Missing card: XVIII the Moon

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 May 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Moongold	03 May 2003
A true story.... A woman came to see me. I’ve known her for 20 years and am very fond of her. She has been a heroin addict all that time and I find it hard to understand how she is still alive. She was just surviving. I can see the physical deterioration. The fragility there now that shines through the poverty. There are all sorts of issues here, lots of sadness, lots of wild humour. She was thinking of getting involved with trafficking so that she could survive, and felt she had nothing to lose. The option to that was getting involved with a group of her mates who are planning a potentially lucrative but very illegal covert burglary operation in one of our more wealthy suburbs. This woman used to be quite a sophisticated thief in her time. I looked at the cards. 5 Pentacles was a good representation of her current situation. The next card showed what she was longing for and my heart went out to her. It was 9 cups. And then we both saw the next card and burst out laughing. She decided that she would not follow either option for survival. What was the third card? Moongold

Dark Eyes	03 May 2003
Yes Moongold, I have R.S.I from typing that one !! hehehe ;) I am sure you know just what I mean ! And yes, I too have actually struggled with the meaning of the 6 of cups, and so when it comes up in a reading, I try to use it with a few meanings. One being, childhood memories, whether good or bad, but going back to childhood can bring positive results even if one had an unhappy childhood. Also to communicate with an old relative or look at old photos is another one. to get some identity back. The other is remembering dreams you had as a child, or wishes you had as a child. Actually going back over your life to see if you brought any of those dreams to reality, if not, then you may still be unfulfilled in that area and need to address those wishes and dreams even now. A desperate need for stability and familiarity, even routine is what I really think is the meaning of this card. That maybe the person has lost it along the way somehow. I know many readers interpret this card differently, it is one of those cards, could be read in many ways. it is what I call a "UUrrgh " card. I don't much like the 7 of pentacles either !! I will have a guess at your puzzle shortly Moongold, I want to stuuuuuudy it further !!!!!!!!!! Grandest wishes Dark Eyes.

gloria	03 May 2003
8 of Swords?

allibee	03 May 2003
Justice?

Moongold	03 May 2003
No, not either of those! Moongold

allibee	03 May 2003
Moongold, I was wondering.... Might it help the learners a bit more if you fleshed out the third card a little. It might be too hard for us by just saying it provoked a humourous reaction, which is very subjective? Linear thinking might suggest the Fool, and a total beginner may think your sitter was making a Fool of themselves, when the card has so much more meaning. Just a thought..... Allison p.s. - don't shout at me please :(

Moongold	03 May 2003
Dearest Allibee, I never shout. :) It is a delicate balance. How obvious and how obscure? I have thereby given the first gentle hint. The second gentle hint, is to review the context of the situation. A very, very sick and fragile woman, who happens to be an addict, is considering going into two of the toughest illegal pursuits - drug traffiking and afterhours burglary of private property in order to survive. What are some of the fundamental characteristics of addiction? I am asking the learners to take that first tentative leap into the intuitive but luminous darkness.... and they might find it is not so dark ..... :)gold

gloria	03 May 2003
I totally disagree with what you have just said. In fact I understood perfectly the gist of Moongold’s reading. I think the fact I submitted the 8/swords (imprisonment of a kind) spoke for itself. I feel it was a perfectly plausible suggestion. I’m sure you will argue that 8/swords isn’t an enforced imprisonment, but would this particular reading have warranted delving into deep and philosophical depths? For me, the picture and symbolism of a card speaks louder than words! After all Allibee, aren’t we all still learning?

Moongold	03 May 2003
Gloria, I should have commented on your suggestion which was excellent because it referrs to a number of things: the imprisonment of addiction, the 'living on a razor's edge' aspects of addiction, and the fact that my friend could very well (and most likely would) end up in a real prison cell. I almost gave it to you on the basis that your suggestion is so good. Thse things are like crosswords aren't they? Sometimes very clear and sometimes shaded, only in a teasing half light. I do think Allibee's suggestion is reasonable, and some of the fun of the game is the hints, sort of like a mystery game? Moongold

gloria	03 May 2003
Many thanks for your comments Moongold.

