The Moon Tarot Card - Major Arcana Meaning

Discover the meaning of The Moon Tarot card, the indications she gives when it comes upright, reversed or combined with other cards and its possible application to the various facets of life and everyday issues.

The Moon is the eighteenth card of the Major Arcana in occult Tarot decks. This card shows the dogs that bark at the moon. The moon has an artificial light that symbolizes the strength and dangers of the world of appearances, rumors and scandals. Reflects the imaginary world, confusion and uncertainty. Discover the meaning of The Moon Tarot card, the indications it gives when it comes upright, reversed or combined with other cards and its possible application to the various facets of life and everyday issues.

The Moon Tarot Card Description

  • Major Arcana XVIII
  • Zodiacal Affinity - Pisces or Cancer, according to different authors
  • Keywords - Intuition, fear, self-delusion, uncertainty, confusion, deception, invisible world, mirage, instinct, dreams, chimeras, obscure feelings.
  • Key Expressions - Love affair, unrealistic dreams, feeling confused, feeling anxious, worried and apprehensive, trusting intuition, intuitive ability, losing track of reality, moving to another world, more basic unconscious forces.
  • Advice - Listen to your intuition.
  • Reversed Meaning - Avoiding a deep or complex subject.

The Illustration

At the top of the illustration in this card is the blue halo of the moon, in which appears a human profile in the shape of a half moon and from which rays of color radiate. At the bottom of the illustration, two towers rise to the right and left. In the center, two dogs, or a dog and a wolf, are facing each other and appear to bark or howl. At the bottom of the illustration, there is a blue mirrored lake in which a crab can be seen. This illustration shows the division between heaven, earth and water. The presence of guard dogs represents a border or obstacle in the way.

The Symbology

In Tarot, The Moon reveals a person who is experiencing strong emotions. In this sense, this card means illusion, because reality can be easily distorted by out-of-control emotions. Some authors designate this card as "the dark night of the soul" or "the night of the spirit", which clearly demonstrates the dark character associated with it.

The moon's vibration can be positive or negative depending on how the person relates to his emotional side. A creative and intuitive person will see their qualities improved. The artistic genius can reveal itself and go through an extraordinarily creative phase. On the other hand, the one who is overly rational and has difficulty dealing with his own feelings, can become even more disoriented and find it very difficult to overcome the emotional instability in which was immersed.

The message of this card, in the face of a state of undisciplined emotions, translates into the need for distance and to face the situation that causes anxiety with serenity. However, this is likely to be a difficult path to take as it requires great emotional maturity and a strong commitment to deconstructing illusions and negative emotions. Still, the faint light of the moon is present and shows the way, even if it seems more difficult to reach the goals.

According to Numerology, the 18 refers to the number 9, its base, which is the card The Hermit. In the Tarot, the symbologies of The Moon and The Hermit are strongly intertwined. Both refer to the inner world, to the emotions. They are also related to the instinct, the unconscious, the invisible world and the feminine side of the personality. In Kabbalah, the card The Moon corresponds to path number 29 on the Tree of Life: the victory of natural things.

The Moon Tarot Card Meaning

Upright Moon Meaning

  • Upright Love Meaning - Complicated romance, uncertainty about love or relationship.
  • Upright Career Meaning - Uncertainty around career path, confusion at job, lack of information.
  • Upright Finances Meaning - Unclear around financial decisions, lacking financial knowledge.

In the Tarot, when The Moon card comes out in the right position, it indicates that the consultant has an important decision to make but that he feels confused and divided. However, despite the advice and opinions he may hear, the final decision will always rest with those who are faced with the need to make a choice. You probably have to be more self-confident and rely on your intuition to make a decision, calm your emotions, and move on.

This card, in relation to love, suggests the presence of a third person who is creating an obstacle in the couple's communication. On the financial front, remember the importance of self-confidence and planning to be successful in investments. Despite this, the output of this card is not negative, it only alerts us to the definition of concrete goals and objectives and to the need for action as a way to achieve them. 

The Moon in this position also suggests the reassessment of priorities and the importance of balancing work and personal life. Someone nearby may be in need of more attention and care.

Reversed Moon Meaning

  • Reversed Love Meaning - Deception, fear and paranoia regarding love.
  • Reversed Career Meaning - Clarity at work, sabotage, deception and trickery at workplace.
  • Reversed Finances Meaning - Clarity about finances, deception regarding finances.

Frustration and impatience are the biggest obstacles in the consultant's life at this moment. Reversed, this card means hidden enemies and traps. Lies and lack of honesty require caution. It warns of the need to think clearly and objectively. Until that happens, the view of reality will be distorted by a wave of negativity that will make decisions not very clear and not rational.

In sentimental terms, the reversed The Moon card points to an abusive love or friendship relationship that could be causing great emotional instability. It is necessary to end this situation and move on. This position is not favorable to a clandestine love, which can be discovered.

This card also cautions against letting your instincts guide you: certain matters and moments in life require an objective and clear line of thought. In material terms, this is the time to invest energy, time, money and creativity in new projects or ideas. The results will be positive if the dedication is genuine.

The Moon Combinations with Other Tarot Cards

The combination of The Moon and The Sun reveals a certain initial difficulty in establishing an intimate relationship due to the different lifestyles of the members of the couple. Traditionally, when close to The Empress, it predicts health problems in women, especially fertility. Combined with The Wheel of Fortune, it announces a high probability of sudden accidents or setbacks.

The Major Arcana Tarot

The Major Arcana, or Great Mysteries, are seen as symbols of great issues, moments or people. Each card represents a human archetype, evoking the most varied feelings, moral positions and behaviors.

Reading, Meanings and Interpretation of the Tarot Major Arcana

Tarot is used as a tool for self-discovery and self-knowledge. In this sense, more than guessing the future, it serves to read and interpret all the elements of our life: it describes the current moment, clarifies the motives, desires and intentions, pointing out the path and the energies present in our life.

The possible readings for each Tarot card are practically infinite. There is no unique interpretation for each card, for each layout of cards or for each reading method. Tarot is based on intuition. Each person who reads the message of a card, or a set of cards, intuitively unravels the meaning of the card's message and how it connects with their own reality and circumstances of life.

The word "arcana" comes from Latin and means "secret" and, in the Tarot, the Major Arcana are considered universal, symbolic and figurative: they are considered symbolic of great issues, moments or people. They are archetypes, that is, they represent the most diverse feelings, moral positions and human behaviors. When they appear in a reading, it indicates an important event or decision, whether practical, spiritual, or emotional. They also establish correspondence with the astrological signs and planets.