The Moon - a Buddhist take

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Apr 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

firemaiden	11 Apr 2003
I keep drawing the Moon card for "needs". Today it came up with the Roots of Asia Deck. (This is SUCH a wonderful and beautiful deck, first published by the Amaravati Buddhist monastary in England) and I found the blurb in the LWB very poignant: Here is the wonderful message from the LWB, written by Buddhist Thaworn Boonyawan: "The creative energy is strong with this card and there is a desire to do many things. However, others are threatened by this sense of optimism, energy, and possibility. They wish to squelch this posiitive energy. The heaviness of illusion again tries to push us down. Confidence, freedom and joy can be lost. With the development of mindfulness, intuition and knowledge we must have the strength to lift up our face from the waters of illusion and commit not only to our survival, but the survival of our creativity. When we pass through this stage of suffering the sun will rise. Divinatory key: The wisdom of the heart that helps encourage cycles of inner development" What say you? Like it? Does it resonate?

NeXoRiouS	11 Apr 2003
LOL, I don't understand. Please enlighten me by simplifying it. thank you. :)

Kiama	11 Apr 2003
It reminds me of the song Grandmother Willow sings in Pocahontas: 'Listen with your heart, you will understand....' Kiama

Diana	11 Apr 2003
Very beautiful firemaiden. I wonder how many lifetimes it takes for someone who is stuck in the Moon card to see the Sun rise. Not only to lift up their face from the waters of illusion, but to have the courage to walk out of those waters, pass through the two dogs guarding the towers in spite of their fear, and walk into the unknown which deep in their hearts, they know is not the unknown, but their Home.

skytwig	11 Apr 2003
thank you, firemaiden. the moon is such sweet mystery and affects so much of our lives. (Where would beaches be without that continual rocking of earth?) Shadow and Light give us a dimension that, if we honor both, encourage a Presence that may stun us, will surely welcome us (home) and demand that we voice Who we are! I shall investigate that deck, certainly! PS - On the 16th, the Moon shall be very big, bigger than it's been in a while. Enjoy!!!

magpie9	11 Apr 2003
Not to be all Mundane and earthy, but doesn't the moon carry the additional meaning in many decks that all things come forth in thier own time? Pregnuncy in the sense of things developing at their own rate, and Patience and all that? You can't push the river, you will get where you're going when it's time to be there? Just a well-meant thought. I dont know if it's a Buddhist idea.. seems possible, though. :)

Moongold	12 Apr 2003
I love the Moon as you may have guessed. She keeps her face seemingly turned away but we are drawn to her inexorably. She invites reflection and as we get to know her, she compels reflection...... In straining to see her, we discover ourselves. Moon's stillness is calming. In that calmness, free from distraction, people can go mad. Sometimes people hate calmness. They may see some dark parts of themselves and lack the knowledge or skill to navigate to the light. If we become afraid in our reflection, we can hold the light in our hearts. The other side of the Moon faces the Sun. Our journey is towards the Light. You smile Golden.... Gracing our path. Some thoughts....I think that deck you have alluded to sounds beautiful and will look at it on the next Tarot shopping spree. The Sephiroth also has a postive view of the Moon, though perhaps not so gracefuly written. The Moon recognises and accesses the sacredness of primitive energies. The global awakening to the path of manifestation from eternal night, The manifestation of the dreams of creation. From the "soup of creation" (the subconscious) comes life. The birth process, instinct and intuition's role in physical manifestation. The pool, as in the Star card, and in all previous references to water, refers to the feminine and to the sub-conscious. From the source (the pool) comes birth. We travel into manifestation, to eternal light. Moongold

Inana	12 Apr 2003
Interesting thoughts in the moon card. I enjoyed reading this, cause the moon is a card that i find somehow hard to understand and its appearing a lot lately in my readings. The result is that im starting to hate it, plus when in the RW it doesnt seems to carry many good things. Seems about pesimism and desillusions. Well, i know, this has nothing to do with buddist meanings... Im just trying to put in order my mind.

Emily	12 Apr 2003
Hi Inana, I've also enjoyed reading these views on The Moon, its also a card I have problems reading, the first things that come to mind are the hidden apects of the card, the mystery - Things that you don't know about, and it tells of hidden fears and illusion.

Cerulean	12 Apr 2003
picked up on a moon reference as a bright symbol of enlightenment, especially as a full lamp lighting the way in a dark place. He was commenting on a fellow student's poem of a full moon over the desert ruins. I believe it might be similar to the hermit's lamp is a small light in the night on many tarot cards. Thinking of a bright or rising moon on a dark landscape as a symbol of shedding a different, softer light or view was helpful to the student. She was struggling with resolving her inner attitude---she has a pro-peace stance and lately her very dear friends were debating or carefully suggesting their different attitudes for her activities towards peaceful means to end conflicts. She wanted to keep them as friends and keep talking---but she realized she had to move from her passionate stance to a softer attitude toward the people she cared about. Her idea was to check out more moon enlightenment references and work on her poem more as a means of active expression.

The The Moon - a Buddhist take thread was originally posted on 11 Apr 2003 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.