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:
- The Past: Past events affecting the question.
- The Present: The current state or approaching influence.
- Hidden Influences: Things the reader may not be aware of (or barely be aware of).
- Obstacles: This is the challenge: obstacles may be avoided or may have to be dealt with.
- External Influences: Attitudes and thoughts regarding people around the reader.
- Suggestions: Recommended course of action.
- Outcome: The result of following the suggestions.
Your Horse Shoe Reading
Obstacle![]() King of Wands |
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Hidden Influences![]() Four of Swords |
External Influences![]() XX – Judgement |
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The Present![]() Queen of Swords |
Suggestion![]() VI – The Lovers |
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The Past![]() Five of Pentacles |
The Outcome![]() Five of Swords |
The Past Card represents past events that are affecting the question.
Five of Pentacles
The 5 of Pentacles indicates emotional, physical, material and /or spiritual crises that manifest as loss and lack on the physical plane. Look within. Determine what must be changed to improve your situation. Healing the inside. Weed. Amend your soil. Forgiveness of yourself, others. Transform negative thought patterns while not feeling sorry for yourself, not being a separatist, or blind to the blessings all around. Anger is a fabulous reminder that there are still some things misunderstood, and if you're mad at yourself, change gears with a nap, a warm bath, or meditation. Feel the hope and bright warmth hiding in oppressive circumstances.
Creatively using oppressive circumstances, rise above your own limitations. Recognise your own appreciation. . .Drop the things that are expected but unnecessary and you get more valuable all the time!
Beware of daydreams that substitute patterns that keep you from manifesting your dreams. Think self-limitation, your soul becoming more conscious, isolation for the purpose of gathering strength and gaining focus to develop your own uniqueness. Shamanic work is also indicated. Simply value your life. . .and do not act on reactive impulses. As soon as you decide, then take at least ONE more step. It may feel like rock bottom, but perspective can also place that as something strong on which to stand. Look for the glow!
The Present Card represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.
Queen of Swords
The Queen of Swords indicates shrewdness, holding back opinion until saying exactly what feels to be said. This demeanour of constitution makes opinions distinctly clear. Intelligence. Professionalism. You can see right through any lies that are presented to you at this time. Further, the ability to incorporate the truth of the situation clearly and directly in context in the moment is indicated.
Hidden Influences - Things that you may not be aware of, or barely be aware of.
Four of Swords
The 4 of Swords indicates coming to fruition or the manifestation of an idea, along with a foundation or 'space' where things can grow.
Also indicated is a preparation time. Grow YOUR diamond in YOUR rough times. Here. . .never hurry, never rest. Pace. Enhance your preparedness without locking your muscles into play. Direct a calm flow.
Obstacle - This is the challenge.
King of Wands
The King of Wands indicates charismatic leadership within and flowing from yourself or invigorating your flow. Now is the time to get done what needs to be done, and it will get done! And, once complete, everyone will be wonderfully pleased with the results.
External Influences - Attitudes about this situation from people around the querent.
XX – Judgement
Judgment indicates a weightlessness of memory in mind that exacts a heavy toll or provides one with a breadth of self-born experience. It is indicated to not dig in your dirt at this time in respect for your own dead. In respectful remembrance forget them to sprouting and flowering naturally as you simply amend your soil.
It is indicated that you alone carry your memories into the present, no more at the mercy of your past, than you are of old photo albums. Take more pictures! Judgment indicates the respectful remembrance of perennials poking their noses up in newly amended soil.
Now is indicated to be a time where the cycles of your memories will flourish.
* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.
Suggestion - The recommended course of action.
VI – The Lovers
The Lovers indicate vibrant joineries embedded in a mutual harmony. Indicates a coming together of lovers, of ideas, of energies. Feel the vibrancy of your confidence and purpose. Feel your wholehearted respect in powerful witness with your love. There is vitality at every scale for you at this time! Now is a grand time for enhancing and strengthening partnerships in your personal and business realms. * A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.
The Outcome - What will happen if the suggestion is followed.
Five of Swords
The 5 of Swords indicates feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat. Everything is out to get you or there is no way out. Beware of truth- against-the-world thinking as it is only ego-echoes tantrum-ing through what may be depression or low energy. Your ego's socio-pathing you so to speak, and remember that some studies have shown that it can only tantrum for 2 minutes at a time. Right now, its endurance may be dealing you successive strikes. Weather this storm as your inner storm making your outer one. Cease pitying yourself! Cease pitying yourself! DO NOT return the ego-echo's call! You DO NOT need to perfect yourself to be loved! Feel that!
The 5 of Swords indicates that with some careful reassessment, or simply a good bout of forgetting transparent beliefs, you will be free to accomplish your visualised outcomes again before too long. Go get the oil changed in your car if it's time, and empathise with that process. Google it. You might just feel like you've exploded. There WAS calm before the storm. You will MAKE calm as it becomes AFTER the storm. Do it differently this time, though. The landscape may be a little different after a storm.
Also, think about it this way: as with splitting wood with an adze which is stuck and all work is stopped. Stop pulling. Stop whacking. Tap your adze. Get yourself out of your heart knot and wipe your brow.
* A manner of reading a reversal is to emphasise rather than a reversed meaning, an internal meaning relating more to one's inner self than indicating the outer world. Read the card with your inner context, what it says to you about your inner person.
