FAQ

Using my own deck vs shuffling the cards in my readings, what's the difference?

This app is ideally meant to be used as a companion to your personal tarot practice. Exploring other decks that resonate with you is highly encouraged. The variation among decks is limitless. From themes, imagery, colors, and interpretations, the art and creativity in the decks you use can enhance your personal connection to the cards. I recommend exploring sites like Tarot Stack, The Tarot Garden, and Tarot Arts, to browse different decks.
If you don't have a tarot deck or yours isn't handy, you can select the option to shuffle and deal. Please shuffle as much as you like until you feel ready.

What is the Life / Soul card and how is it calculated?

The Life / Soul Card is the archetype of the Major Arcana card that represents your lifetime internal motivations, spiritual purpose and your higher self. This is calculated by reducing the numbers in your birthdate to find the matching Major Arcana card. Add your birth month + birth day, then add that number to your birth year and further reduce it to a single digit.

For example, for someone born on June 30, 1970:

6 + 30 = 36; 36 + 1970 = 2006; 2 + 0 + 0 + 6 = 8.

The Strength card (VIII) would be this person’s Life/Soul Card.

What is the Year / Growth card and how is it calculated?

The Year / Growth Card is the archetype of the Major Arcana card that reveals the possibilities for growth, opportunities, expansion and challenges during the current year from birthday to birthday. This is calculated by adding your birth month + birth day, then adding that number to the current year, if your birthday has already passed or current year -1 if your birthday has not occurred yet this year.

If your final total equals a double digit, 21 or less, do not reduce to a single digit, e.g. 11 (Justice XI) .

If total > 22, reduce to a single digit.

If total = 28, reduce to 10 - Wheel of fortune (don’t reduce further).

Can you breakdown the structure of the tarot deck?

The deck typically contains 78 cards divided into two main sections:

Major Arcana (22 cards): Represents significant life lessons, archetypes, and spiritual journeys, starting with The Fool (0) and ending with The World (21). The card names sometimes vary across decks.

Minor Arcana (56 cards): Focuses on everyday events and actions, containing 14 cards per suit. They are broken down as follows in the Rider-Waite deck:

  • Ace - 10: sometimes called pips
  • Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen, King
  • 4 Suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles

Court cards also have assigned elements, reflecting a common nature:

  • Pages: earth element; study, learning; the childlike beginner; inward-focused
  • Knights: air element; initiative, action; the impulsive adolescent; outward-focused
  • Queens: water element; embodiment, healing, empathy; internal mastery
  • Kings: fire element; decisiveness, control, authority; external mastery