Tarot Birth Cards: What Are They & How Do You Find Yours?

Lexi Hikari
Published February 22, 2022

We all know and love the mystical art of Tarot; it brings a bit of light, clarity, and insight into our lives even in the darkest of times.

If you ever find yourself pondering large questions for Tarot like what your wider path or journey in life is supposed to look like, or what kinds of lessons you’re meant to learn while on Earth, you may have cracked open your favorite deck to demand answers.

But did you know that we all have assigned Tarot cards at birth, fit to shed light on these very queries?

Today we’ll dive deeper into Tarot birth cards and how you can find yours.

What is a Tarot Birth Card?

Birth cards are also sometimes called “soul cards” — we hold onto them as core pieces of ourselves for a long time. After all, it’s in the name: it’s been with us since birth!

These cards are always of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. And although the energy of the cards assigned to you at birth may be ever-present, it may look a little different for everyone in practice.

Perhaps their energy is a source of struggle, more like a repeating lesson for you to return to time and time again. However, once you face it head-on, that’s where you’ll unlock the power of those cards!

If you’ve stumbled across this topic before, you also may have noticed that some people calculate Tarot birth cards distinctively from others, or may differently accept a certain number of birth cards (usually ranging from 1-3).

Here’s the key: although methods of calculating your birth card may vary, one thing will always be central: your Tarot birth cards are still a core part of what makes you… you!

Calculating Your Tarot Birth Cards

If you’ve been paying attention, you already noticed that we mentioned there are actually a couple of ways to get your calculate your Tarot birth cards. Don’t fret: we’ll cover all our bases, as all methods can be fruitful in their own way.

And if you’re already breaking a sweat at the sight of a little math, don’t fret doubly—know that it’s actually incredibly easy!

The One Birth Card Method

This method is for calculating one birth card only. Start by adding the numbers in your date of birth together, piece by piece.

For example, if your birthday is November 20, 1988, you would add 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 8. This comes out to a big number: 30, which doesn’t translate well to the fact that the Major Arcana has only 22 cards.

So, just like in the case with numerology, reduce the two numbers within your larger number (in this case, 30 breaks down to 3 + 0 = 3). For this example, your assigned birth card would be corresponding to Major Arcana card number 3, The Empress!

The Two Birth Card Method

This method is for calculating two birth cards. You’re going to add the numbers in your date of birth again, but break it down a little differently this time: DD + MM + 19 + YY.

(And of course, if you were born in the 2000s, use the number 20 instead of 19).

Let’s say you were born on January 5th, 1970. You add 5 + 1 + 19 + 70, and get 95. Then you would reduce this number by adding these two digits, 9 + 5, and getting 14. Your first Tarot birth card is Temperance, Major Arcana card number 14. Then reduce that again (1 + 4 = 5) to receive your second card, The Hierophant, or Major Arcana number 5.

However, let’s also try our very first example. If your birthday is November 20th, 1988, you would add 20 + 11 + 19 + 88, and it would come out to 138. In this case, you’d need to add the first two numbers (13) to the second number (8) to receive 21. Then you repeat the same process as we did initially!

Answering the Tarot’s Call

The answers are now in your hands with your birth card(s) now equipped with your arsenal of spiritual tools. And now you might be thinking… “Now what?”

The truth is that there are no simple answers. Even if you share birth cards with someone else, the way that the cards’ life lessons and tools may unfold for you may look different than it does for them, even if you do share some common ground.

This means that walking in the path of your Tarot birth cards is a truly unique and individualized path. From this point forward, it’s up to you to discern the answers yourself!

Of course, there’s still no shame in desiring more insight. You can always, as you may expect, ask your trusty Tarot deck for some guidance if need be.