The Moon Tarot Card

The Moon card from the Marseille tarot, black and white.

Symbols

Moon, Water, Dog and wolfs, Crawfish, Path, Towers

Qualities

Intuition, Illusion, Subconscious, Dreams, Mystery, Fear, Anxiety, Creativity, Emotional Depth

Symbology

The Moon is renowned for its associations with femininity, the unconscious, intuition, and introspection. In contrast, the next card, The Sun, represents vitality and outward expression.

The Moon tarot card depicts the Moon in the night’s sky glowing up. It serves as more than a celestial body; it acts as a guiding luminary along the intricate journey of the subconscious. Notably, a wolf and a domesticated dog howl at the Moon, while a crayfish emerges from the water. These elements symbolize the duality of the human’s animalistic nature, representing both the tamed and the wild aspects of our being – one civilized, the other wild and feral.
Positioned between two twin towers, the Moon takes a central stance, connected to the theme of duality. These towers, flanking the central path, convey a profound message about the difficulty in distinguishing between opposites – perhaps alluding to the delicate dance between the conscious and the unconscious realms, the enigmatic depths of the psyche.
Adorned with sixteen chief and sixteen secondary rays, the Moon tarot card captivates with its intricate details. As it sheds the moisture of fertilizing dew in great drops, the card incorporates Yodh-shaped elements. These not only contribute to the visual richness of the card but also add a layer of esoteric symbolism, inviting those who engage with it to delve deeper into the profound mysteries embedded within the imagery.
The Moon card from the 15th-century Visconti-Sforza tarot, showing a crescent moon with two figures below.
The Moon card in the Visconti-Sforza tarot deck.
The Moon card from the Rider-Waite tarot, showing a moon above with two towers, a dog and wolf, and a crayfish emerging from water.
The Moon card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck.

Meanings & Keywords

The Moon Tarot card – the eighteenth of the Major Arcana – beckons with mysterious allure. In contrast to the hopeful radiance of The Star tarot card, which is the seventeenth in the sequence, the Moon invites introspection, leading individuals on a journey through surreal landscapes. Against the backdrop of a serene Moon casting an ethereal glow, this card offers insights into intuition and explores the enigmatic depths of the human mind. Let’s unravel its meanings in both the upright and reversed positions.

Upright Meaning

When the Moon card assumes an upright position in a tarot reading, it indicates an invitation to introspect and explore the subconscious. This marks a period to trust instincts and delve into the depths of emotions, emphasizing the importance of caution and refraining from making hasty choices.
Encouraging an embrace of life’s mysteries, illusions, and uncertainties, the card guides through challenging situations using intuition. The Moon serves as a signal to avoid impulsive and fast decisions. It underscores the significance of following the path suggested by intuitions, as feelings are the guide, not excessive thinking. In the darkness of the night, clear visibility is limited, making it impossible to make well-informed decisions without a complete view. Hence, following intuition becomes crucial, given the Moon’s inherent connection with our deep intuitive senses.
Not coincidentally, the Moon is often associated with the divine feminine, linked to intuition and emotions. This celestial body serves as a reminder to trust one’s feelings and sentiments.
As said, The Moon signals a journey into the realms of dreams, intuition, and the subtle energies shaping perceptions. However, it may also indicate an additional reading: the presence of illusions. Some hidden truths must be discovered in the night, where light may reveal what was previously obscured.

Upright Keywords

Intuition – Subconscious – Illusions and Deception – Dreams and Imagination – Cycles and Phases – Instability – Psychic Abilities – Mystery – Night Journey

Reversed Meaning

When the Moon card takes a reversed stance, it signals a departure from confusion, unveiling a clarity that dispels illusions. This shift signifies an emergence from once uncertain circumstances, as fears and anxieties lose their grip, allowing for a more objective perception of situations.
In this reversal, the Moon reveals its dark side, manifesting negative aspects such as anxiety. Despite these challenges, there is hope because the Moon serves not only as a harbinger of darkness but also as a guiding symbol.
However, caution is warranted, as potential blockages in intuition may arise, and addressing unresolved emotions becomes imperative. Delving into these deeper layers ensures a comprehensive understanding of the complexities revealed in the reversed Moon card, offering a pathway towards healing and renewed clarity.

Reversed Keywords

Confusion – Misinterpretation – Unresolved Emotions – Release of Fears – Clarity Emerging – Breaking Illusions – Stability Returning – Blocked Intuition – Emerging from the Shadows

Key Symbols

Crawfish

From the depths of the stretch of water, a crawfish gracefully emerges. This crustacean serves as a poignant representation of our primal instincts, positioned lower in the evolutionary hierarchy and symbolizing the essence of our reptilian brain – the very seat of our most fundamental and instinctual drives. It acts as a symbolic gateway to the profound realms lurking beneath the surface.
The crawfish invites contemplation on the instinctual forces that guide us, often concealed beneath the surface yet profoundly influential in shaping our subconscious motivations. It transcends being a mere creature emerging from the water, evolving into a metaphor for the depths of our psyche.
Moreover, the crawfish’s resemblance to a scorpion adds another layer to its symbolism, evoking notions of transformation, regeneration, and the potent sting of introspective revelations.

Dog and wolf

The haunting presence of the howling Wolf and the loyal domesticated Dog at the Moon’s feet unfolds a symbolic narrative encapsulating the dual aspects of human nature – wild and tame.
The Wolf and Dog, while distinct in their essence, find unity beneath the glow of the Moon. Together, they embody the spectrum of tamed and untamed passions residing within our consciousness. Their opposing natures create a harmonious duality, intriguingly unified by the magnetic pull of the Moon.
Both creatures share a poignant moment, collectively howling at the Moon, a profound gesture that signals a connection to something beyond the tangible. In this symphony of howls, the Wolf and Dog become metaphors for the intricate dance between primal instincts and cultivated behaviors, a dance that finds its rhythm in the radiance of the lunar sphere.

Towers

The two towers flanking The Moon card appear identical, standing as twin towers. Some interpret these towers as symbols of duality, emphasizing the challenge of distinguishing between opposites – whether it be the known and the unknown or the conscious and the unconscious.

Interestingly, upon close observation, these towers are identical to the ones in the Death tarot card. In the intricate details of the Death card, where numerous symbols abound, the towers may go unnoticed. However, they persist, mirroring the ones in The Moon, silently emphasizing a connection between these two distinct tarot cards.

← The Star

The Sun →

More Tarot Insights

Born Under Saturn Logo, White

On Born Under Saturn you can immerse yourself in the evocative power of astrology, art, tarot and symbols.

Instagram Pinterest Spotify

© 2024 Born to Saturn. All rights reserved. Purchases made through links on this site may contribute to our cosmic journey through affiliate partnerships with select retailers. The content on this site, whether written in the stars or on the web, may not be copied, shared, or transmitted without the express permission of Born Under Saturn.

"Born Under a Rising Sign"

The most complete book on the Ascendant.
Out December 1. Join the waitlist to be the first to read it.