Questions about personality/soul/shadow cards

Astrum_Stultas

Reading through a few of the forums, I happened upon personality, soul, and shadow cards, and in determining mine, something rather perplexing popped up, so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right...

Okay, in determining my personality card, my birthdate (that I'm not about to give out unless in a private message) reduced to 14, Temperance. I had always liked this card, being one of my favorites, and always liked the images depicted on it. However, upon thinking about it, I had no clue what a personality card is supposed to represent, or how Temperance fits into that...so can anybody help me determine what it means?

So then my soul card would be 5, the Heirophant, also one of my favorite cards. This I think I can interpret myself, but let's just see...I'm very spiritual, and always try to apply my spirituality into everyday life and try to use it to help others as well. The Heirophant, or Pope, or Priest, or whatever, is a religious figure that "brings the spiritual down to Earth," correct? I think that's my nature-I'm always trying to bring the spiritual down to Earth, so that was rather easy. But, since I'll be considered new to Tarot for at least a few more months, is that the right interpretation?

Now, going by another thread explaining this, the Shadow card is determined by the number that reduces down to your soul card. This confuses me, because wouldn't some people's personality and shadow cards be the same, as in my case? Temperance would be both personality and shadow, and for some reason I don't think that's right...or is it? I don't know! Does anybody know another way to determine shadow cards, or what I might be doing wrong?

...aw, what the heck...Here's my birthdate: 10-2-1991...can anybody find out if I determined my shadow card correctly? Also, what do my personality, shadow, and soul cards mean and how do they apply to my life?

Also, my year card is Justice...what does that mean?

(yes, I'm a total newbie...but if I don't ask questions, how will I learn?)
 

starrystarrynight

I'm not very well versed in numerology; however, I have read that the Hierophant coming up as a year number has different "meanings" than when he appears in tarot spreads.

Maybe someone else can elaborate on that...
 

mccrary

Help please?? I have spent all afternoon reading several threads in this subject. I do not have a Greer "Tarot for Your Self", nor can I afford it anytime soon, since I just splurged on Pollack's 78DoW and Orphalese software.

Can someone assist me in figuring out my teacher/shadow card. Cause I am confused.....my birthday is 5-26-1960=11 as personality and 2 as soul. But I am stuck on figuring out the shadow card. Anyone want to help a girl out??

Thanks in advance.
 

Free Flight

The Personality card for you is Temperance 14 which then further reduces down to the 5 Hierophant. These both comprise the Life/Personality cards and yes some people have them as the same.

Shadow cards are different and explained in Mary Greer's book (i think) but if you do a search on this you will get a link to a page which breaks them down..not sure how she calculates it out, in her book there is a table which as said is replicated somewhere here
 

aria

you need to look for the hidden factor card which is the teacher card...there is a table in one of the posts (wish i could figure that out for you)...but if you go into search you'll find it!!

also for me too this year the card is justice!!there is a post which discusses year cards too...in this section itself...anyways justice would mean that things would fall into place, legal things...maybe marriage etc.!!

take care,
Aria
 

Sophie

mccrary said:
Can someone assist me in figuring out my teacher/shadow card. Cause I am confused.....my birthday is 5-26-1960=11 as personality and 2 as soul. But I am stuck on figuring out the shadow card. Anyone want to help a girl out??.
You have the same configuration as me -11- Strength for the Personality card; 2- High Priestess/Papess for the soul card. My Shadow is 20-Judgement. (Because it is the "other" way - the "shadow" way of reducing to 2, your soul card).
 

Astrum_Stultas

I believe that's the forum I read...

It did have a table explaining that, and I used it, and my shadow/teacher card came up temperance...but that just doesn't seem right, as it's also my personality card...I don't know...I'm just looking for a second opinion.

But using that table, then wouldn't most peoples' shadow cards also be their hidden/shadow/teacher card?
 

huredriel

Well I'm a straight 6 ....... so that means my soul and personality is Lovers, with my shadow card being The Devil.

So I would work out your birthdate as 1 + 0 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 1 = 23 ..... reduces to High Priest so:

Your Soul & Personality would be High Priest
Shadow would be Temperance
 

Baroli

Astrum,

My soul card and year card and any other card with the exception of my significator is #5. Hierophant. For those who need help with reducing, I use Mary Greer's formula, which is just adding up your birthdate and if it goes higher than #22 (22 cards in Major Arcana), you then reduce that number. EX: 09 + 23 +1953 = 1985 reduces to 23 reduces to 5.

I use in combination with the excellent tools here Mary Greer's book for reference. I am a strong believer in numerology intertwined with tarot.

Hope this helps.

Baroli52 :)