I see the moon and the moon sees me…

I’ve decided over the coming months I’m going to share some insights into the tarot and particularly the meanings behind the major arcana.

Major Arcana means “Great” or “Big secrets”, and these cards represent some of the biggest or fundamental changes or changes in energy in our lives. The cards symbolise our most basic of issues – our inner world and the motivation and motivators that lie beneath. These are the 22 Archetypes that permeate all mankind, these qualities identify the deep and complex reactions within us all. Think about whether “Death” scares you, you are drawn to “The Lovers”, feel a strong connection to “The empress” or repelled by “The devil”. We all carry these archetypes within us, and when we are learning to work and connect with the cards, its important that we don’t project our core beliefs onto these cards, whether those beliefs are positive or negative. If you can avoid this, the deep symbolism behind these cards will provide you with a greater sense of self-awareness as well as guidance on how you can take more responsibility for yourself, your life, and your journey.

The moon is the 18th tarot card in the major arcana and is linked with the star sign Pisces.

Upright Keywords: Illusion, illusion, uncertainty, confusion, complexity, secrets, sub

Upright Love Meaning: Complicated romance, uncertainty about love or relationship-conscious, and intuition.

Upright Career meaning: Uncertainty around career path, confusion at job, lack of information

Upright Finances Meaning: Unclear around financial decisions, lacking financial knowledge

Reversed Keywords: Fear, deception, self-deceit, anxiety, misunderstanding, misinterpretation, clarity, understanding, release of fear, repressed emotion, and inner confusion.

Reversed Love Meaning: Deception, fear, and paranoia regarding love

Reversed Career meaning: Clarity at work, sabotage, deception and trickery at workplace

Reversed Finances Meaning: Clarity about finances, deception regarding finances

Key Phrases: Tricky love affair, Blind to the truth, unrealistic dreams, feeling confused, feeling worried and apprehensive, trusting your intuition, losing touch with reality, shadow work, lunar cycle

Yes/No Interpretation: No

Element: Water

Stones/Crystals: Pearl

Numerology: 18 is the number of inspiration and accomplishment. Or 1+8= 9 The energy of the number 9 represents completion, it acts as an usher in this process of transition or transformation, guiding and empowering us with its wisdom.

The Moon card shows a full moon in the night sky, situated between two pillars/towers. The towers are a representation of good and evil, these towers face one another and look similar in appearance, and this is representing the difficulty in distinguishing the two from the other. The Moon is a symbol of intuition, dreams, and the unconscious mind and feelings. In comparison to the sun, the moons light is dim compared to the sun, and only slightly illuminates the path. The symbolism of this path represents the path to higher consciousness. At the bottom of the card there is a small pool, representing the watery, subconscious mind. A small crayfish/lobster crawls out of the pool, this is symbolising the early stages of consciousness growing. A dog and a wolf are stood in a field howling at the moon, representing both the tamed and the wild aspects of our minds. The two animals represent the fine line between conscious and unconscious, and between the tamed side of civilization of the dog, and the forces of nature are represented by the wolf.

The card is a complex one due to the links with the hidden subconscious and with the themes of deceit, the meaning behind the card has a great concern for security, belonging and safety. When we are around those we are familiar and comfortable with or in familiar surroundings we feel safe. But at times our shadow self comes out and see the light of day, this can leave us feeling vulnerable, frightened, fearful, or anxious. This card often comes out when we are projecting fear or limiting beliefs into our present or future. If you have a painful memory that you’ve buried deep down, are you attracting the same stories and cycles? Or is there an emotional wound that you know is holding you back? Where does the awareness and healing need to take place. This card encourages you to dig deep and be prepared to go below the surface to come out of the other side, sometimes we have to be prepared to stare into the darkness to bring something to the light.

The moon needs expression and when it occurs with a layout the positive aspect is to trust those deeper, intuitive realms, and to remember that life is shrouded in mystery at all times. The illusion of the moon is to not let ourselves hide and deceive ourselves, if we follow the path of illusion and deception, we allow ourselves to be lead astray, and away from our purpose.

If you pull the card as you now, it’s a sign that you may continue to feel confused as what to do next. It’s a sign that you need to find your own way, your own path, regardless of how difficult or even impossible it may seem, work to identify your fears as these can be what is blocking you from finding your solutions to move forward. Trust your instincts and intuition. Accessing healing services, may be helpful in starting to uncover what is holding you back or will open you up to these fears and anxieties. This card warns against making fast/hasty decisions, take the time to weigh things up and sit with it.

This card offers a warning of all may not be as it seems, you maybe wrong, your judgement may be clouded or even someone is taking advantage of you. Tap into your intuition, not your imagination, the two are different, one gives you much clearer advice, the other takes you on a journey of the impossible happening.

If you are enquiring into what is blocking you, this card suggests that your insecurities or limiting beliefs are holding you back, that you don’t feel you belong to anything or anyone, including yourself.

If you pull this card in a future position someone, either you or another, will be dishonest, it also shows that you may end up so wrapped up in your emotions and feelings that you don’t have a clear rational view of the truth of the matter at hand.

This card asks you to pay attention to your dreams, intuitions and inner guidance that will guide you forward towards higher levels of understanding and consciousness. And if you listen and use your judgement it will help you to interpret the messages of the subconscious that you are receiving.

When the Moon card appears in a reading, pay attention to the lunar cycles and attune to its divine feminine power using rituals, visualisation, art, water scrying or Tarot readings. Also, if you are a woman pay attention the phase of your life that you represent within the triple goddess archetypes, whether you are the maiden, the mother or the crone.

Now I’m going to briefly cover the reversed interpretations, not every reader uses them, some ignore them all together, but I feel its important to at least acknowledge the meanings of the reversed cards.

The moon when it is reversed is typically an indication that you have been facing your fears, the shadows and the illusions that sit behind your fears and anxieties. This card indicates that you are waking up to the impact of your fears and what they have on your life. You may be working through a time of freedom and liberation. Or on the flipside you may be trying to push these feelings down deeper than they were before as you feel you cannot face them. And finally, you may be receiving physic or intuitive messages and downloads but you’re not quite clear on what they mean for you. You are being encouraged to keep a dream journal or a journal of your intuitive messages or even downloads.

This is by far not an exhaustive meaning, it’s a generic one, when reading cards, I would always recommend you use your intuition, looking at the colours, the images and feel into what you pick up on.

For this new moon if you have a tarot deck, find your moon card, and then also take out the card behind and the card in front. For the card behind this is what you need to look at in order to release and heal, and the card in front is where you need to be putting your focus over the next few days of this lunar cycle. And finally what card is on the bottom of your deck, and whatever your card is, indicates what you are hiding, or that is part of your shadow self that you need to face. These are excellent exercises to do for any moon ritual or exercise/journal process.

If you are new to tarot or you’re interested but you’re not sure where to start keep your eyes peeled, I’ve got something big coming this month. Linked to the tarot. But in the meantime, keep an eye on the blog, because I will be covering the tarot once a week, meanings, how to use them and much more.

If you would like to attend my card reading circle this month (I only have online spaces left, I do have a waiting list in place if you would prefer to attend in person), please get in touch with us via Facebook or email.

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Love and Light

Marie