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 Queen of Swords
Hidden Influences IV – The Emperor		External Influences Five of Wands
The Present Three of Cups		Suggestion XVI – The Tower
The Past King of Coins		The Outcome Six of Coins

Hospitality and charity. Exhibiting extravagant generosity. Good business or financial advice. Success in business ventures or projects. A philanthropist or benefactor. A 'sugar daddy'.

Be careful of overindulgence; too much of a good thing can cause problems. The cancelation of a celebration or party. Hanging with a bad crowd. Betrayal of friends. 'Misery loves company'.

Seeing everything as being black and white or 'set in stone'. An abuse of power and authority. Challenging authority through insubordination. Being burdened with too much responsibility. A failure to act rationally. A coward, tyrant, or bully. Having issues with your father.

Being moralistic, self-righteous, sanctimonious, prudish, or emotionally barren. Someone behind the scenes is pulling the strings. Someone is not what she seems. She may be wearing a mask, or she may be using guile and cunning to manipulate someone to do something for her or to do things her way.

Finding a way to make a chaotic situation be productive instead. Rising above the chaos and turmoil around you. 'You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs'. Complications or problems in your life can be overcome with some effort. The end of struggles. You are being held back by your conflicted feelings about something.

The end or resolution of a crisis. A time to pick up the pieces and move forward. Alternately, an inability to move forward because you feel confined by powers beyond your control. The discovery that a crisis that you hated was actually 'a cosmic kick in the pants' which has liberated you from a bad situation.

Refusal or inability to pay off a debt. Financial sources drying up. Refusal of a request for money. A commercial or business venture needs more capital. A time to watch your spending. An unhealthy dependency on the generosity of others.