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 5 of Cups
Hidden Influences The Sorceress		External Influences Knight of Swords
The Present 6 of Pentacles		Suggestion 5 of Swords
The Past 7 of Swords		The Outcome Page of Pentacles

 

 

 

 

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.

 

6 of Pentacles

Don't overlook a good solution just because it's obvious.

 

 

 

 

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

 

The Sorceress

12:00 – Card 11

AKA The Priestess in traditional Tarot. Female, Fire, Leo.

The master of events, the shaper of destiny, the will in action. The opposite of the fool, the Sorceress is active, in control. Aware instead of ignorant, wise instead of apathetic. A goddess, for the only gods that exist are men and women who make deities of themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obstacle - This is the challenge.

 

5 of Cups

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Suggestion - The recommended course of action.

 

5 of Swords

An homage to Bosch and Bruegel, and a card symbolic of victory to the well-armed and pain to the unprepared or unwilling to defend.

 

 

 

 

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.