The Moon: Tides of Change

“The Moon, like a silver bow

New-bent in heaven”

A Midsummer-nights Dream

     The cyclic motion of the moon rules the night. When we interpret the symbolism of The Moon in Tarot it’s about the fluidity of inner change in our emotional lives. We may not be aware of it but we are always in flux, waxing and waning like the moon; alternating between light and dimly illumined shadows. The gravitational pull of earth’s mass on the moon, and vice versa, draws the oceans and, even the crust of the earth up and down every day. Their relationship creates a rhythm of perpetual motion. We can’t be sure how this affects each one of us literally, but we view it symbolically in Tarot as mood swings of our own emotional world.

     In a Tarot reading, The Moon card symbolizes our internal dialogue in a hazy realm of feelings, instincts, imagination, and dreams. The meaning emphasizes the need to release repressed anger, frustrations, fears, and uncertainty about past grievances and mistakes. It’s a time to forgive and forget and to allow yourself to experience how you really feel about things and then live with your feelings for awhile in order to understand yourself better. “The feelings are psychological expressions of biological instincts, which in truth, are waves and eddies in the tidal flow of the lunar forces acting upon the ‘moisture’ in man’s body and psyche.” (Dane Rudhyar, The Practice of Astrology, Penguin Books, 1968.)

     While visiting friends in northern New Mexico, I watched a huge full moonrise as it illuminates the cold, barren landscape; a sight I will never forget. Because the moon dominates the night there, it made sense that at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, the early Publicans gauged its alignment and construction to the time-frame of the moon and sun’s rising and setting along the horizon. In 1977, a spiral carving was first discovered by artist Anna Sofaer that measures both the movement of the sun and the moon at Fajada Butte nearby. Landmarks and further building alignments have been intensely studied ever since by her group known as the Solstice Project. In addition to that, every 18.6 years, the moon rises at its most northern declination between the 2 towers of Chimney Rock. It’s apparent that it could be seen by “…watchers near the Chimney Rock Pueblo…” as astronomer, J. McKim Malville has concluded: “…the moon is intermediary between sun and earth…much of Puebloan lore revolves around women and children.” (See Malville and Putnam, Prehistoric Astronomy in the Southwest, Johnson books, 1993.)

     In early classical mythology, the moon was personified by Artemis (Diana) Goddess of the Moon ruling the tides, and feminine cycles of maternity. Overall, in astrology, the interpretation of the moon’s phases is that, with the New Moon, a new cycle begins. The waxing moon and Full Moon signify reaching fulfillment. During the waning moon, it’s an opportunity to recognize and shed erroneous blunders, evil influences, lunacy, folly, and disastrous illusions.

     The Moon card prompts you to listen to your inner voice and get in touch with your feelings. Work on understanding your nebulous unconscious imaginings. It’s time to examine your anxieties, fears, anger or resentment and illusions, and especially, pay attention to your intuition.