A Complete Guide to Your Tarot Birth Card

Co-authored by Jennifer McVey, Cht and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: January 3, 2023 References

Hoping to take a deeper dive into the world of tarot cards? Your tarot birth cards are a great place to start. All you need is your birthdate to get started—and we’re here to help you along the way. Read on for an in-depth look at what your birth cards mean, how to calculate them, and what your results mean for you.

Things You Should Know

Add the individual digits of your full birthdate together. If you were born on June 26, 1996, you’d add 0 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 6, which gives you 39.
Add the individual digits of your birthdate sum together to find your first birth card number. For example, 3 + 9 = 12, which makes the first card number 12.
Add the individual digits of your first birth card together to reveal your second card number. Since 1 + 2 = 3, the second card number would be 3.
Compare your card numbers with a numbered list of major arcana tarot cards to find your birth cards.

Section 1 of 3:

What is your birth card in tarot?

Your birth card outlines your core identity and approach to life. Despite the name, a tarot birth card is actually a combo of 2 or 3 major arcana tarot cards that reveal special insights and truths about who you really are and how you journey through life. There are 12 of these 2-3 card sets in total, similar to how there 12 different star signs in astrology.^{[1]
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- Like star signs, each set of tarot birth cards highlights unchanging elements of your personality and how you journey through life. ^{[2]
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  Research source} Tarot birth cards, however, are calculated with numerology rather than a range of dates.

Section 2 of 3:

How to Calculate Your Birth Card

1
Convert your birthday into an 8-digit number. Let’s say that you were born on May 8, 1995—to find your tarot birth cards, you’d write this number as 0-5-0-8-1-9-9-5.^{[3]
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Add the digits of your birthdate together, along with both digits in this sum. Take 0-5-0-8-1-9-9-5, for instance; when added together individually, you get a sum of 37. From there, add 3 and 7 together to get 10—your first birth card number.
3
Add together both digits of your first card number to get your second card number. Let’s take our previous sum, 10, for instance—we add the first and the second digit together, just like we did before. One plus 0 equals 1, which makes 1 your second number.^{[4]
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- What if your first number only adds up to 1 digit? No worries! Create a simple addition problem using 1 and the other number that adds up to your single-digit sum. Let’s say your first number added up to 3: 1 plus 2 equals 3, which makes your second number 12 (1 and 2 combined). The number 4 would give you 13 (1 + 3), 5 would give you 14 (1 + 4), 6 would give you 15 (1 + 5), 7 would give you 16 (1 + 6), 8 would give you 17 (1 + 7), and 9 would give you 18 (1 + 8).
- If your original birthday sum was 19, you actually have 3 birth card numbers. Adding 1 and 9 gives you 10, which can be further simplified to 1 (since 1 + 0 = 1). In this unique case, your birth card numbers are 19, 10, and 1.
4
Match your numbers with the corresponding tarot cards. Each major arcana tarot card is numbered the same way in every tarot deck out there. Compare your 2-3 numbers with the following list and see what your set of birth cards is—they’ll fall into 1 of 12 established card pairs or trios.
- 1: The Magician
- 2: The High Priestess
- 3: The Empress
- 4: The Emperor
- 5: The Hierophant
- 6: The Lovers
- 7: The Chariot
- 8: Strength
- 9: The Hermit
- 10: The Wheel of Fortune
- 11: Justice
- 12: The Hanged Man
- 13: Death
- 14: Temperance
- 15: The Devil
- 16: The Tower
- 17: The Star
- 18: The Moon
- 19: The Sun
- 20: Judgment
- 21: The World

Section 3 of 3:

