Moon Tarot Card Meanings by Avia from Tarot Teachings

Moon Tarot Card Meanings

No one is immune to the influence of the moon. She is the mirror, reflecting back the light that shines upon her. The moon is a timepiece to the ancient movements of our galaxy. Furthermore, Lady Luna plays the music that prompts the ocean to dance. She is the illuminator of our creative powers. Pretty intense, no? Well, nobody said moon Tarot card meanings weren’t intense (cuz they are!)

This kind of intensity laces all of the Moon Tarot card meanings. This is one of the few cards that is a story in-and-of-itself and tells it from start to finish in one flash.

Key Words for the Moon Tarot Card Meanings

Cycles
Emotion
Intensity
Reflection
Confusion
Influence
Emergence
Perplexity

The story of this card begins with the lobster (crayfish, or crab in other deck renditions) which represents us and our greatness or higher purpose/calling. Emerging from our primordial ignorance (this is not derogatory – we are simply unknowing of our divine potential), to start our journey of higher purpose, we are met with all manner of influences. The symbolic crab also links to the astrological aspects of Cancer with moon as its ruling celestial influence.

Yapping dogs, gnarling wolves, winding paths, the lure of empty promises…it’s a wonder we can get any where with all these influences pulling at our attention. What’s more, we are attempting to find our way and higher purpose in the midst of the darkest of night. The funky thing is, the moon in the tarot shines full and bright – a beacon as we make our way through the unknowns in life.

We see the Moon, forever our illusive guide through all the distractions. But is she a help or a hindrance? When she is in her growth we feel ourselves expand in confidence with her. We can even become pregnant with our own importance when she is in her prime fullness. When she is waning, we feel ourselves shrink into the abyss of darkness, we grow unsure of our path and purpose. We may find ourselves confused at every turn.

The key to this card (and the moral of its story) is influence. We must constantly be aware of what is influencing our lives, our decisions, our actions. We must unravel the perplexity of our thoughts and see clear to that which is causing us to move in a certain direction. And when it comes to our higher purpose, we must have the highest intensity of diligence to stay the course and pursue the path that leads to expressing our highest selves.

We must also keep in mind that we have the power to use the pull of the Moon to our advantage too. She holds immense power available for us to use if only we hone in on it; focus and direct its energy.

Further, the Moon is a luminary – which reminds us her reflective light can serve as a source of intuitive clarity.

Effectually, when we pull this card in a reading it often indicates we’re torn between many influences. From the TV that stays turned on for too long to the boss that calls us during dinner – we are distracted by external influences that have taken us away from our core path. This card is a message that we need to reflect upon our life and use our intuitive abilities to determine what best thoughts and actions to take to correct our course.

Key Symbols Relative to Moon Tarot Card Meanings:

This section focuses on a few select symbols that can help us further define the Moon Tarot card meanings.

Dog and Wolf: The dog is a symbol of our tamed mind which is loyal to our bidding. The wolf is a symbol of our primal urges and bears its teeth at our every attempt to be conventional. Neither beast is all bad nor all good – but they both war with each other in our minds. Hence each is on either side of our path. One yapping at us to “do the right thing” the other growling at us to “break out and go wild.” All the while the Moon has her own ideas about what we should be doing. The key here is to tap into our inner wisdom and gain the ground by our own internal navigational faith system. Learn more about Dog Symbolism in Tarot here.

Moon Tarot Card Meanings Lobster or Crab

Lobster (or Crab in other decks): Also depicted as a crayfish or a crab in other deck renditions, crustaceous creatures are a symbol of hidden psychic power. These creatures live in water (which is a symbol of the subconscious) and when they emerge from the depths of the water it is an expression of coming out of the dark or coming out of hiding. Further, these creatures are usually equipped with a hard exoskeleton which is a symbol of armor that protects the tender, beauty we all carry inside our souls. As mentioned in the introduction above, the lobster is a representation of us on our pilgrimage to carry out our higher (most often hidden) divine purpose. Additionally, it’s worthwhile to investigate the astrological aspects of Cancer as the moon is its ruler. Get symbolic crab meanings here.

Tower: Apart from being phallic symbols and thus appealing to our base (primitive) natures, the towers also represent the trappings of an easy life. One either side of the path stands the promise of treasure, stability, safety, and comfort. Although these are appealing qualities, they are often illusions when we are on the path of our higher purpose. In the case of this card the towers represent stagnation or lure us into settling for something when we could have the divine gifts that are our birthright. The towers also remind us that if we build our lives upon false illusions, or settle for something less, they will inevitably come crashing down upon us. Click the link for a mythological back-story on Tower symbolism in Tarot.

Key Questions Relative to the Moon Tarot Card Meanings:

When contemplating the Moon Tarot card meanings, ask yourself the following questions:

What am I allowing to distract me?
How can I see clear to my higher ideals?
Do I have clarity of thought, purpose and deed?
What is taking me away from my highest achievements?
What am I allowing to sway my judgment are influence my decisions?
Have I strayed from my divine path? What do I need to do to get back on track?
What steps can I take to silence those yapping (nagging) thoughts that distract me from my joy?

I hope you liked these illuminations about Moon Tarot card meanings!