The seven-card Horse Shoe is a convenient, basic layout that can be used to answer different types of questions, especially concerning questions where insight would be helpful. Like several other spreads, it has cards representing the past, present, and future.
The pinnacle of the Horse Shoe, looking like the top of the mountain, shows the obstacle or challenge that needs to be addressed and overcome. Card #6 suggests a course of action to meet this challenge. The final card shows the outcome or future, should this advice be followed.
Other clues are provided in Cards #3 and #5, which indicate hidden or outside influences that come into play, affecting the journey to your goal.
Obstacle  The Anchor |
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Hidden Influences  The Bear |
External Influences  The Castle |
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The Present  The Child |
Suggestion  The Fox |
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The Past  The Birds |
The Outcome  The Heart |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
The Birds
Meditation, fantasy, further education, also two older people, perhaps a couple. Butterflies and nervous excitement. The Birds may indicate social fear and subsequent flight.
The Child
The Child indicates youth, inexperience, naiveness, playfulness, and small size. The appearance of the Child may foretell a child coming into your life.
The Bear
Power, great strength, protection, spiritual energy, fame, a foundation of truth – but possibly jealousy, envy, and through these, tremendous wrath. The Bear is a very powerful sign, but be wary of the potential for excessive force.
The Anchor
Lifestyle, foundation, roots, gravity, and security in work or relationships. The Anchor indicates a firm base of success and profit from your endeavours. Now is a good time for you aggressively work towards your goals.
The Castle
Earthly power, dominion, law and order, material success, stability, skill in confrontation, aloofness, remoteness, and the elevation of the spirit. The Castle is a sign you will attain success and stability.
The Fox
Deviousness, plotting, hypocrisy, lies, a warning that something is not what it seems, worldly logic, temptations, trickery. When facing away from the affected card, it means absolute honesty and survival instincts.
The Heart
Love, feelings, the heart of something, connection, the Soul.