Tarot #18. The Moon🌝
Path #18 in the journey of the Tarot Major Arcana. The Moon!
The Moon illuminates the long, winding path between two towers, where a dog and wolf howl and a crayfish emerges from the deep. Hidden enemies, danger, calumny, darkness, terror, deception, error -- this is the realm of illusion, fear, and the unknown, where nothing is as it appears and the path forward is lit only by reflections. Reversed: Instability, inconstancy, silence, lesser degrees of deception and error.
UPRIGHT: Hidden enemies, Danger, Darkness, Deception
REVERSED: Instability, Inconstancy, Silence, Lesser deception
Stephen King has said there are “alligators in our unconsciousness,” that swim around mostly in a tranquil state of satisfied estrangement, just as long as they stay fed. Throw them a piece of raw meat every once in a while {watch a horror movie, write a terrifying short story, etc.} and you will be fine. But you should start worrying if they get too hungry, for they may come up to visit you…The lobster emerging from the depths in this art reminds me of this concept; there are elements deep inside the depths of our psyche that may emerge to interrupt our ordinary consciousness. They tend to arrive when visibility is low and our thoughts stretch furthest. The Moon induces lunacy and amplifies the tension of unsolved mysteries and unresolved secrets and its time houses all of the things that go BUMP in the night.
On the journey, the hero must make a strange trip home, perhaps as a long-range night haunt, discovering madcap mysteries and facing some of the most hidden zones of our reality along the way…
Bottom Line: When the full moon rises, realize the hidden value of lunacy; consider giving her your best howl and watch your struggles tranquilize for a good spell.
Tree of Life Path: Netzach ⟷ Malkuth. Victory x Kingdom. Emotional depth making tacit contact with earthly reality, before any true logic can settle into place.
A.E. Waite quote: “The card represents life of the imagination apart from life of the spirit. The path between the towers is the issue into the unknown. The dog and wolf are the fears of the natural mind in the presence of that place of exit, when there is only reflected light to guide it.”
