7 cards · intermediate
The Horseshoe Spread spread
The horseshoe lays seven cards in an open curve, like the shoe it is named after. It covers much of the same ground as the Celtic Cross, from what has passed to where things are going, but in fewer cards and a simpler order, which makes it a good step up from three-card readings. It is particularly useful for a situation that involves other people or influences you cannot fully see, because it gives those their own places.
The horseshoe is widely used and turns up in many twentieth-century fortune-telling books, with ordinary playing cards as well as tarot, but its origin is unclear and the meanings of the positions vary from one source to another. The version here follows the most common sequence. The shape is often linked to the horseshoe as a luck charm, though that may be later decoration rather than the reason for the name.
The positions
- 1
The past
Recent events or influences that have shaped the situation and are still felt.
- 2
The present
Where things stand now, and the main energy at work in the situation.
- 3
Hidden influences
Something at work beneath the surface: an unspoken feeling, an overlooked factor or a motive not yet admitted.
- 4
The obstacle
The main difficulty at the centre of the matter, whether it lies in the circumstances or in you.
- 5
Other people
The attitudes and influence of those around you, and how they bear on the question.
- 6
Advice
An approach or quality that would help: what this card suggests you do or bring.
- 7
The direction
Where things are tending if the influences shown continue. Read it alongside the advice card, which can change it.
How to lay and read it
Lay the cards from left to right along the curve, starting at the upper left, dipping through the bottom and rising again on the right. The first three cards set the scene: past, present and what is hidden. The fourth, at the bottom of the curve, is the obstacle at the centre of the matter. The last three look outwards and forwards: other people, advice and the likely direction. Read the two arms against each other: the left arm is how things came to be, the right arm what can be done.
Tips
- Card 4 sits at the low point of the curve for a reason: much of the reading turns on it.
- Read the advice card (6) before the outcome card (7), and ask how acting on it might change the outcome.
- If the hidden influences card surprises you, take time with it: it often names the real question.
Questions that suit this spread
- What do I need to understand about the difficulties in my new job?
- What is really holding back this move?
- How can I handle the situation with my landlord more wisely?
Other spreads
Celtic CrossThree-Card Spread (Past, Present, Future)Situation, Action, OutcomeMind, Body, SpiritOne-Card Daily DrawYes or NoRelationship SpreadCareer Path SpreadTwo Paths (Decision Spread)New Moon IntentionsTwelve Houses SpreadShadow Self Spread