Seven cards in an arc, from the past through counsel to outcome.
The horseshoe lays seven cards in a shallow arc and is a good middle ground: more room than a three-card line, less ceremony than the Celtic Cross. It suits a question that has a past and needs advice, not only a forecast.
The recent past and the influences that shaped the matter.
Where things stand today, as you are living them.
What is working out of sight — a factor you have not weighed, or a feeling not yet admitted.
How you are holding the question: your attitude, your part in it, what you bring to the table.
The attitudes and influence of others involved — how they see it, and what they want.
The advice of the spread: the course of action, or the attitude, that best serves you now.
The likely result if the counsel is followed and nothing else changes.
Read the arc from left to right. The first three cards describe the situation in time; the fourth, at the bottom of the curve, is your own posture; the last three turn outward to other people, to obstacles, and to the road ahead. The sixth card — the counsel — is the one to act on.