The Cray Fish In The Moon

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Oct 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

pixiefeet	17 Oct 2003
Can someone explain the symbolism of the Cray Fish in The Moon card please and um - are you allowed to email me perhaps? to: pixiefeet@hotpop.com Thanks chaps

firemaiden	17 Oct 2003
Hello, pixiefeet, great name, welcome to the forum. If you feel like it, come on over and introduce yourself over in New Members, and we'll show you where to hang you hat. (We could email you the answering posts, but that wouldn't be as much fun, because then the other members wouldn't be able to share the answers.) There is probably no firm agreement about what the crayfish in the moon means exactly, but I am sure there will be many interesting answers here. :) Meanwhile, you can also take a browse through some of the other Moon threads and see if you find something interesting. I've compiled a table of contents, which is posted at the top of this forum to help with finding old threads, you can also have fun using the search function. There are also wonderful threads in the History section about the Marseilles deck, in which the crayfish is discussed at great length. So, just for a start, not trying to be obnoxious or anything, I'll throw the question back in your lap... what do you think the crayfish means. Or... better yet, what does it make you think of, and what does it mean to you?

rota	17 Oct 2003
Hi, Pixiefeet! - I hope this is just the first of many posts from you. The crayfish/lobster/crab symbol in the Moon card is a subject that is extensively mentioned in old threads. You can easily dig them up by typing 'crayfish' or what have you into the Search engine, and sort through the various topics until you get to what you want. The crustacean is an old creature, reaching back nearly unchanged, like the shark and the insects, far far back in time. It lives partly in the water, and partly on land, and so has interests in both the murky world of the emotional Astral and the lighter, more rational world of Light. It was noticed that its comings and goings seem to be signaled by the cycles of the moon, making it an apt symbol for the idea of being 'controlled' by a celestial object, meaning that it will act on feelings and impulse before reason. Also, it's armored - with its hard shell, it seems to stand for the attitude of not listening to reason, being led by its own inscrutable rules. There are other meanings and other levels, which I am sure other Aeclecticians will be happy to add.

gloria	17 Oct 2003
The crayfish symbolizes the stepping stone from our unconsciousness (water) to our consciousness (earth). But the crayfish can move backwards or sideways just as easily as forward. So maybe the saying ‘One step forward, two steps back' could be apt in some respects with this card. We take it for granted the crayfish is moving forward in the card, but who’s to say he isn’t moving backwards into the water. Gloria.

jmd	18 Oct 2003
I agree that other threads have wonderfully discussed this important question, including XVIII La Lune... (in the History and Iconography Forum) & Why is there a lobster in The Moon? (in this very section of the Forums). I have at times taken this card, especially in its early representations, to mimic astrological depictions of Cancer. The carapace protects the soft flesh of the invertebrate. The inhabitant has no backbone, but protects itself firmly within its home. It seems to respond and sense into its environment, its oversized pincers seeming to drive away potential predators more by show than in reality (the barking-dog syndrome). I remember hearing, a number of Moons ago, of some research which has become somewhat mythologised, of observations of Crabs (related to the Lobster) ascending at night to the dry land, all converging on the small island's highest point, there to 'stand' in circles, their pincers/arms raised in awed reverence towards the Full Moon...

swoosh	18 Oct 2003
i think the crayfish represents the lowest form of life. how low one can sink. i think it could represent starting from the bottom (crayfish crawlin out of the water) and working ur way up(path). or i guess it could it mean sum lowlife is tryin to get back in to ur life, lol. gloria, i think ur interpretation of the crayfish is the best ive heard!

gloria	18 Oct 2003
Thanks very much for that Swoosh - you've made my day! Gloria.

The The Cray Fish In The Moon thread was originally posted on 17 Oct 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.