curious about moon symbolism in cards?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 19 Apr 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

The Doc	19 Apr 2005
To friends of “The Doc” I am his mom sending a wedding gift to a couple. He groom will receive the “wolf” because he is the protector and guardian of the household. The bride is receiving a crescent moon with a star on the tip. The moon is being used as the female symbol. I am looking for information on the symbolic meaning of the moon in tarot. General inferences as well as female symbolism are welcome.

tarotbear	20 Apr 2005
Depending on the card, some of the moons are in two phases at once. I have used this to set an event in time. For instance, the moon in the Eight of Cups card is both in its waning quarter and Full Moon. Depending on the phase of the real moon at the point of the reading, it could indicate the event happening closest to the next phase of the real moon. That means if the real moon is dark, then the event could happen by the next Full moon (2 weeks). If the real moon is already in Full Moon, it could happen by the last quarter (one week). The Moon in the Two Swords is in it's first quarter; the Moon in the Moon card is in its full moon phase and First Quarter.

Gypsy Mama	20 Apr 2005
Hi there Doc. Here are my thoughts on the moon in general. By the way, I think these are such beautiful wedding gifts you describe. To me, the moon represents the SACRED FEMININE and therefore all it encompasses. It has been feared and repressed so much in our history yet she survives and endures. She is the light in the darkness, she is the mother, the giver of love and life. She is beauty and sweetness in the young maiden and hope for the future. She is wise and knowledgable and confident in her age. She knows she is all these things and goes to great lengths to protect it. She teaches but does not preach. She sees in herself her own short comings which keep her humble as she adapts to change. She has strength and emits great beauty, she can be fierce when people are too arrogant to treat her as an equal. She is a healer. The tides of the ocean are governed by the moon and therefore the element of water (and cups in Tarot) are as well her domain and her tools. It is a powerful symbol for which words can direct a way but the understanding is not spoken. The moon is intuitive and understands all things in a different way, it is a different process. The diffference between night and day. Peace, Gypsy Mama

The curious about moon symbolism in cards? thread was originally posted on 19 Apr 2005 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.