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![]() 10 of Pentacles |
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Hidden Influences![]() 5 of Wands |
External Influences![]() 4 of Swords |
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The Present![]() 9 of Cups |
Suggestion![]() 3 of Cups |
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The Past![]() Page of Swords |
The Outcome![]() 6 of Swords |
The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.
Page of Swords
Chaos is dangerous to both belligerents. If you have all the arms and all the thorns in the world, you're just as much a danger to yourself if you don't keep track of them.
The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.
9 of Cups
A whole lot of cargo looks minimal when it's loaded onto a gigantic ship. This applies to more than one might expect.
Hidden Influences - Things that you may not be aware of, or barely be aware of.
5 of Wands
The means may be grotesque, but if they get you what you want you'd do well to use them.
Obstacle - This is the challenge.
10 of Pentacles
The tree of life doesn't play out flawlessly like it does in the diagrams. It's actually far more distorted than that. Don't mistake the map for the territory and follow books blindly.
External Influences - Attitudes about this situation from people around the querent.
4 of Swords
Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!
(Today is a good day to die!)
Suggestion - The recommended course of action.
3 of Cups
Based on Canova's Three Graces. And don't say there's nothing to do in the Doldrums. Time spent doing nothing isn't wasted if it was enjoyed, only if it was miserable boredom.
The Outcome - What will happen if the suggestion is followed.
6 of Swords
Something has to make the rain come down. It got up there but once there's enough of it, it falls back to Earth. It's not enough just to let it happen, if you want to understand you have to observe.