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 layouts, it has tiles 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. Tile #6 suggests a course of action to meet this challenge. The final tile shows the outcome or future, should this advice be followed.
Other clues are provided in Tiles #3 and #5, which indicate hidden or outside influences that come into play, affecting the journey to your goal.
Obstacle  Circles 3 |
||
Hidden Influences  Wan 9 |
External Influences  Green Dragon |
|
The Present  East Wind |
Suggestion  Winter |
|
The Past  Bamboo 7 |
The Outcome  Wan 8 |
The Past Tile represents past events that are affecting the question.
Bamboo 7
The Tortoise symbolises the world or universe and its consciousness of the self. This may be a time when it is best to move slowly. Patience will be important. This is a symbol of slow and steady progress, prosperity, and longevity.
East Wind
The East Wind tile represents you. Tiles adjacent to the East tile in a reading should be given added weight.
Green, spring, wood, dragon
Wan 9
The Heaven tile signifies achievement, completion, and fulfilment. It suggests perfect contentment and a time you can be free to kick back and feast upon the fruits of your labours.
Circles 3
The Phoenix is a sign of great splendour and good feelings. Reborn out of the ashes, this sign represents rebirth, new discoveries, awakenings, healings, regeneration, and epiphany. A powerful recovery is suggested.
Green Dragon
The Green Dragon symbolises a commencement or beginning of a new project. Perhaps this will take your life in a whole new direction. You can choose to look upon this with anticipation or anxiety.
Winter
The Scholar represents the cultured mind, prudence, and spiritual development. Some think of this tile more specifically as Confucius. This is the sign of refinement of the intellect and the mastery of intellectually oriented tasks.
Wan 8
The Knot tile stands for both tying and setting loose. If this tile appears in the reading with the Sword tile (2 Wan), it suggests that the time to sever your connection to someone or something has arrived. However, if the Duck tile (2 Bamboo) is in this reading, this indicates the strengthening of an existing bond.