What is A Birthday Tarot Spread And How Can You Do It?

There's no wrong way to celebrate a birthday. Whether you’re someone who likes to keep things low-key or someone who goes all out, the most important thing is to make the day special for yourself. 

However, if you’re like me and are hoping to get some insight into what the coming year has for you, a fun and insightful way to celebrate your special day is with a birthday tarot spread.

A Tarot reading is great for reflecting on the year that has passed. It's a powerful tool that will help you gain clarity about what you want in the present and what are your intentions for the next year. Read on to find out how you can do this spread.

Birthday Tarot Spread

Prepare Your Mind

Reflecting on the last year, the most important thing to do is to be honest with yourself. Celebrate your accomplishments while also acknowledging the challenges you’ve faced. Welcome the new year’s energy, ideas and future plans while letting go of emotions and feelings that were weighing you down for so many years.

Meditate some in order to bring awareness to the present. There can’t be a time better than your birthday to reset your life. To manifest what you want to see in the future through the birthday tarot spread, you need to observe your current self from a higher perspective. 

The best way to do this tarot spread is to use your favorite deck to help you connect with your higher self and bring forth your deepest wisdom.

Pre-requisites for a Birthday Tarot Spread

There’s no doubt that you can read your birthday tarot spread anywhere, however, creating a specific space for your tarot readings will help to create a deeper and more focused experience. Gemstones, candles and crystals can be used to intensify your intention for the reading and establish a solid connection with the metaphysical realm. Blocking out any kind of physical and vocal distractions is also a must.

When choosing candles, get one that represents the light of your soul. For crystals, get those that align the most with your birthday and resonate with you. Our guide on spiritual meaning of gemstones can be of great help. Finally, add a personal touch and use some personal items that define what you want to achieve in life and about who you are.

By creating a space like this and bringing out the cards for the birthday tarot spread, you set the stage for the most powerful and advantageous birthday reading that will guide you through the next year.

The Birthday Tarot Spread with Six Cards

Now that you have the candles lit up, the deck of cards is in front of you, your personal belongings are here too and so are your crystals, it’s time to lay down the cards. Shuffle the deck well and start laying the cards in a pyramid-like manner.

How to Lay the Birthday Tarot Spread?

The first card will be at the top of this pyramid. The second and third will be beside each other and below the first. The last three will be below the two you just laid and will be laid from left to right.

The first card, at the top of the pyramid, will represent the challenges that you have faced this year. The second one (on the left in the middle row) will represent where you focused most of your attention in the last year. The third one (to the right in the second row) will tell you about the outcome of the situation that drew most of your attention.

Then we come to the last row, starting from the fourth card (on the left) which will tell you about the thing(s) that you need to let go of in order to move forward. The fifth one (in the middle) will tell you where you should direct your attention in the next year. Finally, the last card (on the right) will tell you about what your overall energy will be in the coming year.

Interpretations

Whether you’re new to the world of tarot cards or read your cards every now and then yourself, you need to remember that each card has two emergencies. An emergence is the way you draw a card, which can be either in the upright position (where the answer is very straightforward) or reversed (which represents a challenge or an obstacle). 

Even if you’re someone who doesn’t read tarot cards, remember that in the birthday tarot spread you must consider the reversed interpretation of the first card. 

The First Card of the Birthday Tarot Spread

The first card will give you a better understanding of the challenges that you face. It’s important to remember that there are opposite interpretations of each card and you want the most accurate reading possible for your birthday. Like the Strength card in an upright position means bravery and confidence, but in the reversed position it means low confidence and weakness.

Another example of the difference in interpretations for the first card is the Emperor card. In an upright position, it stands for power, obedience and authority. While in the reversed position it means deceit and manipulation. You can read about the Emperor tarot card in both the upright and reversed positions here. 

Regardless, whichever card appears in the first position should urge you to consider what you can do to avoid this challenge in the next year. Tarot readings are only beneficial when meanings are extracted from and implemented through them. 

The Second Card

The second card in your birthday tarot spread represents the area of life where you’ve focused most of your attention. Look at the energy of the card overall and what it means. For example, the Empress is a sign of motherhood and love. If this is the card you’ve drawn, it means that you’ve focused most of your energy on becoming or being a parent. Think deeply about what this card means in your life.

Think about whether whatever object or person you’re spending the most of your energies on is worth it. Since it’s your birthday, you need to think well about how you want the next year to proceed and find out if you should allocate those energies elsewhere. 

The core maxim of tarot reading is that whatever you spend most of your attention on will multiply. If you get a card related to worries here, it means that being fearful has decreased your inner spark substantially. 

The Third Card of The Birthday Tarot Spread

This card talks about outcomes and will require some focus. While outcomes are generally associated with future events, here, we’re considering the outcomes of past events. Maybe you drew The Lovers card and it reminded you of an old relationship that went south in the last year and became the basis of a better relationship. 

This type of thinking will remind you that bad times don’t last forever. This insight will spark joy and gratitude in you, that every challenge in life will pass and the grass is always greener on the other side

The Fourth Card

In the birthday tarot spread, the fourth card is about leaving behind what no longer helps you in life. The card that you’ve drawn here should be reflected upon firstly as an emotion. What memories does this card bring to your mind? Does it ignite any emotions? Did you feel this way last year?

Once you’ve identified this emotion, find the hidden meaning by going deep into the details of the card you’ve drawn. If you got The Chariot, for example, it would denote swift action. It is a Major Arcana card and may mean that you need to take speedy action soon in order to control the outcome of a situation. 

If you draw the Judgment card, for example, it will tell you to not be indecisive and take action while seeking balance in your life.

The Fifth Card of The Birthday Tarot Spread

The fifth card in the birthday tarot spread asks you to think about a specific area or circumstance in your life. In some cases, it might seem like you’re being told to take action. Let’s say that you got the High Priestess, which represents the subconscious and indicates that you need to introspect about something. 

If you got the Magician for example, then you’re being reminded that you’re in control of your own fate and focusing your energy on what you’re currently manifesting or would want to manifest into your life.

The Sixth Card

This is the last card of the birthday tarot spread and will give you the gift you’ve been waiting for. This card will give you an insight into what the future holds for you. This is another scenario where you first need to focus on the energy of the card. 

Focusing this way on the energy of the card and on any emotions related to that energy is the best way to lay the foundation of an accurate Tarot interpretation. You might get The Fool here, which is an indication of a feeling of new beginnings and freedom (Note that The Fool commonly emerges in the birthday spread for this exact reason).

Some other cards that you might see in this position are the 10 of Cups, in which case you should be excited for great things that’ll soon come your way. You can also see Temperance, telling you to be patient and that the next year will be of contentment and moderation.

Benefits of a Birthday Tarot Spread

Now that you know how to do this spread, you can use it to gain guidance, wisdom and clarity that you can utilize throughout the year. The best birthday present that you can give yourself is a better version of yourself for the long journey ahead. 

This spread will give you more depth to your perspective on life on your birthday. You’ll be able to conquer the new year with a newfound understanding of your desires, strengths and weaknesses. A birthday tarot spread will therefore become something very sought-after for you on every birthday. 

Summing The Birthday Tarot Spread Up

Unlock insights into what the new year holds for you through this card spread. You’ll be able to know how to overcome all the big challenges in the upcoming year. Shuffle the deck real good and lay six cards face down on the ground to know what the future has in store for you. It’s the best way to say goodbye to the year that left and the ideal way to welcome a new year of hope and change.