Birthday tarot spread

• The spread
• How to read it
• Key cards
• FAQ

What is a solar return?

Every year on your birthday the Sun returns to the exact place it was when you were born. Astrologers call this your solar return, and it marks your personal new year. This seven-card spread sets the tone for the next twelve months: your theme, your gift, your challenge, love, work, inner growth and a birthday blessing.

The Birthday Solar Return spread

1. 1
   Theme of my new year

   The heart of the year ahead.

2. 2
   My birthday gift

   A strength or blessing arriving now.

3. 3
   My challenge

   The lesson that helps you grow.

4. 4
   Love

   Romance, friendship and family.

5. 5
   Work and money

   Career, purpose and finances.

6. 6
   Inner growth

   Your spiritual and emotional path.

7. 7
   Birthday blessing

   A message to carry all year.

How to read the Birthday Solar Return spread

1. Settle your space. Find a quiet moment, light a candle if you like, and take three slow breaths.
2. Shuffle with your question. Hold the deck and focus on the year ahead.
3. Lay out 7 cards. Place them in the numbered order shown in the layout above.
4. Read each position, then the story. Look up each card in the card meanings, then read all the cards together as one story.
5. Journal it. Combine with the free Birth Day Card calculator on botarot.com.

Key cards for this spread

If one of these appears in your reading, give it extra attention.

• The World: completing a cycle and starting the next.
• The Star: your wish for the year ahead.
• Wheel of Fortune: a new turn of the wheel.
• The Empress: growth and abundance.

Birthday Solar Return: questions answered