Moongold
It’s helpful when considering this card to understand more about the position of the moon in Egyptian society because it certainly does not seem to have the importance of the Sun. This site gives a great deal of information about the Moon. The “relaxing” moon is one of the primary symbols of Islam today and a photograph is attached to this post.
It seems that the Moon was not regarded as a God in its own right, as is the Sun, but various gods have been associated with the Moon over time. The cycle of the Moon was important and many rituals were associated with it. The beginning of the lunar cycle was considered to be the new moon, and it ended with the moment of the full Moon. Therefore, the moon only became visible on the second day of the lunar month. The lunar cycle is represented either as a six day evolution up to the sixth day, or as a fifteen day evolution up to the ideal day of the full moon. The importance given to the sixth day is probably explained by the increasing intensity of moonlight at this stage of the cycle, though sometimes the seventh day is mentioned instead. The cycles of the moon were recognised in various rituals, including funerary rituals.
For example, the murder of the god Osiris and his resurrection were recognized in the lunar cycle, and the body of Osiris was equated with the moon. In this myth, Osiris' body was cut into fourteen parts by Seth, where were later reassembled and restored to life. Here also, the number of parts of Osiris' body were equated with the days of the waning or waxing moon. In other areas of Egypt, the entire life cycle of Osiris were related to the lunar cycle, with the god's conception on the first day and his birth on the second lunar day. Osiris' murder and subsequent dismemberment were associated with the period following the full moon. Hence, the second day of the month saw the reassembly of the god's parts and his "entering into the moon" on the sixth day. The rejuvenation and the defeat of the god's enemies occurred on the day of the full moon, when Osiris was declared victorious in the tribunal, and when Horus was awarded with his heritage.
In Barrett’s XVIII Moon, the coffin of Osiris floats down the Nile, yet to be discovered. The traditional two pillars form a gateway between life and death. In studying this deck, I have come to see that I need to understand much more about the idea of death as journey and the whole process of Egyptian funerary rights.
In the meantime on these two pillars are images of Osiris, awaiting his resurrection, and Khonsu, one of the many Moon gods. Khonsu was the son of Amon-Re and Mut . . His name derives from the root, "khens" which means to travel, to move about, to run. He was usually portrayed as a man with the head of a hawk and wearing the lunar disk. He was also shown as a child with the sidelock of youth. Khonsu was a very old god of primitive times. It was said that when Khonsu caused the cresent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat were filled with fresh air.
Jackals are also prominent symbols in this image. They represent the God Anubis who was once the God of the dead, a role later assumed by Osiris himself. Anubis became the jackal-god of mummification and assisted in the rites by which a dead man was admitted to the underworld. Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming and who embalmed the dead Osiris, thereby helping to preserve him that he might live again.
Scarabs are also prominent in this card. Scarabs are small beetles which push dung containing their larvae up from their burrows to the surface of the earth. The larvae incubate in the dung before bursting out and taking flight. This is a parable for the Sun bursting out of the depths of night. The little scarab beetle came to symbolize the Sun God’s amazing powers of creation and regeneration.
The feeling in this wonderful image is one of waiting, waiting for resurrection and rebirth, the birth into light. The astrological sign for this card is Pisces, represented by the images of fish on the coffin of Osiris.
In this dim half light, poised in the consciousness between life and death, ordinary things assume the character of fantasy and illusion. What is real and what is not? The perennial questions around the Moon. We can use this image and the time of the Moon to explore our imagination and the limits of consciousness. Can we ever be sure, in all these explorations, what is real and what is fanciful, however? For most of us, it is preferable ultimately to be in the light, and the light of the Sun may eclipse what we learn from the light of the Moon. Or does it?
The thing I love about this particular image is its silence. In the silence is clarity. I don't get the strong impression of illusion in this image, just of waiting for the natural cycle of things. And in the waiting and the quiet, much will be revealed. Not everything, but enough to make us want to search for more understanding.
It seems that the Moon was not regarded as a God in its own right, as is the Sun, but various gods have been associated with the Moon over time. The cycle of the Moon was important and many rituals were associated with it. The beginning of the lunar cycle was considered to be the new moon, and it ended with the moment of the full Moon. Therefore, the moon only became visible on the second day of the lunar month. The lunar cycle is represented either as a six day evolution up to the sixth day, or as a fifteen day evolution up to the ideal day of the full moon. The importance given to the sixth day is probably explained by the increasing intensity of moonlight at this stage of the cycle, though sometimes the seventh day is mentioned instead. The cycles of the moon were recognised in various rituals, including funerary rituals.
For example, the murder of the god Osiris and his resurrection were recognized in the lunar cycle, and the body of Osiris was equated with the moon. In this myth, Osiris' body was cut into fourteen parts by Seth, where were later reassembled and restored to life. Here also, the number of parts of Osiris' body were equated with the days of the waning or waxing moon. In other areas of Egypt, the entire life cycle of Osiris were related to the lunar cycle, with the god's conception on the first day and his birth on the second lunar day. Osiris' murder and subsequent dismemberment were associated with the period following the full moon. Hence, the second day of the month saw the reassembly of the god's parts and his "entering into the moon" on the sixth day. The rejuvenation and the defeat of the god's enemies occurred on the day of the full moon, when Osiris was declared victorious in the tribunal, and when Horus was awarded with his heritage.
In Barrett’s XVIII Moon, the coffin of Osiris floats down the Nile, yet to be discovered. The traditional two pillars form a gateway between life and death. In studying this deck, I have come to see that I need to understand much more about the idea of death as journey and the whole process of Egyptian funerary rights.
In the meantime on these two pillars are images of Osiris, awaiting his resurrection, and Khonsu, one of the many Moon gods. Khonsu was the son of Amon-Re and Mut . . His name derives from the root, "khens" which means to travel, to move about, to run. He was usually portrayed as a man with the head of a hawk and wearing the lunar disk. He was also shown as a child with the sidelock of youth. Khonsu was a very old god of primitive times. It was said that when Khonsu caused the cresent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat were filled with fresh air.
Jackals are also prominent symbols in this image. They represent the God Anubis who was once the God of the dead, a role later assumed by Osiris himself. Anubis became the jackal-god of mummification and assisted in the rites by which a dead man was admitted to the underworld. Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming and who embalmed the dead Osiris, thereby helping to preserve him that he might live again.
Scarabs are also prominent in this card. Scarabs are small beetles which push dung containing their larvae up from their burrows to the surface of the earth. The larvae incubate in the dung before bursting out and taking flight. This is a parable for the Sun bursting out of the depths of night. The little scarab beetle came to symbolize the Sun God’s amazing powers of creation and regeneration.
The feeling in this wonderful image is one of waiting, waiting for resurrection and rebirth, the birth into light. The astrological sign for this card is Pisces, represented by the images of fish on the coffin of Osiris.
In this dim half light, poised in the consciousness between life and death, ordinary things assume the character of fantasy and illusion. What is real and what is not? The perennial questions around the Moon. We can use this image and the time of the Moon to explore our imagination and the limits of consciousness. Can we ever be sure, in all these explorations, what is real and what is fanciful, however? For most of us, it is preferable ultimately to be in the light, and the light of the Sun may eclipse what we learn from the light of the Moon. Or does it?
The thing I love about this particular image is its silence. In the silence is clarity. I don't get the strong impression of illusion in this image, just of waiting for the natural cycle of things. And in the waiting and the quiet, much will be revealed. Not everything, but enough to make us want to search for more understanding.