XVIII
Element: Water
Planet: Neptune (Pisces)
Major Arcana
The Moon Meaning
A full moon with a hidden face illuminates a path between two towers that winds through marshland where a crayfish emerges from the deep. A dog and a wolf howl at the moon. The Moon governs the realm of dreams, illusion, the unconscious, and the fears that lurk in the night of the soul.
↑ Upright
↓ Reversed
Quick Meaning
What does The Moon mean?
The Moon represents a full moon with a hidden face illuminates a path between two towers that winds through marshland where a crayfish emerges from the deep. A dog and a wolf howl at the moon. The Moon governs the realm of dreams, illusion, the unconscious, and the fears that lurk in the night of the soul.
Upright meaning
Pregnancy, Fertility, Motherhood, Sensuality
Reversed meaning
Releasing fear, Unveiling secrets, Subsiding anxiety, Truth
Love
If you are in a relationship, The Moon Tarot card in a love Tarot reading can indicate that you may be feeling uncertain or insecure in the relationship.
Career and money
With The Moon Tarot card appearing in a career context, you may be very unclear or even anxious about your career direction.
Spiritual lesson
The Moon in a spiritual context is a great card to get as it’s all about intuition.
The Moon as Advice, Feelings, and a Yes or No
Yes or No
In a yes or no tarot reading, The Moon is best read through its condition. Upright, it points toward Pregnancy, Fertility, Motherhood, Sensuality. Reversed, it suggests Releasing fear, Unveiling secrets, Subsiding anxiety, Truth. The answer depends on whether the situation is moving with the upright lesson or stuck in the reversed pattern.
As Advice
As advice, The Moon asks you to work with the card's main lesson rather than react from fear. Start with the upright meaning: The general meaning of The Moon Tarot card in an upright position is that everything is not as it seems.
As Feelings
As feelings, The Moon can describe someone experiencing the card's emotional tone. In love readings, its upright energy is: If you are in a relationship, The Moon Tarot card in a love Tarot reading can indicate that you may be feeling uncertain or insecure in the relationship.
Reversed Advice
Reversed, The Moon points to what may be blocked, avoided, or expressed in a harder way. Use the reversed meaning as a prompt to slow down and address Releasing fear, Unveiling secrets, Subsiding anxiety, Truth.
Upright The Moon Meaning
The general meaning of The Moon Tarot card in an upright position is that everything is not as it seems. It is also the Major Arcana Tarot card of intuition. The Moons tells you that something about a situation or person in your life is not what it appears to be and you need to trust what your instincts are telling you in order to see past this illusion. The Moon also indicates that you should pay attention to your dreams as your subconscious may be bringing your attention to some information you’ve missed. The Moon can also signify that you are letting your anxiety or fear overwhelm you which may be having a negative effect on your outlook and causing you to suffer from mood swings, instability or insecurity. It can also represent a woman’s menstrual cycle. The Moon can also signify dormant insecurities or repressed issues resurfacing. The Moon Tarot card can represent underhanded or dodgy deals or illegal behaviour. If it appears in this context it is a warning to clean your act up before your behaviour is exposed. If you are awaiting a decision on something, The Moon indicates that the answer will either be delayed or be so vague it will add to your confusion rather than clarify matters
Love & Relationships
Upright
If you are in a relationship, The Moon Tarot card in a love Tarot reading can indicate that you may be feeling uncertain or insecure in the relationship. If your relationship looks fine to the outside world, The Moon can show that things are not as perfect as they seem. There may be miscommunication in the relationship. There could be a lot of arguments or old issues or insecurities coming to the surface. It can also signify deception, but don’t jump to conclusions if you see it in your Tarot reading. Stay calm and wait until the facts of the matter become clearer. If you are single, The Moon can indicate deceit around you or that you may be being conned. If you are dating, be mindful that this person’s intentions may not be as honourable as they seem or you may not have all the facts about them yet. It indicates that there is some piece of information that is yet to reveal itself.
