The Magic of Birthdays
Did you know your birthday has magical significance? Countless cultures over centuries have attributed significance to a person’s birthday. Many of our current birthday rituals have a history in pagan and magical practices. With the right tools, you can learn to unlock the magic of your own birthday.
The History of Birthdays
It is said that birthday celebrations as we are familiar with them today started around the 1800s, however, some of our birthday traditions have roots as far back as Ancient Greece. Greeks would give offerings to the Goddess Artemis in the form of a moon-shaped cake with lit candles on top. Our tradition of gift-giving comes from the Roman Empire when boys would be showered with presents on their birthday. Of course, these pagan rituals have been modified over time to suit our modern world, but there are ample ways you can infuse magic back into your birthday!
Astrology & Birthdays
In astrology, your birthday is also called your solar return. The term “solar return” means that the Sun has returned to the same sign and degree that it was when you were born. In astrology, your solar return holds significance because it can reveal what is in store for you over the next year. To generate your solar return chart, you will need to make a chart for the moment the Sun enters the same degree and sign as it is in your natal chart. For example, if your natal sun is at 13 degrees Sagittarius, you will make a chart for when the Sun hits 13 degrees Sagittarius for the current year. This will generate a chart from which you can delineate what themes and events will be significant in your life over the next year.
Tarot & Birthdays
Did you know there is a Tarot card associated with your birthday? Using the power of numerology, you can calculate your Tarot birth card. To find your birth card, add the digits of your full birthday together. For example:
23 May 1997 would come to 23/5/1997 or 2+3+5+1+9+9+7 = 36
Since the Major Arcana only has 22 cards starting from 0, you will need to reduce this number even further: 3+6=9.
The number 9 is your birth card number, which corresponds to The Hermit.
Once you have delineated your birth card, you can research the energies associated with that card, which are infused into your personal energy. You can also use this birth card as a signifier for yourself in a tarot reading. Signifier cards are great for concentrating energy in a reading.
Candle Magic for Birthdays
The most common type of magic used for birthdays is candle magic. Making wishes before blowing out the candles on a cake is a form of magic! For centuries, numerous cultures associated spiritual significance with fire and smoke. To the ancient Greeks, smoke was thought to carry messages to the heavens or divine powers. Therefore, saying a prayer (or wish) over a candle before blowing it out was a way to petition the gods. Practising candle magic on your birthday is one way to keep these ancient traditions alive. You can make your ritual more powerful by choosing a candle that has magic already infused into the candle, such as these candles by Birthdate Co. Birthdate candles combine the magic of astrology, numerology, and tarot into a candle crafted especially for the day you were born. Adding such a hyper-personalised candle to your birthday rituals will heighten the magic of your special day, no matter how you choose to celebrate.
This is a sample.