Introducing The Moon XVIII
We see a dog and a wolf howling at the moon on either side of a path leading into the distance toward mountains, flanked by pillars, in between which is the moon radiating 14 moonbeams. In the foreground is a crayfish crawling out of a pool.
Symbols & Systems
moon
The moon is a piece of rock in the sky that has enchanted and mystified humans for thousands of years, and has been a guide to women for tuning into our bodies.
moonbeams
These are actually 15 Yods falling down onto the earth. Yod י is the first letter of the Hebrew word for “moon”, yareach, or yerach as the Canaanites called it. The Yods falling are God’s grace. As in the Tower card, God gives us different experiences to help us grow and evolve.
dog / wolf
The wolf represents our wild instincts from whence our intuition comes. The dog represents our more “domesticated” side. Neither are superior; simply two aspects within: Sometimes one dominates, sometimes the other.
pillars
These are the gates that lead to another place. When we walk a path of inner self discovery, we undergo a process of initiation. The pillars represent the gate into our inner worlds.
path
The path represents the path we take when we go within: our final frontier. When we start to look inside and work on ourselves, we face unconscious and suppressed issues from the past, fears, wounds, and traumas. In order to become whole, we must acknowledge all of our pain and accept it into ourselves. This takes time and reflection, just like the Hermit who wanders into the wilderness to encounter himself. The Moon is the actual meeting.
water
Water represents our unconscious, i.e., the watery depths of the mind. What lies beneath? What external factors stir the water?
crayfish
The crayfish represents our most primitive self in evolution. Waite claimed that the crayfish is ‘…that which lies deeper than the savage beast’. The crayfish is neither fully in or nor out of the water. The crayfish also symbolizes tenacity.
gods / goddesses
The Moon has been seen as the representation of the feminine OR masculine. These deities are asssociated with The Moon.
Female: Luna, Selene, Isis, Hecate, Diana, Artemis, Phoebe, Pasiphae, Levanah, Coyolxauhqui, Losna
Male: Traditionally most deities associated with the moon are female, however many Middle Eastern moon deities were male, such as Baal-Hamon, Nikkal, Sin, and Men.
number
The card number of The Moon is 18. 1 + 8 = 9, the number of the Hermit. In order to heal, grow, and evolve (the Moon), we must go inside and reflect (Hermit). Moreover, the Moon’s light is simply a reflection of the sun. We must look beyond our own reflection that we show the world.
Who are you, in fact?
What do you really want in life?
What is your deepest soul yearning?
Astrology
The astrological sign that rules the Moon is Pisces, which is ruled by Jupiter and Uranus. Pisces rules the watery world of intuition, consciousness, and mysteries. Physiologically it rules the feet and lymphatic system.
Kabbalah
The creators of the Rider Waite Tarot deck were members of the Golden Dawn, a group that followed teachings based on the Kabbalah. Kabbalists are mystics who believe that God is neither male nor female, and has many aspects. Kabbalah is all about learning why we’re here, the mystery of the universe, and what the big plan is.
In Kabbalah, 18 represents life, or the Hebrew חי, whose gematriya equivalent is 18. When Jews give cash gifts and donations, the sum is traditionally in multiples of 18. The
The Moon on The Tree of Life sits on the path between Netzach and Malkuth.
The kabbalistic name for this card is Corporeal Intelligence, the intelligence that we gain from body consciousness. The moon is the best teacher of our female bodies.
The message from The Moon XVIII
The Moon is telling you to stop and listen, to seek our own internal wisdom that is ancient and beyond words. Like the Hermit card, the Moon will guide you to your own answers inside. You already KNOW what to do; you simply need to trust yourself. Allow yourself to focus on the gentle healing energy of the Moon. The moon helps us come back to our intuitive self.
If you get The Moon, ask yourself these questions:
• Am I evolving?
• Do I feel connected to the moon?
• Do I trust my intuition right now?
• Do I feel I understand and know my body?
• Am I in tune with my cycles?
• Do/did I love and respect my menstrual cycle?
• Am I listening to my dreams?
• What instincts need to be refined right now? Is it time to ‘tune in’ to my internal wisdom?
• Do I wish to explore myself through healing? Do I perhaps need to go on a retreat?
• Am I honoring the spark of deity within me?
• Is it time to see a therapist to learn about myself?
The Moon XVIII reversed
If you get The Moon reversed, you’re overwhelmed by your unconscious, and it’s flooding your conscious mind. You may be moody, unpredictable, and emotional. You might be extra sensitive, or feel “out of your body”, not grounded. You may be having bad dreams or experiencing odd physical symptoms. It could be that your endocrine system is severely imbalanced. You might suffer from a disorder such as bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia.
Our term “lunacy” derives from “luna”, Latin for “moon”.
The Moon is inhibited when we’re not in tune with ourselves. Perhaps our connection to our unconscious is fractured or sick, or our cycle is not healthy. Whatever the case, our Moon energy is not in balance.
The werewolf is a mythical human who becomes a wolf under the power of the full moon, i.e., our primitive side takes over; the werewolf cannot control its urges. The same can also happen to our mind, i.e., we can’t control it: Fears, anxieties, phobias, and mental disorders can take over. We can’t tune into our wisdom and intuition, which is the visible side of the Moon. If you get the Moon card with the 8, 9, or 10 of Swords, you should seek help / assistance.
If you get The Moon reversed for yourself or someone else, some questions to ask might be…
• Am I feeling overemotional or vulnerable right now? Do I feel like I’m going mad?
• Am I wracked by fears, both known and unknown? If so, what am I afraid of?
• Do I feel as if I’m controlled by my hormones?
• Am I having nightmares or disturbing dreams?
• Am I feeling too open psychically?
• Am I perhaps opening up to new levels of awareness too quickly?
• Am I out of touch with my body wisdom and cycles?
• Do I indulge in self-destructive habits? If so, what are they?
• Do I perhaps need to see a counselor / therapist / psychiatrist?
To sum it all up
Like any other Major Arcana card, The Moon is powerful, and is the core of women’s mysteries. Our cycles are linked to the moon, which has been known for thousands of years. The Great Goddess of Laussel (picture above) seen on a 20,000-year-old cave painting in France was a human calendar. She has one hand on her lower abdomen, indicating where menstruation takes place. The other hand holds a horn with 13 notches. From observation, women knew that there are 13 moons in a solar cycle. They also knew that our bodies are in tune with the moon. It’s also likely that they knew when they were fertile, and therefore had the power and ability to procreate or not, as she desired. What greater power was there than that in ancient times?
Today many of us are out of touch with our bodies and reproductive cycles. If you get the Moon card over and over again, perhaps it is inviting you to get to know your body, whether you’re menstruating, in menopause or after.
The Moon invites you to observe yourself. Like the Hermit, the Moon teaches you that the wisdom you seek is within yourself. All the answers are already within you if you know the path to take to find them. The Moon can gives us answers via dreams, symbols, feelings, senses, and divination. By taking the path of The Moon, you embark on internal initiation to yourself.
