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 The Tower
Hidden Influences The Hermit		External Influences The Emperor
The Present The Sorcerer		Suggestion The Star
The Past The Lovers		The Outcome Balance

 

 

 

 

The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.

 

The Lovers

9:00 – Card 6

Male, Air, Sagittarius.

Ceration is the alchemical act of adding a liquid to the substance while heated, yielding a softer substance with a wax-like texture. Not to be confused with alchemical union, but an important step toward it.

 

 

 

 

The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.

 

The Sorcerer

AKA The Magician in traditional Tarot.

The sort of guy who knows, wills, dares and keeps his mouth shut.

 

 

 

 

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

 

The Hermit

4:00 – Card 5

Male, Air, Virgo.

A card of loneliness, disconnection and solitude. Also, a card of hope – If you have half of something it means the other half is out there somewhere. It may be far away, you may have to wade through the nastiest slums to find it, but when you do it's brilliant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obstacle - This is the challenge.

 

The Tower

10:00 – Card 4

Male, Earth, Libra.

Failure and Loss. Defeat and ruin. The higher it's built, the harder it falls and the more it crushes when it does. That doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't worth building. Defeat can be accepted and the ruins left behind in favour of greener pastures, or one can start to rebuild. The latter is more difficult, but often more rewarding.

 

 

 

 

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

 

The Emperor

In this case King Sargon of Akkad. A great ruler in his own time rarely even makes the history books in ours.

 

 

 

 

Suggestion - The recommended course of action.

 

The Star

AKA The Star in traditional Tarot.

In this case it's Perseus slaying Medusa, a homage to Marqueste's sculpture.

Crowley explained every man and woman is a star. Astrologically, we all effect the fates with our rises and falls. We also congregate into bodies which are no mere illusion, but powerful forces in time. Other people have power over you, but you too have power over them.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Balance

AKA Justice in traditional Tarot.

Not the scales of a common religious moralist and no longer a cardinal virtue, but the raw, heartless justice of nature.