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 4 of Pentacles
Hidden Influences Balance		External Influences The Theocrat
The Present 9 of Swords		Suggestion 6 of Swords
The Past The Devils		The Outcome Page of Pentacles

 

 

 

 

The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.

 

The Devils

11:00 – Card 9

AKA The Devil in traditional Tarot. Female, Fire, Capricorn.

Predators, perpetrators, the strong over the weak. They are movers and manipulators of fate, but always at each other’s throats. Time devours its own children and this is the card of that act, for time itself is only a continuum, it's really time's children that devour each other.

 

 

 

 

The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.

 

9 of Swords

Drawn on July 4th to the sound of fireworks. Weapons and explosives are now components of ritual as often as components of battle. I suppose they always were.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obstacle - This is the challenge.

 

4 of Pentacles

It doesn't always come out the way you wanted. That doesn't mean you can't still enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

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

 

The Theocrat

1:00 – Card 8

AKA The Hierophant in traditional Tarot. Male, Fire, Taurus.

The master, the controller, the employer. To force one's will upon others and make them work for your own benefits. Not always a cruel thing if it's done right. But it's so rarely done right.

 

 

 

 

Suggestion - The recommended course of action.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Page of Pentacles

An homage to Arthur Edward Waite, Aleister Crowley and George Sprague, the three revolutionary authors of Tarot systems that inspired this deck. Also, a very bad pun, apologies.

Life demands study, not worship. Study your problems, don't just pray for them to go away.