What does the Moon card mean to you?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 31 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

lunar_rabbit	31 Jul 2002
I have always been drawn to the Moon card. I feel very connected to it when it comes up in my readings for myself... but it seems that most of the general descriptions focus on the deception aspect of it. To me, it represents intuition, Goddess power, dreams, finding out things you didn't know before. I see very little negative to it, but perhaps I'm not seeing the whole picture. I'm wondering about your opinions and experiences with this card? Thanks!

divinerguy	31 Jul 2002
The Moon card also represents what happens when we are sleeping or unaware. I also associate it with troubled dreams and sneaky people doing things they'd prefer to keep "in the dark." I see the card representing a world in which we things happen for reasons which are not known to us.

Laurel	31 Jul 2002
I view the Moon as the archetype for "occult"- hidden, enigmatic, paradoxical, veiled, expressed in symbol, received knowledge as opposed to learned knowledge, tenebrous. The "Dark Night of the Soul" where a part of us dies in order for rebirth, similar to some of the painful-sounding steps towards alchemical transmutation fall into the Moon's domain. A lot of people I know who are extremely drawn to the Moon are also drawn to some form of paganism/witchcraft/magic and tend to be in the early stages of "finding themselves"; recently becoming restless with their lives and distancing themselves from authority figures who previously had an influence on them. This is just my personal insight and not meant to stereotype anyone, however. Laurel

Sorceress_Jade	31 Jul 2002
I see it as a path through the shadows, wrought with unsean perils, gates and passages, tests and trials, leading to who knows where. It is lit only dimly by the mood (intuition) and it is this one must follow if they are to reach the end safely. P.S. Your posts have given me more insight and things to think about, thank you for sharing. You're definetly on to something there. Great question.

truthsayer	31 Jul 2002
one way i see the moon is in terms of the archetypal hero's journey. the fool has just visited the star has gained hope that s/he can face the shadow self of his/her nature. in the shadows of the full moon there is usually a wolf and a dog on either side of the stream. the wolf reps the shadow side of our nature. the place where our animal instincts and behaviors are hidden. the dog is domesticated and knows how to function in society. there is a need to domesticate the wild side of our nature but it makes things worse if you do not accept the wild side/the animal side of who you are. there needs to be a balance b/t wildness and domestication. it's kind of like right and left brain functioing. the dog is on the left--left brain--linear analytical type functioning, our public lives, fitting into our roles and standards set by society, the ego. the wolf is on the right--right brain--spontaneity, creativity, the side that breaks the rules, imagination/fantasy, our secret lives, spatial skills, the id. then you usually see a crab. a crab has a hard shell and nasty pinchers but some ppl don't realize how vulnerable to crab can be. the crab tries to hide it's vulnerable time of when it is shedding it's old hard shell. the new shell is needed but the crab is more vulnerable to being hurt or killed until that shell hardens. think about how it is when you face a change. you usually feel raw and vulnerable. that shell that you hid the true you is gone. you must deal w/ this new vulnerability--face the shadow w/in. the crab lives in the water but does come on shore occasionally. the water it is in represents the unconscious mind where the changes of shedding the shell is done. eventually, you will have to come to shore--the conscious mind in your new consciousness--shell and others will see the changes. when you are ready it is time to face the #19 the sun. the moon can also be a signal of being lost from the path and trying to find clarity of purpose. the sun cards reps finding this clarity of purpose and being out in the open w/ it. in a sense the moon is like being in the womb of the great mother waiting to be born again. in the womb we are preparing to face the karmic purposes of our life outside the safety and darkness of the womb.

Starfish	31 Jul 2002
Lunar Rabbit - Thanks so much for asking this question. I have learned quite a bit from the various posts and find that my thoughts on the Moon card parallel several of the other posters. I've printed off the posts so that I can add them to my journal. :THIER Starfish

Mlle Lenormand	31 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by lunar_rabbit To me, it represents intuition, Goddess power, dreams, finding out things you didn't know before. Thanks! To me it represents those fears we face in the night, where everything that makes sense in the day becomes distorted and frightening. I suppose that's why they use luna in lunacy! The card has always made me feel sad and lost and makes me think of our fears and losing control. I like your thoughts on it lunar, I needed to read something positive about it. Thank you for that.

