(I'm considering a daily tarot reading to post, but I'm not sure of the response.)
I just recently purchased my first tarot deck from a yard sale a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to put the cards down since. A common theme in A LOT of my readings is The Moon Tarot card. I feel like I'm seeing it constantly, and for that reason I wanted to completely familiarize myself with it.
I'm going to explain my interpretation of The Moon Tarot card, and also what each of the many different positions mean as well. Please be aware, there are a countless number of interpretations of tarot cards, and what I see and what you see may be totally different! That's what make us so unique and beautiful! We all see the world through different colored glasses, and sometimes a different opinion can give you a new perspective.
The co-creator of one of the most popular tarot decks ever to be produced put it this way: “The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs.”. Arthur E. Waite helped to create the Rider-Waite tarot deck, and described his cards "of having no meaning.....except the pictures." We form the meaning behind the cards, which is based on our beliefs, which were created from our experiences!
The Moon Tarot Description
There is so much to see and describe in this picture! Obviously you've got the moon at the top, with the face and the line behind it representing different phases of the moon. Beneath the moon are to large towers in the distance, standing resolutely, like soldiers in front of a mountain range in the distance. There is a long, winding path that leads down the mountain and into a green meadow with a wolf, and a dog howling at the moon. Beneath the meadow is a small pond, that the path leads into, and where a crawdad crawls out of the water.
Obviously different decks will have slightly different Moon Tarot card designs, but the main distinctions are always there. The Moon Tarot card is one of the 22 Major Arcana, and is one of four astrological tarot cards.
Moon in the night sky
A pond/stream
2 tall towers
Long winding path
Dog
Wolf
Crayfish
The Moon Tarot General Meaning
The Moon Tarot card always features a prominent moon in it's depiction (duh!), and some cards show the moon casting shadows underneath it. The shadows can be related to illusions or observing things in a 'different light'. Our vision is partially obscured at night versus during the day, so the people or experiences in your life could not be viewed as clearly. Things aren't always as they appear, especially at night.
Underneath the moon are a dog, and wolf, howling upwards into the sky. They can represent the duality of man, and our different natures. The dog is tame, docile, obedient, loyal, and trainable. The wolf is primal, predatory, aggressive, instinctual, and cunning. We've all joked about full moons, "Watch out, it's a full moon tonight!"....knowing that they can certainly put us in a different mood than normal.
In the background we'll notice two towers, looming over the field. The two towers can represent good and evil, both fortified and sometimes difficult to differentiate. Between the towers is a long winding path leading down to the stream (or ocean?). When our path is not clearly lit, it can take us longer to get to our destination, or we may get off track, or stumble. Be cautious while being in a state of limited visibility. The crawdad (lobster), and pond (ocean), would have extremely close ties to the moon tarot. The moon causes the high and low tides, and a full moon creates even more intense waves.
Reversed Position
The night is always darkest just before the dawn.....right? You've survived the worst of it, you stumbled home from a long night out. You crumple into bed, take Tylenol, chugging Powerade and before you know it, it's a new day! (figuratively speaking). A reversed moon tarot card can indicate that you're getting through a rough patch in life, and the worst of it is over. As the moon sets and the sun rises, it illuminates the world. "Illusions" begin to disappear, and any mental blocks or visibility problems are cleared.
You could also view it as the darkest part of the night, maybe a 'new moon' with no natural light. Confusion and anxiety reign, and it feels like your walking with your arms outstretched. You can't see an inch in front of your face, and it makes you hopeless or depressed. Some moon tarot cards represent the dog as white, and the wolf as black. Another light vs. dark comparison. Your 'moral compass' may be out of whack, or your values seem fuzzy.
The Moon Tarot For Love (Upright)
What's more romantic than staring up at a full moon with your soulmate?!??!?! A cool summer night, underneath a super harvest moon, the light almost TOO bright, too beautiful.....just like your partner? Ughhh that was mushy....Maybe you meet a 'potential partner' at night? You hit it off, but because of the darkness you are overlooking something? You're unable to make out certain 'features' in the darkness and they are only able to be recognized in the light.
The white dog and the black wolf, show slight similarities but also contrasting personalities. You may be feeling like you have two sides, or the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. It can also feel like the person you're seeing may have a darker side that hasn't yet been revealed. You can see hints of it, but it blends into the darkness.
Reversed
Be aware of ways you may be hiding or stifling your emotions, fading into the shadows and not truly expressing yourself. If you're trying to act like an illusion or put on a façade, then evaluate your motives and intentions. The same can be said for a partner or lover, be on guard or aware of what may be hiding in the background. You may not be fully aware of everything going on in the relationship or with your other person. Don't 'put on your blinders' so to speak and look past these defaults if they really do bother you. Often times we will hide our displeasure with something, only for it to eat us up inside.
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Oohh this is so interesting! You know Tarot Cards here in our country are mostly used in horror movies. 😅 So for me there's a little attachment of fear when I hear tarot cards.