Your essence card is one of the 22 major Arcana. To find it, add the digits of your date of birth. In my case (24.12.1984) this would be
2+4+1+2+1+9+8+4=31. Since the highest number of the major Arcana is 21, the World, I add the digits again and find the next cross sum: 3+1=4. My essence card is the card number 4 (Emperor).
Should the cross sum of your date of birth give you a number below 22 but above 10 this means that there are two cards that could be your essence card. For instance 18 (Moon) and 1+8=9 (Hermit). There are several ways to read such dual essence cards. You can see them both as equal - both are essence cards. You can see one card as describing your essence, the other as describing your outer demeanour. I personally prefer to regard the card with the higher cross sum as a chance or a quest that lies in the essence card (the one with the lower cross sum). Let's say someone has the Moon as a "quest" from the essence card Hermit. This could mean that this person should take special care that their need for solitude and for introversy (Hermit) does not change into a prevailing mood of depression (Moon). |
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