AmounrA	31 Jul 2002
To me the moon card can be closely alligned with the tree of life sphere 9--Yesod. Yesod is representative of the un-concious mind (..and therefore collective mind?), and is very much the sphere of initiation 9 [it's the purple sphere]) The next sphere vertically up is tiphareth , the sun....and if you look in many moon cards, the path between the two towers leads to a 'shinning', on/over the horizon. [ tiphareth is often seen as the sphere of simplicity and childhood innocence & joy....beauty ] I find the moon card to be the best card in the deck for beggining visulizations with, imagining I am the cray fish, rising out of the water, finding before me two guides[gaurdians]. From there I can explore within each tower, or take the path into the mountains.....and off onto a hopefully successful 'astral' journey......the moon card is certainly a well travelled gate.

isthmus nekoi	01 Aug 2002
I think there are some great interpretations here in a general sense, so I thought I'd throw in something personal.... When reading for myself, I have a more psychological interpretation of the Moon from my experiences w/the energy it represents. So here we go: I think the moon is related directly to the unconscious, and since our society tends to be a deterministic in regards to gender, moon/unconscious also brings me back to mother/cancer/crab. (I'm not saying women are more 'unconscious' or 'irrational' but this is the association you see deeply ingrained in the narratives of Western society). Moon also relates to menses, so again this brings me back to The Mother. Yes, I agree Moon can be a positive experience in that you can tap into this sphere of marginalized values, imagery etc resulting in intuitive power, a deeper understanding of the cycles and rhythms of life, a greater respect for the totality of the unconscious. However, the Moon does have its dark side. The word lunacy is derived from the moon (luna). My experience w/the unconscious is that it is wholly *objective*, *dispassionate*, *inhuman*. Unlike the conscious mind which bases itself upon subjective values, which are human in scope, the unconscious mind is the seat of all that is beyond human experience and therefore can be disorienting, or distorting. Potentially destructive. Like Mlle Lenormand says: losing control, and at an extreme, your normal day to day grip on things. However, I think, w/the right mind set you *can* navigate through this place, as long as you keep some part of yourself grounded in reality or maintain (in psychobabble terms) a 'strong ego'. I once saw a documentary about Shamanism. A Shaman was describing a journey in which he was being invited to see God. He declined. At the time, I was relatively inexperienced in terms of exploring the unconscious and I thought: jeez!!! Why'd he do that??? What a wasted opportunity! I realize now that he did so b/c he understood the full extent of the *power* of the unconscious, and the *danger* this journey represents to the ego b/c of the lack of 'human-ness'. It has the power to totally override you and your narrow human experiences. If you invite this energy w/o fully understanding it, it is a really disorienting experience (I liken it to skidding in a car. There's a point of no recovery, and if you go past it, you have to hope you'll survive the crash), one that I don't care to repeat again w/o a lot of help and guidance and protection.

HudsonGray	01 Aug 2002
Don't forget the reversals on the card too. Moon reversed can represent a white lie, a trick or tiny mistake. Silence or stillness. Sometimes unexpected gain with no costs exacted. And companions out of their element. (At least with the Robin Wood deck).

ming	01 Aug 2002
to me the moon is---take care, all is not as it seems;hidden things ;secrets. like at night when the moon shines, you cant see clearly. take care where you put your feet !

ming	01 Aug 2002
also sorry i Forgot---reversed, the moon is DANGER ! a very bad card.unforeseen perils, lies, terrible risks. keep your wits about you &be very careful indeed. In my family this is a very serious warning & you always take heed.

