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The Moon Tarot Card Meaning
The Moon Tarot card meaning – The Moon is the 18th (XVIII) card of the Major Arcana and represents changes, emotions, fear, intuition, reflection, imagination, illusions, instincts, and secrets.
Spiritually, The Moon tarot card teaches that before we can reach true enlightenment and realization on earth, the soul must journey through the darkness of the human experience. In order for the soul to awaken and acquire self-knowledge, it must first manifest into and sojourn through the mundane.
Along the way, we’ll find many who are distracted from their soul’s quest by the very realm they must engage in. This doesn’t mean that the material world is evil or bad, but that it is not the ultimate aim of the spiritual journey. No matter how necessary, the material world is full of illusions. This is reflected in The Moon, which is a shadow-self of The Sun, which represents pure truth and awareness.
This card also teaches that, by moonlight, deception and fantasy rule. The people and places we are so familiar with by daylight look very different under the light of the mysterious Moon. So, truth does exist in this card, however, it is only enough to reveal a clever deception or dreamy illusion.
Some questions The Moon invites you to ponder…
- What does the moon (celestial body) mean to you? What does it represent?
- How do you personally handle fantasy or imagination?
- Do you gravitate more towards the dog or the wolf on the card? Why?
- How has fear manifested in your life? How do you handle feelings of fear?
In this post, we’ll be going over The Moon’s Upright and Reversed meanings, as well as The Moon as a person (or significator) and The Moon as feelings. Sometimes a card’s imagery and your intuition can be all you need to interpret its message in a reading, but learning these meanings of The Moon will help equip you with deeper insight and a firm foundation for interpreting what the Tarot is trying to communicate.
Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear; and then act upon what you know to be true. These intuitive powers were given to your soul at birth.
– Clarissa Pinkola Estés
All problems are illusions of the mind.
– Eckhart Tolle
The Moon Keywords & Concepts
| Upright: | changes, reflection, imagination, emotions, illusion, fear, intuition, instincts, secrecy |
| Reversed: | revealed secrets, overcoming fears, extreme emotions, releasing negative energy |
| Energy: | Yin |
| Element: | Water |
| Planet: | Jupiter & Neptune |
| Zodiac Sign: | Pisces |
Common Symbols
- Moon (emotion, shadow, flux)
- Wolves (primal nature, madness, instinct)
- Dogs (domestication of wildness; potential for darkness/shadow-self is ever present)
- Crayfish (represents humankind emerging from primitiveness; first stages of awareness; regeneration)
- Towers (the need for balance)
- Water (change/flow; reflection, sensitivity, intuition, knowledge)
Don’t have time to read? Check out this helpful video for key meanings of The Moon Tarot card!
The Moon Upright
The Moon (Upright) Tarot Card Interpretation – The Moon tarot card indicates overcoming ingrained or subconscious fears. Discovering new areas, having unusual or eerie feelings, dreams, or nightmares. Deep currents underpinning customary behavior. This card is a sensation of being tugged by currents or unknowable forces. It is stillness, a readiness and capacity to confront and comprehend complicated feelings, connections, and actions based on prior experiences. Being able to discern deceit and cunning, seeing things from a new perspective. Acting on impulse. Having no knowledge about something. Using your subconscious to gain insight into who you are and how your life is going. Returning to an earlier cycle or repeating patterns. Having given in to the divine pulling of major themes in your life, yet nevertheless going with confidence or a sense of peace despite being perplexed, apprehensive, confused, doubtful, or frightened. Meditating on one’s desires and dreams. Dreamwork.
The Moon tarot card reminds us that nothing is what it seems. It symbolizes fear, fantasy, illusion, and things we hide or are unable to clearly see or comprehend. Because The Moon is ruled by the celestial moon herself, the energy of The Moon card is raw, primal, and forever evolving – it is impossible to pin down or predict.
The guidance of The Moon is to face your fears. Explore the depths of your feelings. Analyze the repeating patterns or themes in your life. Be honest with others (and yourself). Be still and understand that there are powerful, unseen forces at work – not everything is as it seems. Pay close attention to your dreams, nightmares, fears, and fantasies and explore the common threads between them. If you’re unable to discern something, you’ll have to wade patiently through the dark about it. Enlightenment will reveal itself when the time is right.
The Moon Reversed
The Moon (Reversed) Tarot Card Interpretation – The Moon Reversed reveals battling with your life’s fundamental urges, energies, and desires. It is vigorous activity as a diversion from the essential introspective effort. Rejecting your fear or feeling it consume you. Demanding a solution when one isn’t prepared to be revealed. Letting your worries and fears paralyze you to the extent of inaction.
