The Moon Tarot Card Meaning

The Moon Keywords

Illusion, deception, the unknown, the mystery, mysterious, secrets, fear, confusion, the psyche, psychic senses, intuition, unconscious, subconscious, misunderstanding, cycles

The Moon Numerology

18

The Moon Astrology Zodiac

Pisces

The Moon Tarot Suit

Major Arcana

Journal Prompts for The Moon Tarot Card

– Am I allowing myself to be controlled by my fears, suspicions, etc? If so, how and what can I do to overcome it?

– What is my intuition telling me at this moment and how am I honoring my intuition?

– What are my dreams communicating to me at this time?

The Moon Tarot Card Meaning

The image of The Moon instantly evokes elements of the night through its blue hues and nocturnal creatures. A crayfish/crawfish emerges from a pool of water, heading onto the moonlit path ahead. In front of it, on the grass, is a dog to the left and a wolf to the right. Both canines are howling at The Moon. A moonlit trail stands between them and continues into the horizon. All three creatures are equally drawn in, gravitating to The Moon’s yellow glow.

A profile in the shape of a crescent moon is etched into what appears to be a shape of the sun. The 32 rays of light emanating from it, signify its luminous influence and acknowledge that the moonlight originates from the sun. 15 shimmering flecks of light dance in the night air, further illuminating the moonlit trail below; emphasizing the querent’s inherent psychic connection. Two stone pillars in the distance stand, perhaps symbolizing the balance needed in order to navigate the path into and through the unknown, at least until the dawning of day.

*Based on the Rider Waite Tarot Deck

The Moon Upright

The Moon card signals a time when your circumstances and/or your current situation may not be all that it seems so you are encouraged to investigate. Uncertainty, confusion, etc surrounds you and/or your current situation. You are guided to take things slowly and perhaps even reconsider your decision(s), direction, timing, etc. Your environment, choices, options, etc may not be fully developed and/or there may be something deceptive going on. Therefore, The Moon guides you to err on the delicate side as you apply yourself.

Whether the deception is occurring internally or externally; purposefully or unintentionally, The Moon encourages you to proceed with caution. Pay attention, especially to your surroundings, including the people, places and experiences you engage. Do your best to avoid jumping to conclusions and/or making snap judgements. Disturbing the current status quo would not be in your best interests when The upright Moon appears.

This is a time when you should give things room to develop. You should resist taking on any risky endeavors, diverting from the familiar and/or being hasty, one way or another. It may even be wise for you to think about other options and/or to consider waiting for a better, clearer time to take action.

The appearance of this major arcana tarot card may show up as a reminder for you to tune in, to use your intuition and do your best to mindfully follow your intuitive guidance. Do not be deceived and/or misguided by distractions, illusions, temptations, etc.

There may be misunderstandings and/or miscommunication(s) could be clouding your judgement. For example, a text that was misread or misinterpreted. You and/or someone around you may not (appear to) be acting like your normal self/selves when The Moon is revealed. Sometimes misunderstandings can create unnecessary suspicions, fears, doubts, etc.

Additionally, you and/or those around you may be lacking information that may impact the end results. If you are experiencing something similar, do your best to allow the answers to reveal themselves as you proceed; before thinking that you have it all figured out from the start. 

If this card appears in your tarot reading, The Moon encourages you to notice and be mindful of any significant patterns, cycles, etc. There may be significance in regards to The Moon’s ties to the divine feminine, femininity and feminine/yin energies such as psychic intuition, receptivity, monthly cycles, the womb, etc. That being said, whatever you are inquiring about may need time to develop and/or may already be developing as it is. 

As this energy obviously emphasizes and relates to nighttime, it might be a good idea for you to pay attention to your dreams and/or to mind your sleep cycles; as they may be significant when The Moon appears. Notice if you tend to wake up at the same time during the night–your psychic senses may be heightened and attuned to the lunar energies.

Your dreams connect you to your unconscious / subconscious mind, allowing you to access information that your conscious mind may not be able to perceive and/or process. In fact, The Moon may even be an indication or even a validation of deja vu, a fortuitous dream, a significant psychic vision, etc; calling to your attention.

The Moon Reversed

If you have come across The Moon in reverse, it may be an indication that your fears, anxieties, etc could be having an impact on your choices, perception, reality and/or your ability to trust your senses. You may be struggling to trust your intuition and are being guided to overcome any negative thoughts, feelings etc that are preventing you from moving forward.

You are reminded to do your best and stay true to the hypothetical moonlit trail (your current situation, path and/or journey), remaining focused and minding your steps. Remember that night, aka the unknown, does not last forever. Eventually the sun will rise and illuminate the dark, shedding light upon the mysterious night once again.

The reversed Moon may also appear at a time when deceptions, misunderstandings, etc are clearing up and/or being resolved. Uncertainty, doubts and/or fears have passed and your ability to perceive with clarity is returning. Anything that may have eluded you in the past is being, has been and/or will be resolved; and you may now move forward with confidence.

Additionally, The Moon card reversed could also be serving as a reminder for you to start trusting your intuition, especially if you have been denying and/or avoiding it. It is possible that doubting your instincts and/or ‘gut reaction(s)’ might have caused you to linger in uncertainty longer than necessary. If so, take this as your sign that you can and should start to tune in. Open up and learn to trust your intuitive vibes. 

While The Moon upright suggests that you investigate what your instincts are telling you; The Moon’s reversed meaning might indicate that you could be going overboard and/or conversely, you could be avoiding it altogether. The two stone pillars represented in the image of The Moon are reminders for you to remain as balanced, steady and stable as possible as you proceed.

If you have been experiencing anxiety, stress, sleeplessness, etc, the reversed version of this major arcana card could be urging you to slow down and try to see things from a clearer perspective. You may be exacerbating things by reacting to uncertainty, doubts, fears, etc. You are encouraged to slow down and allow for any anxiousness to clear. In doing so, your ability to trust your instincts, intuition, etc will improve.

On the other hand, the reversed version of this archetype may indicate that while there may be something deceptive, unclear and/or uncertain about your situation; whatever the deception may be, it is likely harmless. Either way, don’t be afraid of the unknown in this case.

When The Moon is reversed, your perception, instincts, intuition and/or sense of things may be incomplete and/or misaligned due to overthinking, mistrust, etc. Should this be the case, do your best to recognize if and/or when you might be processing things to the point of confusion. Take a step back to reset and regain your foothold again before moving forward.