Kyrielle	01 Aug 2002
I haven't seen this interpretation yet: Wildness. Discarding your public face and revelling in the moonlight. Keeping odd hours and enjoying the night, which most people never see and many people shun. Embracing the feral part of your nature. Taking the lesser-travelled path. Letting your inner crayfish bask in the light of the full moon and letting your inner wolf howl as long and loud and freely as it wants. Think about whether you have been feeling like a slave to the status quo lately, and perhaps take steps to break free. Express yourself. But watch a tendency to go overboard emotionally. Add spice to your life, but keep your wits about you. I got the Moon in a reading recently and couldn't make it make sense until I thought along these lines. Then everything snapped into place. -- Kyrielle

WolfSpirit	01 Aug 2002
Like lunar rabbit, the Moon card is always one of my favourite cards in a deck, also just to look at. The day time brings lots of activities and people, the night time brings quiet, you don't see everything so your eyes get more rest as well and you can concentrate on the intuition more easily. So I see the card as positive, unless cards around it tell me otherwise, then it can mean I loose my grip on reality or let irrational fears/ideas take control of me etc.

lunar_rabbit	02 Aug 2002
GREAT answers. I am so intrigued to read all the interpretations of this single card. How fascinating and educational all your answers are! Thank you SO much! ... And WolfSpirit -- It's nice to know I'm not the only one :-) ....

VGimlet	02 Aug 2002
I read through all the postings, and have to add also - pay attention to your intuition, and those senses that we don't always have a name for (and may have been thought of as from the "dark side" in the past). The moon card has always been one of my favorites too, with layers and layers of meanings.

amyel	04 Aug 2002
I like the Moon card, too. Like L.R. & Wolfspirit, I don't see so much of its negativity, as much as its inuitive, "pyshic" side. The deck I just bought, Tarot of the Trance, depicts the Moon with two fish kissing (I assume), two snowcapped mountains that look (perhaps not unintentionally) like two breasts, and the full moon in the sky - but internally divided: One half of the moon is almost crescent shaped, yellow, with an open eye. The other half is deep purple, with the eye closed. The lips of both half meet. Contemplating this card in this threads' context, it seems to nicely fit in with L.R.'s and Wolfspirits' interpretations: dealing with deep emotions, things known and hidden....not so much deception - although that would certainly fit in with the "unknown" aspect, but more hideen meanings. I think the lesson of the Moon card is to help us contemplate our hidden, pyshic side (not our hidden desire's, as the Devil card would suggest), to open ourselves up to the unknown, to deal with our hidden emotions. Which can be very scary, I suppose, to some people.

Kazz	05 Aug 2002
Quote: Originally posted by ming all is not as it seems;hidden things ;secrets. this is also as i see it! There are hidden dangers, listen to your intuition and don't rely too heavily on others, someone is not being truthful, Hidden deceptions, take special notice of you dreams at this time. That is how i see this card and it never varies for me very much (in the position it falls in) A very strong "Warning" card! Cheers Kazz :TQC

Nicolas	05 Aug 2002
When the moon card comes up i find people are a little worried about it. To me it means something that is hidding in their past, and depending on the next card which is usually the way, it must come out, they must be honest, in their approch to the question at hand. May I also add that reading the other postings I also have a new insite to this card, I never thought that in essence the card to everyone here means the same thing. THANK YOU

Kellinator	06 Aug 2002
Thank you all so much! I recently asked my favorite deck, which is very temperamental, if it wanted to stay with me, and I got the Moon. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but now I see it as a sign of the things I can intuitively uncover with my deck. Thanks again!

Hummingbird	15 Aug 2002
Let's not forget the "lunacy" aspect of this card. November '01 to November '02 is the year of the Moon for me. I clearly recall resonating most with the card back in the fall and winter, when things were quite and intense and threatening. I did feel kinda crazy! I had night where I had to force myself to go to bed, or I probably could have stayed awake 24+ hours. The other main aspect to have come up so far is the hidden aspect. I came out of not knowing and being unable to see, "knowing." The intuition level increased dramatically for me. Dark night is still to come, but if the Sun follows, a dark night must exist, right?

Strega	16 Aug 2002
For me the Moon is about finding yourself in a strange situation (or stage of life)... where things aren't as you expect them to be... you may naturally feel frightened or bewildered... but this does not have to be a "negative" experience. Be patient and hold on to your dreams until you find your way back to clarity and enlightenment. :) At the same time, the Moon tells us to be careful not to let our dreams (or fantasies) lead us astray...