Money & Career
Upright
With The Moon Tarot card appearing in a career context, you may be very unclear or even anxious about your career direction. There may be miscommunication between you and your colleagues or superiors in a work context which could cause problems or misunderstandings. Alternatively, someone may be holding information back from you and you may not have all the facts you need to make a decision. In terms of finance, The Moon indicates that you should be wary of undertaking investments or any big financial gambles as you may not have all the facts you need to make an informed decision. It can also indicate that someone may be purposely deceiving you to con you out of money. Don’t be overly paranoid but do trust your instincts, if it feels like it’s too good to be true it probably is!
Health
Upright
In a Health context, The Moon can signify mental health issues. It can be an indicator of anxiety disorders and depression. The Moon may also be telling you to trust your instincts in relation to your health. If you feel you have an underlying health problem, go get a check-up and push for as many tests as you need to get to the bottom of what’s affecting you. For women, The Moon can indicate a health issue relating to the menstrual cycle or being affected by a hormonal imbalance in some way.
Spirituality
Upright
The Moon in a spiritual context is a great card to get as it’s all about intuition. If you are interested in psychic development or healing work, you will find everything flows really naturally for you and you are open to receiving messages from spirit with this card in your Tarot reading. Pay attention to your dreams and any thoughts, visions or gut feelings you have, your spirit guides may be trying to tell you something important! Some quiet time and meditation would be helpful here.
Reversed The Moon Meaning
In a general context The Moon Tarot card reversed can signify releasing fears or negative energy clearing. It can also indicate secrets or lies being exposed. If you have been experiencing fear or anxiety it should begin to subside. If you have lost something, The Moon reversed is a sign you will find it. This Major Arcana card may also be an indication of self-deception or delusions. You may be kidding yourself about your role in creating your current circumstances or you may be struggling to separate your own deception or fantasies from reality. The Moon reversed can also indicate that any depression or mental health issues you have been having will begin to lift and you will begin to see the light again. You will work through any repressed issues or insecurities to find new confidence and clarity. If you have been awaiting a decision on something, The Moon reversed indicates that you will get an answer or clarity on the matter.
Love & Relationships
Reversed
If you are in relationship, The Moon reversed can indicate deception or lies being unveiled. This could be an affair being exposed. It can also simply be an indication of the truth of your relationship coming to light. Perhaps you have been deceiving yourself about the current state of the relationship or blinding yourself to certain things about your partner. If so, The Moon reversed shows that you will see your partner’s true character or the truth about your relationship. If you are single, The Moon reversed can be an indicator that you are starting to regain your composure and self-confidence after a period of uncertainty. It can also be an indicator that you may be ignoring signs or your instincts that a potential partner is not suitable for you. An example of this would be noticing warning signs that the person you’re dating is married or involved but ignoring the signs because you don’t want to believe it.
Money & Career
Reversed
In a career context, if you work in an artistic or creative field, The Moon reversed can indicate a creative block such as writer’s block. In a general career context, it can indicate that any uncertainty or instability that you’ve been experiencing in your career will begin to stabilise. If you have been unclear about your career path recently, this Major Arcana card can signify that things will start to become clearer and you will feel more confident about your direction. Financially, if you have been confused about how to manage your finances, this may start to become clearer. However, The Moon in a reversed position can be a sign that deception is being or is about to be exposed so if your gut instincts tell you not to invest or commit money to something, listen to them and wait for the information you are missing to be revealed.
Health
Reversed
The Moon reversed can be a positive card in relation to health issues as it can indicate lifting of mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. However, it can also be an indicator of being unable to separate reality from fantasy and as such, if the supporting cards are negative, it can indicate an illness involving delusions or paranoia becoming worse. Generally in a health context The Moon reversed shows stability returning to your health in general. If you have been awaiting the results of health test or had issues with waiting for a diagnosis, you will soon get clarity on what is causing health problems for you.
Spirituality
Reversed
In a spiritual context, The Moon reversed can indicate that you are blocking, ignoring or misinterpreting the messages spirit is trying to give you. It can be a sign that you are not tuning into your psychic powers or that your intuition is clouded. The intuitive or psychic ability of the upright Moon is still there when this card appears, you just need to tune into it!
