The Moon
The Moon — Upright
The Querent may find themselves entangled in a complicated situation, being deceived, or even engaging in double-dealing.
In Tarot, the Moon card symbolizes unexpected twists and receiving sudden, unpleasant news. The revelation of hidden information can lead to confusion, disappointment, and sorrow.
It is crucial to be extremely attentive and cautious here because, despite seeming to understand the situation, important information may still be concealed from the Querent.
The Moon can also reflect intuitive perception of the astral world and clairvoyance, as well as dreams and visions.
If other cards in the spread do not imply a negative interpretation of the Moon, its psychic interpretation may be relevant.
The Querent may have premonitions about the situation, or it could be related to a dream or vision, indicating an alternative state of consciousness.
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The Moon — Reversed
In the reversed position, the Moon card foreshadows more favorable circumstances. The element of dishonesty is absent, and unexpected changes turn into anticipated and favorable ones, requiring only slight adaptation.
The fog of confusion and self-deception dissipates, giving way to genuine feelings of love and care.
For those who aim to realize their dreams or make plans, the reversed Moon becomes a wonderful symbol of creativity, pointing to the merging of ideas and the beginning of a new project.
Furthermore, the reversed Moon can symbolize heightened sensitivity and intuition.
Astrology
The Moon is ruled by Pisces and Neptune, symbolizing dreams, illusions, and emotional depth. Neptune brings intuition and mysticism, while Pisces emphasizes empathy and mystery. This card invites inner exploration and trust in the unseen.
Numerology
Number 18 symbolizes illusion, intuition, and emotional depth. It reflects the essence of the card’s role in the journey, guiding insight through the lens of 9. The reduced number 9 brings focus to universal lessons and recurring themes.
Symbolism & Archetypes
Explore the symbolism — open a section to read more.
The Kabbalistic attribute of the Moon card in Tarot is the Hebrew letter Kof, associated with the zodiac sign Pisces. Waite emphasizes the connection between Pisces and the Moon card as follows:
Despite the apparent presence of the Moon, this card symbolizes not the Moon but Pisces, which is a significant departure from traditional associations.
This is highlighted in the comparison of the Sun card and the Moon card, where the former indeed depicts the Sun, and the latter represents Pisces.
Kof, as the last of the twelve simple letters, corresponds to Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac.
This correlation is confirmed in Arcanum II (The High Priestess) and Arcanum VII (The Chariot), where hidden images of Pisces suggest that Arcanum XVIII (The Moon) is actually associated with Pisces.
Kof, depicting the back of the head and associated with sleep, emphasizes the atmosphere of night and dreams on the Moon card, confirming the association with Pisces.
The two towers and the winding path on the card symbolize the Tree of Life, with the yellow path representing the Central Pillar, and the towers representing the Pillars of Mercy and Severity, which together also point to Pisces.
Gematria analysis of the two towers also leads to the sign of Pisces, confirming the astrological correspondence of this card.
In the Moon card, mysteriously present is Anubis, the Egyptian god who guides the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. He is often depicted with the head of a jackal or a dog.
It also symbolizes lunar goddesses, possessing illusions, temptation, and enchantment.
This card represents the realm of subconscious dreams, psychic and astral states of human consciousness.
In the Moon card, which differs from the commonly accepted versions, the Moon is facing the side of mercy, which is to the right of the observer. With sixteen primary rays and an equal number of secondary rays, it symbolizes the life of imagination, separate from spiritual life.
The path between the two towers leads into the unknown. The dog and the wolf on the card represent the fears of the natural mind on the threshold of the unknown, where it can only be guided by reflected light.
The reflected light of intellect cannot penetrate the innermost mystery beyond it. It illuminates our animal essence, manifested by the dog, the wolf, and the mysterious creature rising from the depths – this is the base desire, worse than a wild beast.
It tries to manifest, symbolized by its emergence from the water, but often returns back. The rational face calmly looks upon the tumult below; drops of thought fall like dew; the message sounds like a call to tranquility, and perhaps, this will bring peace to the animal nature, preventing the emergence of dreadful forms from the depths.
The Moon, illuminating the heavens with its gentle light reflected from the Sun, reigns in the world of the night.
It governs the realm of dreams and the subconscious, where the collective heritage of human evolution is stored. The Moon card reflects the evolutionary path: in the foreground, our ascent from the depths of the ocean is symbolized, represented in some Tarot as a crab and in others as an Egyptian scarab rolling a ball.
Next comes the mineral world, depicted with rocks, followed by the world of plants with flowers and grass. The animal kingdom is represented by the wolf and the dog, symbolizing the wild and domesticated aspects of nature, as well as the entire human journey from savagery to civilization.
Two towers, symbols of the conscious and the subconscious, stand on the path to the uncharted astral world.
The Moon card conceals hidden dangers, as delving into the astral and psychic realms entails encountering illusions and self-deception. It is essential to steadfastly follow the path of spirituality, using the astral and psychic realms as steps toward divine understanding.
The Hermit awaits us at the summit of this path.
The governing Zodiac sign for the Moon card is Pisces, a symbol of intuition. In negative aspects of Pisces, a person may fall into the trap of betrayal or self-deception, preferring the world of fantasies over the clarity of the mind needed to solve real problems.
The number 1, symbolizing conscious intellect, combines with the number 8, representing control over the subconscious, forming the number XVIII (18). This number represents the path to spiritual perfection through the harmonization of different forms of thinking.
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