Birth Card Meanings

1
Wheel of Fortune (10) and The Magician (1)Life may be unpredictable, but you’re ready and equipped to handle challenges of all shapes and sizes. The Wheel of Fortune represents the constant movement and spontaneity of life—but it’s not a match for the clever and adaptable Magician who always comes out stronger on the other side.
- The Wheel of Fortune traits: Ever-changing, fateful, cyclical
- The Magician traits: Resourceful, adaptable, constructive
- Key takeaway: Life is all about taking chances and exploring new horizons, but that doesn’t mean you have to constantly take risks. Take some time to meditate on your new ideas before fully committing to something new.^{[5]
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Justice (11) and The High Priestess (2)You’re great at striking a balance between Justice’s objectivity and The High Priestess’s intuition. When problems arise, you’re able to look at the facts of a situation while also offering your own helpful insights—this helps you navigate life’s challenges clearly and confidently.
- Justice traits: Fair, truthful, clear
- The High Priestess traits: Intuitive, mysterious, wise
- Key takeaway: Make sure that you’re giving your friends and loved ones the freedom and space to reach their own conclusions and make their own decisions.
3
The Hanged Man (12) and The Empress (3)The Hanged Man doesn’t signify death, but rather the patience and strength to stay in limbo during struggles and delays in your life. The nurturing, caring, and creative Empress signifies your ability to triumph above these difficulties and explore life’s challenges from a new perspective.
- The Hanged Man traits: Delayed, deferred, sacrificial
- The Empress traits: Abundant, cooperative, caring
- Key takeaway: Life may come with its fair share of sacrifices and demands, but don’t be afraid to put yourself first! Your caring and nurturing nature is admirable, but you don’t always have to put other people’s needs before your own.^{[6]
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Death (13) and The Emperor (4)In tarot, Death doesn’t stand for a physical end of life—it just represents the end of something, as well as the potential for a new beginning. When combined with the authoritative strength of The Emperor, these birth cards signify your ability to pursue these new beginnings with confidence.
- Death traits: Transformational, conclusive, emerging
- The Emperor traits: Structured, commanding, dominant
- Key takeaway: You’re great at making decisions and sticking to them—but that doesn’t mean all of your decisions have to be set in stone! Give yourself the time and freedom to consider other people’s thoughts and opinions before settling on something.
5
Temperance (14) and The Hierophant (5)Patient and harmonious, the self-restraint of Temperance and the wisdom and discipline of The Hierophant make you an excellent leader. You do your best to find solutions that work for everyone, and find peace and clarity in the goals that you set for yourself.^{[7]
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- Temperance traits: Patient, composed, peaceful
- The Hierophant traits: Wise, principled, intelligent
- Key takeaway: It’s great to look for a compromise, but don’t be afraid to face conflict head-on if the situation calls for it. It’s okay to draw a clear line in the sand!
6
The Devil (15) and The Lovers (6)Don’t worry—in the world of tarot, The Devil stands for sensuality, not evilness. When paired with the caring nature of The Lovers, this card combo represents a grounded and balanced sense of passion that guides you through life.
- The Devil traits: Sensual, hedonistic, gluttonous
- The Lovers traits: Loving, harmonious, undivided
- Key takeaway: There’s nothing wrong with leaning on others, but don’t be afraid to rely on yourself, too! Give yourself a chance to conquer your fears and doubts head-on—you’ll come out stronger on the other side.^{[8]
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The Tower (16) and The Chariot (7)You’re no stranger to life’s challenges, which are represented all too well by the upheaval of The Tower. Still, you don’t see this chaos negatively—like The Chariot, you see it as an opportunity to bring balance and steadiness back to your routine.^{[9]
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- The Tower traits: Tumultuous, rageful, chaotic
- The Chariot traits: Balanced, controlled, disciplined
- Key takeaway: It can be really tempting to make decisions on a whim, but make sure you’re striking a careful balance between logic and impulse.
8
The Star (17) and Strength (8)Just like the bright, shiny Star card, you also embody a wishful sense of hope and optimism. When paired with Strength’s steady confidence and courage, you come out with a positive, resilient spirit that can conquer any challenge.
- The Star traits: Hopeful, devoted, renewing
- Strength traits: Brave, confident, self-assured
- Key takeaway: Your hopeful sense of optimism and positivity make it easy for you to go with the flow of what other people want. Just make sure that you’re asserting your own needs and wants instead of getting swept up in the crowd!^{[10]
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The Moon (18) and The Hermit (9)The Hermit stands for reflection and solitude, which suits you perfectly—you like taking time to yourself and philosophizing about the world around you. The Moon represents these very unknowns and questions that you’re seeking the answers to. When put together, this card duo points to a contemplative and curious life where you’re always searching for the truth.^{[11]
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- The Moon traits: Uncertain, hidden, obscured
- The Hermit traits: Solitary, reflective, philosophical
- Key takeaway: Take time to touch base with some of the other people in your life! Creating time for yourself is great, but it’s just as important to stay connected with the people around you.^{[12]
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10
The Sun (19), The Wheel of Fortune (10), and The Magician (1)You’re a firecracker—you exude the warmth and cheerfulness of The Sun and the resourcefulness and manifesting power of The Magician. Just as The Wheel of Fortune constantly turns and cycles around, you’re ready to face all of the challenges life has to offer with open arms.^{[13]
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- The Sun traits: Peaceful, bountiful, jubilant
- The Wheel of Fortune traits: Ever-changing, fateful, cyclical
- The Magician traits: Resourceful, adaptable, constructive
- Key takeaway: As a product of The Sun, you love to shine brightly at the center of everyone’s radar. Just make sure that you’re giving other people an opportunity to shine, too!^{[14]
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11
Judgment (20) and The High Priestess (2)With The High Priestess’s sense of intuition and Judgment’s sense of renewal, you’re super in-tune with both yourself and the world around you. With both of these cards at the helm, your main focus in life is understanding what life is all about—not sweating the small stuff, like money, clothes, and other material things.^{[15]
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- Judgment traits: Neutral, awakened, reborn
- The High Priestess traits: Intuitive, mysterious, wise
- Key takeaway: Give yourself the time and space to form an educated opinion on something before automatically investing in a specific belief. The loudest voice in the room isn’t always the correct one!^{[16]
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12
The World (21) and The Empress (3)You embody The Empress’s loving and nurturing nature, and you enjoy loving others and being loved in return. When combined with The World’s sense of completion and perfection, your goal in life is centered on feeling as fulfilled and “completed” as possible.^{[17]
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- The Empress traits: Abundant, cooperative, caring
- The World traits: Gratifying, completed, perfect
- Key takeaway: Be sure that you’re using your time and energy wisely! It’s important to set careful priorities for yourself so you aren’t spreading yourself too thin.^{[18]
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