The Moon Tarot Card Combinations
The Moon and The Fool
Together, The Moon and The Fool blend the lesson of the moon with the energy of the fool. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and the fool stands at the edge of a cliff, knapsack over his shoulder, gazing upward with youthful abandon.
The Moon and The Magician
Together, The Moon and The Magician blend the lesson of the moon with the energy of the magician. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and the magician stands before a table bearing all four suit symbols — wand, cup, sword, and pentacle — one hand raised to the heavens and one pointing...
The Moon and The High Priestess
Together, The Moon and The High Priestess blend the lesson of the moon with the energy of the high priestess. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and the high priestess sits between two pillars — boaz and jachin — at the threshold of the sacred temple.
Common Questions
What does the The Moon tarot card mean?
The general meaning of The Moon Tarot card in an upright position is that everything is not as it seems. It is also the Major Arcana Tarot card of intuition. The Moons tells you that something about a situation or person in your life is not what it appears to be and you need to trust what your instincts are telling you in order to see past this illusion. The Moon also indicates that you should pay attention to your dreams as your subconscious may be bringing your attention to some information you’ve missed. The Moon can also signify that you are letting your anxiety or fear overwhelm you which may be having a negative effect on your outlook and causing you to suffer from mood swings, instability or insecurity. It can also represent a woman’s menstrual cycle. The Moon can also signify dormant insecurities or repressed issues resurfacing. The Moon Tarot card can represent underhanded or dodgy deals or illegal behaviour. If it appears in this context it is a warning to clean your act up before your behaviour is exposed. If you are awaiting a decision on something, The Moon indicates that the answer will either be delayed or be so vague it will add to your confusion rather than clarify matters
What does the The Moon reversed mean?
In a general context The Moon Tarot card reversed can signify releasing fears or negative energy clearing. It can also indicate secrets or lies being exposed. If you have been experiencing fear or anxiety it should begin to subside. If you have lost something, The Moon reversed is a sign you will find it. This Major Arcana card may also be an indication of self-deception or delusions. You may be kidding yourself about your role in creating your current circumstances or you may be struggling to separate your own deception or fantasies from reality. The Moon reversed can also indicate that any depression or mental health issues you have been having will begin to lift and you will begin to see the light again. You will work through any repressed issues or insecurities to find new confidence and clarity. If you have been awaiting a decision on something, The Moon reversed indicates that you will get an answer or clarity on the matter.
What does the The Moon mean in love?
If you are in a relationship, The Moon Tarot card in a love Tarot reading can indicate that you may be feeling uncertain or insecure in the relationship. If your relationship looks fine to the outside world, The Moon can show that things are not as perfect as they seem. There may be miscommunication in the relationship. There could be a lot of arguments or old issues or insecurities coming to the surface. It can also signify deception, but don’t jump to conclusions if you see it in your Tarot reading. Stay calm and wait until the facts of the matter become clearer. If you are single, The Moon can indicate deceit around you or that you may be being conned. If you are dating, be mindful that this person’s intentions may not be as honourable as they seem or you may not have all the facts about them yet. It indicates that there is some piece of information that is yet to reveal itself.
What does the The Moon mean for career and money?
With The Moon Tarot card appearing in a career context, you may be very unclear or even anxious about your career direction. There may be miscommunication between you and your colleagues or superiors in a work context which could cause problems or misunderstandings. Alternatively, someone may be holding information back from you and you may not have all the facts you need to make a decision. In terms of finance, The Moon indicates that you should be wary of undertaking investments or any big financial gambles as you may not have all the facts you need to make an informed decision. It can also indicate that someone may be purposely deceiving you to con you out of money. Don’t be overly paranoid but do trust your instincts, if it feels like it’s too good to be true it probably is!
Is the The Moon a yes or no card?
The The Moon is best read by context in yes or no questions. Upright, it points toward Pregnancy, Fertility, Motherhood, Sensuality. Reversed, it suggests Releasing fear, Unveiling secrets, Subsiding anxiety, Truth.
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