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 Knight of Wands
Hidden Influences 10 of Swords		External Influences Queen of Pentacles
The Present Knight of Swords		Suggestion The Norn
The Past 7 of Swords		The Outcome 5 of Cups

 

 

 

 

The Past represents past events that are affecting the question.

 

7 of Swords

An Homage to Kurosawa. Seven swords belonging to seven Samurai.

In a realistic movie, even masters can die, and life has a tendency to move like the most implausible plot.

 

 

 

 

The Present represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.

 

Knight of Swords

The guillotine is the most effective method of killing ever invented. You can poison or shock or stab or shoot people but nothing is so certain to cause death as severing their head. Amazing how fast the world forgot that.

 

 

 

 

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

 

10 of Swords

Classic iconography. Classic significance: Absolute destruction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obstacle - This is the challenge.

 

Knight of Wands

Read 'The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha', preferably the edition with illustrations by Gustav Dore. At the very least see the play 'Man of La Mancha'.

Mock what lunatics you may, but at some point you've been the fool too, and fools, whatever else they are, are also the best dreamers.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Queen of Pentacles

You can prefer quality over quantity or quantity over quality, but both are valid for different applications. Sometimes a lot of cheap crap does the job, sometimes fewer of the finest is better. Know which is which and don't mistake the two. When in doubt, go with tons of the best.

 

 

 

 

Suggestion - The recommended course of action.

 

The Norn

2:00 – Card 10

AKA The Wheel of Fortune in traditional Tarot. Female, Air, Gemini.

Symbolic of fate, and what is fate but change? Everything changes in time; change is the only constant. What one cannot control one must predict, and act in accordance with. Opposition to the inevitable yields only pain.

 

 

 

 

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

 

5 of Cups

The problem with a hand of glory is that wax melts and glory fades.