 of Pentacles		The Outcome 4 of Swords

 

 

 

 

The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.

 

2 of Pentacles

A young man, in the act of dancing, has a pentacle in either hand, and they are joined by that endless cord which is like the number eight reversed.

Reversed Meaning:

Enforced gaiety, simulated enjoyment, literal sense, handwriting, composition, letters of exchange.

 

 

 

 

The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.

 

Queen of Wands

The Wands throughout this suit are always in leaf, as it is a suit of life and animation. Emotionally and otherwise, the Queen's personality corresponds to that of the King, but is more magnetic.

Divinatory Meaning:

A dark woman, countrywoman, friendly, chaste, loving, honourable. If the card beside her signifies a man, she is well disposed towards him; if a woman, she is interested in the Querent. Also, love of money, or a certain success in business.

 

 

 

 

Hidden Influences - Things that you may not be aware of, or barely be aware of.

 

Ace of Pentacles

A hand – issuing from a cloud – holds up a pentacle.

Divinatory Meaning:

Perfect contentment, felicity, ecstasy; also, speedy intelligence; gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obstacle - This is the challenge.

 

Queen of Cups

Beautiful, fair, dreamy – as one who sees visions in a cup. This is, however, only one of her aspects; she sees, but she also acts, and her activity feeds her dream.

Divinatory Meaning:

Good, fair woman; honest, devoted woman, who will do service to the Querent; loving intelligence, and hence the gift of vision; success, happiness, pleasure; also, wisdom, virtue; a perfect spouse and a good mother.

 

 

 

 

External Influences - Attitudes about this situation from people around the querent.

 

The Tower

Occult explanations attached to this card are meagre and mostly disconcerting. It is idle to indicate that it depicts min in all its aspects, because it bears this evidence on the surface. It is said further that it contains the first allusion to a material building, but I do not conceive that the Tower is more or less material than the pillars which we have met with in three previous cases. I see nothing to warrant Papus in supposing that it is literally the fall of Adam, but there is more in favour of his alternative – that it signifies the materialisation of the spiritual word. The bibliographer Christian imagines that it is the downfall of the mind, seeking to penetrate the mystery of God. I agree rather with Grand Orient that it is the ruin of the House of We, when evil has prevailed therein, and above all that it is the rending of a House of Doctrine. I understand that the reference is, however, to a House of Falsehood. It illustrates also in the most comprehensive way the old truth that – except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.

There is a sense in which the catastrophe is a reflection from the previous card, but not on the side of the symbolism which I have tried to indicate therein. It is more correctly a question of analogy; one is concerned with the fall into the material and animal state, while the other signifies destruction on the intellectual side. The Tower has been spoken of as the chastisement of pride and the intellect overwhelmed in the attempt to penetrate the Mystery of God; but in neither case do these explanations account for the two persons who are the living sufferers. The one is the literal word made void and the other its false interpretation. In yet a deeper sense, it may signify also the end of a dispensation, but there is no possibility here for the consideration of this involved question.

Reversed Meaning:

According to one account, the same in a lesser degree also oppression, imprisonment, tyranny.

 

 

 

 

Suggestion - The recommended course of action.

 

3 of Swords

Three swords piercing a heart; cloud and rain behind.

Reversed Meaning:

Mental alienation, error, loss, distraction, disorder, confusion.

 

 

 

 

The Outcome - What will happen if the suggestion is followed.

 

4 of Swords

The effigy of a knight in the attitude of prayer, at full length upon his tomb.

Reversed Meaning:

Wise administration, circumspection, economy, avarice, precaution, testament.