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 Cross |
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Hidden Influences  The Clouds |
External Influences  The Lilies |
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The Present  The House |
Suggestion  The Book |
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The Past  The Rods |
The Outcome  The Moon |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
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.
The House
Stability, shelter, home life, family, and responsibility. The House also indicates success in creative projects.
The Clouds
Doubts, secret fears, worries, and weakness. A negative period of time on the horizon. It is suggested that you use this period of down time to your advantage by contemplating your situation and meditating on possible ways to fix the issues that may have caused the problem.
The Cross
Symbol of fate, karma, guilt, knowledge, belief, tests, sacrifice, grand endings, tough love, and hard lessons. The Cross indicates that you may have to make a considerable sacrifice.
The Lilies
Development of the soul, success, conscience, holiness, and learning to accept good traits and bad. The Lilies signify a happy period accomplishment.
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 Moon
Magic, spiritual rituals and traditions, the past, intuitiveness, career/success, recognition, fears, and the unknown. The Moon signifies a period of uncertainty. You may be in or entering a time when it is difficult to be certain about things.