Moongold	03 May 2003
Allibee, I just saw your first post. Justice is a very plausible suggestion as well. Justice could well have been the outcome if my friend had pursued the madness of her idea. Moongold

allibee	03 May 2003
The Devil speaks of addictions and bondage to things that are not good for us, so my next guess is ... The Devil

Moongold	03 May 2003
Another excellent suggestion but not what I was thinking. It is a Major though. Moongold

Indigo_lady	03 May 2003
Death by any chance?

Moongold	03 May 2003
No. Not death. We are raidly thinning out the possibilities. I have left little hints right throughout my responses. Moongold

bec	03 May 2003
This woman used to be quite a sophisticated thief in her time. And then we both saw the next card and burst out laughing. She decided that she would not follow either option for survival. What was the third card? Could it be the thief card ? 7 swords

allibee	03 May 2003
is that a new signature Moongold, or am I deceiving myself :) THE MOON is my final answer

bec	03 May 2003
oh no, it should be a major :P well then I would have to say Judgement

Kaz	03 May 2003
ok, allibee sort of mentioned it, but not as a genuine answer....... i'd say its the fool. making you laughing as you'd look like a fool if you'd go for trafikking and burglaries. pursuing this idea would be madness. living on the edge (the edge of the cliff if you use waite/smith based deck), which is a delicate balance. take that first tentative leap into the intuitive but luminous darkness(jump of the cliff/edge) if its not the fool, i give up ~kaz

allibee	03 May 2003
you're too clever for me Kaz, I just went with the 'intuitive and illuminated darkness'. :O)

Kaz	03 May 2003
we'll have to wait to see if i am clever :P i could be wrong ......

Moongold	03 May 2003
Allibee, Well done! I hope there was more fun than frustration. The rationale? Addiction is illusion. Reality is for those who don't like drugs. It is a compulsion often born in the shadowed world of the unconscious. People take drugs to alleviate pain, but they deceive themselvses ultimately. An illusion. The Moon can represent illusions and delusions. Remember lunacy? Look at the Moon card. The crustacean, the dog, the murky pool. All sorts of nasties inhabit the drug using world. It's a hard place to survive. You face your own spiritual demons and the real life demons. And having a bad trip? Could be like terra firma in the Moon image. Enough allusion. The woman is very sick. What lunacy for her to consider returning to a life of crime where she is almost certain to be caught. I left lots of little hints throughout including the change to my signature, allusions to obscurity and madness, shadows, half light and luminence. Thanks for persevering all! Over to Allibee! Moongold

allibee	03 May 2003
Hehehe, it took a while for me to get there. It's like when I used to finish a broadsheet crossword in record time, and the minute they changed to another crossword compiler, I was lost. Just when you get the gist of one persons mindset, then you have to try and understand the brainworkings of another... LOL I'll get back on this soon, it's time to feed the five thousand here at the moment :O) Allison

Moongold	03 May 2003
Some flexibility and lateral thinking PLUS perseverence. Wouldn't it be dull if we were all alike? It's more fun when we can play throughthe night. I enjoyed it. Thank you all. I doffs me 'at to Allibee.. Moongold

Dark Eyes	03 May 2003
Could it be the hanged man Moongold........?

Moongold	03 May 2003
Dear, dear Dark Eyes.................. You are late to the fray. Allibee has won the prize and I think has disappeared to prepare her puzzle. We all played into the early hours, as befits a Moon in the Southern hemisphere :) Welcome to the day. Moongold

allibee	04 May 2003
Just to let you all know that I'm awaiting permission from someone to use the reading I did for them offline. It was a special reading and I'd like to share it with the quizzical :O) Allison

The Missing card: XVIII the Moon thread was originally posted on 03 May 2003 in the Tarot Games & Fun board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Games & Fun, or read more archived threads.