Daisymoon3	19 Aug 2002
The Moon Card. I see it as the unconscious mind trying to reveal a message to the conscious mind. Plainly: Something is eating at you and you need to figure out what it is. Sometimes it will come through in a dream. So I encourage the querents to pay attention to their dreams. It could come through someone else or an event that happens to you, so keep eyes open for it. When it is next to the Devil card, someone is being lied to. When it is next to the High Priestess, Meditate and use intuition. When it is next to the Queen of Cups, (my significator), I go to the store. My gift is coming..... lol.

Gerbear	20 Aug 2002
I associate the Moon card with the universal consciousness, which is possibly part and parcel of the space-time fabric. So, instead of the space-time continuum, the universe may consist of the Space-Time-Consciousness continuum. Deception,intuition,dreams and other phenonoma are possibly just facets perceived from the whole. It is naturally frightening to swim in the uncharted seas where we can't see the bottom, sides, or top of anything that fits into our world view

Diana	20 Aug 2002
edited

isthmus nekoi	26 Aug 2002
What an exceedingly complex card! After reading the posts, I think that you could say the moon has 2 levels - the personal and the collective. Personal unconscious could be things like hidden emotions and desires, intuition and psychic ability, shifting elements and illusions, dreams etc. Collective could point more to insanity, loss of human subjectivity, 'wildness', very potent dreams etc. (Granted, the 2 levels are related...) As for the dogs, I ran across this excellent quote by Isidore Ducasse from Les Chants de Maldoror: "One day my mother, glassy-eyed, said to me: 'Whenever you are in bed and hear the dogs' howling in the fields, hide under the bedclothes, don't deride what they do: they thirst insatiably for the infinite, like you, me, and the rest of us humans...'"

Fuzzmello	27 Aug 2002
I once was lost in a national forest for a short time. The full moon was bright and clear that evening and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to take a little stroll in the woods next to my campsite. Once I decided to return to the camp though, I realized my mistake. Very little of what I saw could be counted on as a reference point. The routine of seeing, recording the sight and seeing the next was utterly useless. Fighting panic, I sat down and forced my self to accept that my visual sense was actively lying to me. To find my way back I would have to trust inner instincts. I prayed and began again, making several absolutlely nonsensical choices as I walked. The path soon appeared and I returned to camp, telling no one about this experience until today. That's what I think of when I see the Moon card.

osami2717	31 Aug 2002
I really liked Truthsayer's post. I've noticed the dog and wolf on The Moon card in my Robin Wood deck, I've never heard it explained so eloquently. You took a notion I had sensed but never fully grasped and really solidified it for me. THANKS! I also liked your description of the crab. ^_^ For me, The Moon has always been an uncomfortable card, I had only the vaguest sense of what it meant. [maybe it's a blind spot for me...] "Listen to your dreams and follow your intuitions." is what it always seems to say. I have received this card in readings on many occassions where I'd had dreams of special meaning for me. I guess it represents your subconscious sifting through the masses of data you pick up every day, either 'feelings' or by more mundane means... Lately, I've begun to pay a LOT more attention to my dreams, and this thread has really helped me to understand the card better. Now maybe I won't dread getting this card anymore... ^_^

renard	31 Aug 2002
Great thread! But here's a new aspect (phase?) of The Moon -- what if it's your Personality card, ala Mary K. Greer, "Tarot for Yourself"? (You add up the digits of your birthdate and keep reducing until you get to 22 or less.) I'm an 18 -- the deceptive, dark, unconscious, pending disaster, oceanic howling-dog chick! Hard not to take all that personally. And it only gets worse: 1 & 8 add up to 9, which makes the Moon's Soul Card the Hermit. So, a lonely looney to top it off -- and envious of all those happy World/Empress people out there! Oooga-boooga and awwwwooooooooo! Renard

The What does the Moon card mean to you? thread was originally posted on 31 Jul 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.