The Moon Reversed advises you to step into the light and face reality. Confront your fears or matters that you have been repressing. Stop fighting for an answer. If you feel that you’re stuck, rouse yourself to move and begin to take action, one step at a time. If you find yourself in a frenzy of frantic activity, it may be time to take a break before moving forward. Watch out for burnout and high-running emotions – do what you need to take care of yourself. Practice acceptance for where you are now. Allow things to be as they are. Rest assured that change is coming, however, there is still much happening that is unseen or unknowable. Embrace the mystery of it all. The Moon tarot card is also a warning against letting your dreams, fears, or fantasies consume you or your life. It may be time to ground yourself.
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The Moon as a Person
The Moon tarot card represents someone who is intuitive, charming, and resilient, though they are not always the most trustworthy or reliable. Just like the lunar cycle, their personality and moods fluctuate. People signified by The Moon card can be quite mysterious and keep many secrets, rarely showing their true identity to people. They are the type to play their cards close to their chest and keep others at a safe, arms-length distance. The Moon person can be decidedly independent and introverted. They may disappear for long periods of time to retreat and recharge their energy. With a deeply solitary and sensitive nature, they can require more alone time than others.
The Moon tarot card may also represent someone who is a water zodiac sign or who has strong Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces placements in their astrological natal chart. Just like the water signs of the zodiac, The Moon person has a fathomless depth to their psyche and a sharp sense of instinct and intuition. Their emotions can be intense and volatile at times because they feel everything so very deeply.
The Moon (Reversed) as a Person
The Moon Reversed shows someone who has lost trust in themself and their own intuition. Even in reverse, The Moon person possesses the magical and mysterious power of the moon. They still have strong intuitive instincts and abilities, however, they have become overwhelmed and do not know how to harness or channel their energy properly. This person may neglect to listen to the wisdom of their inner voice or the wisdom of others. They can be in a state of deep confusion, anxiety, and unhappiness. Great potential lies dormant underneath all of this, waiting to be awakened – they will likely need a major wake-up call (or perhaps a ‘tower moment’) to rouse them from their sleep.
The Moon Reversed may also indicate a person who displays symptoms that resemble those of bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD, or other mental disorders. Their nights can be haunted by nightmares or insomnia, and their days can be filled with anxious, restless thoughts. Moods can flux to the extremes; one minute they’re closed-off, quiet, and distant, and the next they’re manic, elated, and bursting out with laughter. The Moon Reversed individual may appear to others as though they are on a constant run from their past – they can be quite inflexible and refuse to face their fears, traumas, etc.
The Moon as Feelings
The Moon tarot card can show feelings of deception, confusion, fear, fantasy, and desire. The Moon deals with the unseen, so when it comes to emotions, it can point to feelings that you may not even be consciously aware of. The subconscious mind may be harboring certain feelings or may desire things you can’t explain or fully understand. This can lead to deep emotional confusion, however, The Moon assures you that what you feel is real and your dreams, desires, and instincts are valid.
Because the moon is ever-changing, emotions represented by this card are often in flux, too. The Moon can show spontaneous mood swings or unpredictable waves of strong emotion. When experiencing The Moon as your emotions, you may feel ungrounded or uncentered. You are being called to pay attention to your inner voice and listen to what it says. Honor your emotional needs.
If you pulled The Moon Reversed as how someone feels for you, this means that they currently have mixed feelings for you. They may feel a bit ‘in the dark’ when it comes to you or your relationship. Present circumstances may have them feeling confused or unsure about how they feel now. The Reversed Moon can also suggest that they feel a deep, uncanny intuitive connection to you. The person in question may be a little intimidated or fearful of their intense feelings for you.
The Moon (Reversed) as Feelings
The Moon Reversed suggests emotional denial, repression, or extremes. This reversal commonly shows up when someone isn’t being honest with themselves about what their feeling. They may deny or bottle up their feelings, pretending to be fine and ignoring what they truly feel. The Moon Reversed indicates that the suppression of feelings can only last so long before emotions start to spill over. Eventually, any repressed feelings will start to emerge from the subconscious and creep into both dreams and waking life as anxiety, depression, or agitation.
If you pulled The Moon Reversed as how someone feels for you, this can indicate poignant, intense feelings. This person may feel a little ‘crazy’ when it comes to you, out of control, and pushed about by an ocean of emotion. Because The Moon is Reversed, it is highly likely they are trying to suppress or keep their feelings for you hidden at this time.
DISCLAIMER:
Sage & Moon is a participant in affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through these links. Any product we choose is based on personal recommendations that we love and trust you will too. By using these links you are directly supporting us to keep writing + creating. Thank you!
