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The Moon - Major Arcana Tarot Card #18


Below is an excerpt from the Dark Days Tarot Guidebook by Emily Mundy:

XVIII. The Moon

The elusive orb that is the sun’s shadow—The Moon—sheds a dim light on what otherwise would be swallowed in surrounding darkness. A psychological and instinctive symbol, The Moon manipulates your mind’s fearful projections as it tugs at the tides of your emotions. What ensues is restlessly rattling anxiety, which can only be quelled in the deep, purposeful release of hauntingly negative worries, doubts, and self-conceptions. The Moon appears upright to indicate the need for vigilant, clear perception in illuminating truth during a mysterious time, when you are traveling a path without a distinct destination. Carry on, the way forward will reveal itself and you will learn lessons that will be of value in later journeys. Reversed, The Moon can highlight that you are distracted with emotional insecurities, requiring a better balance between tyrannical feelings and rigid reason. The esoteric meaning of this card reflects facets of the unknown, while the exoteric meaning reveals the alignment of intimate emotions with the wise light of the soul.

Suggested prompts:

upright: psychic self-awareness; mystery; the shadow of The Self

right: inner alignment; illumination

left: eclipse; unknown

reversed: instability; uncertainty of direction

The Moon's mystery is subtle; her charm simple and elegant. She is as deep as the ocean whose tides she guides, and as gleaming as a deity in midnight skies. This is the card of mystery and reflection upon bodies of water. Take yourself to the lake, the ocean, the bath, the drinking fountain and feel her gently push and pull you, connecting with you. Notice how you are connected to the air, which is connected to the ground, which is connected to the rest of the planet, and notice more connections like that. Do not fall blind to the magic of our interconnectedness. The mystery at hand may not be meant to be solved, merely reflected upon. The way forward is irrelevant. The Universe has no personality, so don't take the current circumstances personally. Let yourself dream and float in the endless ocean of existence, but do not drift too far.

The moon invites the intuition to ignite, so tap into your abilities when this card is revealed to you. Take the psychic element quiz to determine your elemental core connection to the world. Use that information to create exercise-type connections with your intuition. For example, if your element is water, take a bath. If it is air, practice breath exercises. And so on. The way forward will be revealed to you sooner or later, so use this opportunity to bask in the abyss.

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