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 Book |
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Hidden Influences  The Clover |
External Influences  The Crossroads |
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The Present  The Anchor |
Suggestion  The Letter |
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The Past  The Child |
The Outcome  The Rods |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
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 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 Clover
The Clover is a symbol of good luck, hope, simplicity, and nature. This card indicates a sudden burst of good luck coming your way.
The Book
Wisdom, the Book of Life, facts, things are in good standing, learning, and the symbol of the teacher. The Book may represent a secret of great importance. This secret should be diligently sought after with an open mind, or you will gloss right over it.
The Crossroads
A choice, probability, not knowing, doubts. The Crossroads indicate the need to make a choice. You can easily avoid your problems, but you may wish to address these issues before they grow so big that they will take far more energy to deal with.
The Letter
Shallow, not deep. Something is new, perhaps it is information, an idea, or a message from your inner voice. The Letter indicates that you may receive news soon, but you have to open it before you'll know if it's good news or bad news.
The Rods
The Rod represents family quarrels, arguments, heated debate, domestic trouble, strife, cleansing by fire, consequences, and the number two and duality. This card indicates the need to make some significant changes in your domestic situation.