Uncover the Major Arcana cards that correspond to your life’s purpose and destiny. The Tarot Birth Card Calculator reduces your full birth date (MM/DD/YYYY) down to a pair of Major Arcana cards, revealing your core themes and influences.
Tarot Birth Card Calculator
Your Calculated Birth Card Pair:
Tarot Birth Card Calculation Formula
The calculation is based on the Pythagorean method of numerological reduction:
$$ S_{Total} = \sum (\text{digits of } MM + DD + YYYY) $$
$$ \text{Card } C_{1} = \text{Reduce } (S_{Total}) \text{ until } C_{1} \in \{1, 2, …, 22\} $$
$$ \text{Card } C_{2} = \text{Reduce } (S_{Total}) \text{ until } C_{2} \in \{1, 2, …, 9\} $$
The resulting Birth Card Pair is the combination of Major Arcana cards associated with the final single-digit number (Card $C_{2}$).
Formula Source: Biddy Tarot – Birth Card MeaningVariables
- Your Full Birth Date (MM/DD/YYYY): The essential input for the calculation. All digits of the month, day, and year are summed together.
Related Calculators
Explore these related tools to uncover more about your life path:
- Numerology Life Path Calculator
- Destiny Number Calculator
- Personal Year Calculator
- Ruling Planet Calculator
What is the Tarot Birth Card?
Your Tarot Birth Card is a personalized Major Arcana card (or, more commonly, a pair of cards) that is believed to represent your overarching life lessons, personality traits, and soul’s journey in this lifetime. Think of it as your astrological sun sign interpreted through the Major Arcana.
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, numbered 0 to 21, each symbolizing a stage in the journey of the Fool. The card associated with your birth date illuminates the primary energies you carry and the spiritual challenges you are destined to face and overcome.
How to Calculate Tarot Birth Cards (Example)
Let’s calculate the Birth Card Pair for the date December 16, 1988 (12/16/1988):
- Sum the Digits: $1+2+1+6+1+9+8+8 = 36$. ($S_{Total} = 36$)
- First Reduction ($C_{1}$): The sum (36) is greater than 22, so we reduce it by summing its digits: $3+6 = 9$. ($C_{1} = 9$)
- Second Reduction ($C_{2}$): The first reduction (9) is already a single digit and less than 10. The final single-digit reduction is $C_{2} = 9$.
- Identify the Pair: The most common birth card pairing for the single digit 9 is (18 / 9) or (9 / 18), corresponding to The Moon (18) and The Hermit (9).
- Result: The Birth Card Pair is The Moon (18) and The Hermit (9).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How are the 22 and 0 cards handled?
- The number 22 often represents The Fool (sometimes 0). In most calculations, 22 is reduced to 4 ($2+2=4$) for the final single digit, but some systems treat 11 and 22 as ‘Master Numbers’ and only reduce them if asked.
- Why do I get two birth cards instead of one?
- The two-card system is popular because it represents both the primary influence (the reduced card, e.g., 9) and the major life phase that card is connected to (the two-digit card, e.g., 18). They work as complementary forces.
- Is this the same as a Numerology Life Path Number?
- Yes, the final single-digit reduction ($C_{2}$) is mathematically identical to your Life Path Number. The difference is the interpretation: one uses numerology, the other uses the symbolism of the Tarot Major Arcana.
- What if my final number is 11 or 22?
- If your initial sum or first reduction step results in 11 or 22, these are often treated as ‘Master Numbers.’ When Master Numbers occur, the calculator treats the pair as (11 / 2) or (22 / 4), offering both the Master Number insight and its single-digit foundation.