The Moon

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MOON TAROT CARD MEANINGS KEYWORDS

Upright: Illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition

Reversed: Release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion

MOON TAROT CARD MEANINGS AND DESCRIPTION

The Moon card shows a large, full moon in the night’s sky, positioned between two large towers. The Moon is a symbol of intuition, dreams, and the unconscious. The light of the moon is dim, compared to the sun, and only vaguely illuminates the path to higher consciousness which winds between the two towers.

In the foreground, there is a small pool, representing the watery, subconscious mind. A small crayfish crawls out of the pool, symbolising the early stages of consciousness unfolding. A dog and a wolf stand in the grassy field, howling at the moon, representing both the tamed and the wild aspects of our minds.

NOTE: The Tarot card meaning description is based on the Rider Waite cards.

UPRIGHT MOON TAROT CARD MEANINGS

The Moon represents your fears and illusions and often appears when you are projecting fear into your present and your future, based on your past experiences. You may have a painful memory that caused emotional distress, and rather than dealing with the emotions at the time, you pushed them down deep within your subconscious mind. Now, these emotions are making a reappearance and you may find yourself under the influence of these negative emotions, either on a conscious or subconscious level. For example, if you had a car accident when you were young but didn’t process the emotions, you may might feel sad or anxious for no apparent reason every time you get into the backseat of a car. To remedy this, connect with your subconscious mind and release any fears or anxieties that are holding you back. Hypnosis, therapy and shamanic healing can support this process.

The Moon can indicate a time of uncertainty and illusion, when nothing is what it seems. Be careful of making fast decisions when the Moon appears because you may later realise you only had half the information you needed. This is when you need to listen to and trust your intuition, so you can see beyond what is simply in front of you. Feel into situations, rather than thinking what they mean. Let go of your conscious mental blocks or negative self-talk, and allow your intuition to guide you. Your dreams, intuitions and inner guidance lead you forward toward higher levels of understanding if you listen carefully and use your judgement to help interpret the messages of the subconscious.

When the Moon card appears in your Tarot reading, pay close attention to the lunar cycles and attune with its divine power using ritual, visualisation or Tarot readings. Connect with the divine feminine and uncover deep intuitive insights and visions of what lies beyond everyday life. On the New Moon, set your intentions and plant the seeds of opportunity so that they can grow. And on the Full Moon, honour your achievements and look at what you need to release so that new aspects of yourself can shine through.

REVERSED MOON TAROT CARD MEANINGS

The Moon reversed indicates that you have been dealing with illusion, fears and anxiety, and now the negative influences of these energies are beginning to subside. You are working through your fears and anxieties, understanding the impact that these have on your life and how you can eventually free yourself from these limiting beliefs. This is a truly liberating and transformational experience.

On the flipside, you may be trying to bury these feelings even deeper within your subconscious mind, so that you don’t have to deal with your dark shadows. You may not be ready to deal with your emotions, instead pushing them to the side and pretending as if nothing is wrong. This strategy might work in the short-term, but eventually you will need to resurface these emotions and deal with them head on.

The Moon reversed can also indicate that you are receiving intuitive messages and psychic downloads, but you are struggling to understand what they mean for you. The message may be confusing or your interpretation is different to what you read elsewhere. When the Moon is reversed, you are being called to listen to your own inner voice, and not the voice of someone else. Trust that all the answers you need are already within you, and tune in to your inner guidance system to hear those answers. Pay attention to your dreams and keep a dream dairy, because this is how many of your subconscious messages will be relayed to you. If you’re still feeling stuck, record the messages you receive and come back to them later when you have more clarity about your situation.