EP 65: Tarot Talk on the Moon Card

I’ve never quite agreed with the books I’ve studied

when it comes to the 18 card of the tarot.

They seem to wrap it in this cloak of unknowing. The authors relate the moon card to the feminine and subconscious, and deem it unknowable and mysterious. My thoughts are that this is mainly because up until the mid 90’s most people writing books on tarot were men. Who’s conclusions and ideas were coloured by the occult teaching in the late 1890’s and into the 1900’s.

As a modern Witch and a person socialized as female, I don’t find this energy unknowable or mysterious.

I find it powerful and full of wisdom

The moon card has symbology we have seen in other cards in the high arcana such as

pillars on the left and right of the card
- some cards show these as small castle like towers
water
- it is typically a river
- sometime it is drawn as a lake
animals
- dogs or wolves
- a crawfish, i call them lobsters
and the moon itself


We want to remember when we are examining the moon card, that the moon is connected to the Divine Feminine.  It is difficult for me to talk about the moon with out mentioning it's connection with the feminine 

Moon phases connect to the 3 faces of the triple Goddess

                                 - Maiden 
                                - Mother 
                                 - Crone

The 28 day moon cycle is connected to women's cycles. 

The moon moves the ocean tides. There are so many correspondences between water and the divine feminine 
(see my episode on the element of water or the triple goddess to learn more)

I honestly feel like is why this card has been somewhat cloaked in mystery.

Many of the people who were writing and studying tarot in the new age revival era, were looking at the moon card through a patriarchal lens. Their lack of understanding and connection with feminine power kept the meanings of the card cloaked in mystery for them.

I find it fascinating because some of symbols we see in the moon card, are the same ones we see in other cards in the high arcana. Such as the pillars on wither side of the card, we see them repeated through out the 1st 7 cards of the high arcana.

So in the moon card I feel that they continue to represent the pillars of wisdom. Those same 2 pillars that the High Priestess sits before, that the veil separating the physical form the etherical hangs between.

The feel and themes of the 2 cards are similar.

They both connect to the idea of feminine mysticism and wisdom

To me it feels like the scene depicted on the Moon card is what you would see if you pulled back the veil on the High Priestess card. Like they are 2 sides of the same coin.

But what does it mean to your client ?

The moon card speaks of change
- the natural ebb and flow
- change that can be gentle if embraced
- that will unfold in a cyclic matter in its divine time

The change is connected to your healing
- the moons connection to water and healing is highlighted
- wisdom is gained and there for you in the process

creates movement that is needed
- If your client is on the fence about something the moon is telling them to act
- to tune into their knowing, tune into the goddess

We can learn from the moon that even

when we are only partly illuminated we are always whole

Lets look at some of the symbology of the Moon Card using my collection of decks