Thirteen: Question about your Horseshoe spread

Hi, Thirteen:

Using the Horseshoe spread in your Tarot Reading Companion, the 5 of swords reversed appeared in the action position (#6) in order to achieve the 4 of cups in the outcome position (#7). I came away with that it was suggesting forgiveness of an act of treachery in order to reach a truce, even if that truce has a "whatevs" quality--it will be less cantankerous than not letting the previous treachery go.

My question isn't about the meaning of these specific cards in relation to one another so much as more generally, what happens when the action card is typically not an action one would take/recommend, nor the outcome one would expect or want? Is there an alternative way to read #6 and #7, similar to Rachel Pollack's "best possible outcome" vs. "outcome" being instead a "potential" outcome or a follow-on, more permanent outcome to the initial one.

Thanks.

Leatherstockings

Moderator Note

Welcome to Aeclectic, leatherstockings!

Please take a moment to read the UTC Posting Rules. You may list and/or discuss up to half of the cards from a reading you've done. If you only wish to discuss the cards in positions 6 and 7, please edit your post to remove mention of the other cards as complete readings of any number of cards (one through the whole deck) are discussed in the Your Readings forum. If you would like to discuss the whole reading, this thread can be moved to that forum.

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As Reader, I wouldn't try to change the meaning of the card position just because the card that came up isn't what I would take or recommend as an action or because the outcome isn't what one would expect or want. I would (and have) taken that as an opportunity to stretch my tarot muscles to make the interpretation of the card fit the positional meaning.

Since you tend to use the Rider Waite, take a look at the image on the 5S. If you could talk to the people in the card, what actions might you suggest to them? For the person in the forefront of the card, you probably would say something like, "Don't be so mean!" or "Don't be such a bully!" To the retreating figures you might say something like, "Stand up for yourselves!" Do any of those actions resonate for the reading you did?

Take a look at the image in the 4C. Isn't is also possible that he's ignoring the distraction of the fourth cup so that he can focus on the three cups before him? What's often called boredom could be concentration in this case.

So, for example, the 5S as action could be telling a woman not to let her husband/children/pets monopolize her time so that she can do the things she wants to do (4C). That probably doesn't apply to the reading you did, but hopefully it will give you some ideas on how to interpret those cards in ways that make sense for the reading you did.

If I were going to alter a spread position, I would do it before I laid down any cards, not because I couldn't make sense of the card that fell in that position.

Rodney

leatherstockings said:

Using the Horseshoe spread in your Tarot Reading Companion, the 5 of swords reversed appeared in the action position (#6) in order to achieve the 4 of cups in the outcome position (#7). I came away with that it was suggesting forgiveness of an act of treachery in order to reach a truce, even if that truce has a "whatevs" quality--it will be less cantankerous than not letting the previous treachery go.

Click to expand...

Well, to me reversed cards are usually ones where the typical energy is blocked. The 5/Swords card is typically about "Defeat." So, the implication is that if you try to fight (verbally we presume) you will be defeated either because you were unprepared or underestimated your opponent. If this energy is blocked, then the advice on what action to take would, it seems to be don't argue or engage. Avoid defeat. So, you might well be saying, 'I'm so upset, I have to say something..." But the horseshoe says, "don't."

4/Cups is typically the status quo. You may wish things were different, but you have to keep in mind what you have rather than what you don't. So, this action will maintain a status quo that might be more positive then you think.

As for the second part, I think Rodney has answered that very well. This is an action that the cards recommend, and this is the outcome that you will most likely get if you take it. You can take a very different action if you like...and ask the cards what will happen if you do. The cards don't direct your life, you do. All they give you is the best recommendation for what might be the best possible outcome.

And if you think about it, most of us end up asking the cards for help because the action we would take/recommend hasn't been working for us. And maybe if we do something outside our comfort zone or not what we'd usually do, and get an unexpected outcome...well, that could shake up, change, alter our lives. Where as if we do exactly what we would expect to do to in hopes of getting the outcome we expect...we might just end up back at square one. Asking the cards yet again what to do, because things didn't turn out as we'd hoped.

Putting it another way, if you always take the right hand road, and never get what you're after, and someone recommends taking the left-hand road...why wouldn't you give it a try? You can always go back to the old way if it's not to your liking.

Thirteen said:

Putting it another way, if you always take the right hand road, and never get what you're after, and someone recommends taking the left-hand road...why wouldn't you give it a try? You can always go back to the old way if it's not to your liking.

Click to expand...

This. Listen to this.

Thirteen and Rodney:

Thanks for your thoughtful replies. I use the RW deck because I only read for myself and there is so much literature on that deck, it makes it harder for me to inflect my readings with "wishful thinking" via fanciful interpretations: instead, just read what the canon says, because it's accepted, tried and true.

The downside to this, however, is that I tend to err on the side of being far too literal, even though I do tend to have fairly complex, immediate understandings of what the cards are trying to show me. In short, I can often ignore the truth in favor of the safe.

In the end, that is really how I treat the cards: as elements of a story that I am telling myself. I enjoy the dialogue. The tricky part is knowing when as the author setting the rules, such as [[[If I were going to alter a spread position, I would do it before I laid down any cards, not because I couldn't make sense of the card that fell in that position]]], the resolution might not be as gratifying as were I instead to allow the characters and plots to develop on their own [[[most of us end up asking the cards for help because the action we would take/recommend hasn't been working for us.]]]

Still, thanks, because I think the insights you provided do dovetail with ones I took away from the story, reinforcing the other cards' assigned plots and motivations. Having it come from another source (this thread), I am more assured.

Leatherstockings