Method & editorial note

Symbolic, transparent, and yours to question.

Arcana Calculator is a free reflection tool built around a clearly stated tarot-numerology convention. We believe a mystical aesthetic and intellectual honesty can share the same page.

Method version 1.1

Last reviewed: August 12, 2026. Single Arcana adds every digit in the supplied month, day, and year. If the total is above 22, its digits are added again until a number from 1 to 22 remains. Numbers 1–21 map from The Magician through The World, and 22 maps to The Fool.

Personality / Soul adds month + day + century + year-within-century. Totals above 99 are reduced by adding the leading two digits as a number to the final digit; remaining totals above 22 are reduced by digit sum. A two-digit Major Arcana path is reduced again for its Soul card. Path 19 retains The Sun, then reduces through Wheel of Fortune to The Magician.

For 15/05/1990, Single Arcana gives 30 → 3, The Empress. Personality / Soul gives 5 + 15 + 19 + 90 = 129 → 21, The World → 3, The Empress. The calculator exposes the selected arithmetic so a reader can reproduce it without trusting a hidden formula.

Personality / Soul is offered only on the dedicated Personality calculator. The homepage and Love calculator use one-card Single Arcana, while Couple and Compatibility compare two Single Arcana cards. This keeps each page aligned with a distinct search and reading intent.

Two conventions among several

These are two explicit birth-card conventions, not a claim that tarot has one universally correct calculation. Other readers separate day, month, and year cards, use different reduction rules, or number The Fool as 0. The two-date Couple and Compatibility tools remain on Single Arcana so each person contributes one comparable card. Every symbolic result is a prompt for reflection, not a scientific measurement or a forecast.

Editorial principles

Each interpretation separates an archetype's resource, possible shadow, and practical question. We avoid deterministic promises about personality, romance, health, money, or fate. We describe uncertainty plainly, invite readers to compare a card with lived examples, and direct high-stakes concerns to qualified professionals. Copy is reviewed for respectful language, consent-aware relationship advice, and a clear distinction between entertainment and evidence.

Sources and public-domain attribution

Our source notes document the Major Arcana names, ordering choices, numerology convention, and editorial decisions behind this release. Public-domain card imagery credits are reserved in the repository placeholder ATTRIBUTION.md; that filename is not published as a website navigation link. When the artwork or method changes, the source note and version number should change with it.

Change notes

v1.1 · August 12, 2026: added the optional Personality / Soul method to the dedicated Personality calculator, including the 19 trio, reproducible arithmetic, method-aware share links, and layered profile readings. The other four calculators remain on Single Arcana.

v1.0 · initial static release: five browser-only calculators, a published all-digits method, a 1–22 map, and reflection-first interpretations.

Privacy by design

Birth dates are processed locally in your browser. There is no account system, calculator database, advertising system, or form submission. Google Analytics measures aggregate page usage, with advertising signals disabled and the analytics page location limited to the route so birth-date query parameters are excluded from analytics events. When you deliberately share a result, the date is placed in the link so another browser can reproduce it; do not share that link if you consider your birth date sensitive. Hosting providers may still process standard request logs for security and service delivery.

Who maintains this?

Arcana Calculator is maintained by an independent web developer with an interest in tarot symbolism, numerology, accessible design, and transparent browser-based tools. Questions, accessibility feedback, and correction requests can be sent to hello@arcanacalculator.net.