DAILY TAROT: XVIII. THE MOON
The Reflection
XVIII. THE MOON.
This card represents The Reflection, an inherent aspect of Duality and Being.
The number is XVIII (18) and is the 19th Card in the Major Arcana.
HOW TO CONSIDER THE TAROT
For an introduction to this series and an outline of how to appreciate Tarot, in a very different paradigm to what one may be used to, the reader is encouraged to familiarise themself with the following post: How to Appreciate Tarot—a Hermetic guide to Semiotics & Allegory
How to Appreciate the Tarot
Appreciation is that which accrues Soul and enlightens Spirit To appreciate Tarot, you do not need to subscribe to anything mystical or arcane, and one most certainly does not need to consult the booklets and the types of interpretations we encounter on the internet, which are no deeper than a typical lifestyle magazine for young readers. One just needs …
NUMEROLOGY & NUMBERS
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
18 is derived as 2 x 9 or 3 x 6.
2 is the number of Duality.
3 is the number of Trinity.
6 is the product of 2 and 3, both primes, considered to be the first perfect number—a number where all the divisors excluding itself equals the number itself. 1+2+3=6
9 is the number that signifies the numerical Completion, a fulfilment of a cycle, given how it contains all integers 1 through 9.
18 is emergent from these.
Lunar and solar eclipses are repeated in the same order every 18 years.
18 is cushioned between two primes 17 and 19.
GEOMETRY & SEMIOTICS
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation, the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning.
18 is implied in the geometric expression of 9, as is 3 and 6.
3 is the essential expression of space, 2 coordinates form a line, 3 coordinates form a triangle with Area as an emergent property, enabling possibility for Movement. 3 is where Geometry begins.
6 is the expression of 3 in duality. The intersection of 2 triangles creates the Star of David, representing the union of masculine and feminine and also the alchemical union of the 4 elements.
A nine-sided polygon or nonagon, has interior angles of 140 degrees, adding up to a cumulative 1,260 degrees. The number 1,260 is referenced several times in the Biblical books of Daniel and Revelation, often symbolizing a period of trial and persecution— “…a time, and times and half a time.” (42 months is 1,260 days).
A trinity of triangles forms a nine-pointed star that can be drawn within the nonagon, which intersect to form an internal nonagon. Additionally, a nine-pointed star can be traced within the nonagon, giving us 18 by way of 2 x 9.
ARCHETYPE & FORM
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ETYMOLOGY & LANGUAGE
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
Moon comes from the Old English mōna, cognate with Old Norse mani, meaning the luminary body, but also the lunar cycle of time which gives us the word “month”.
In ancient times, before calendar years and months, time was measured in months. The lunar month is approximately 29.53 days, the same average length as women’s menstrual cycle, which is why many cultures continue to associate the moon with fertility and partially why we have the word honeymoon.
To ‘moon’ means “to expose to moonlight”. To be moonstruck meant to be affected by the moon, which we find echoed in the word Lunacy, from Latin Luna meaning the moon. This came in turn from the relationship between the Moon and the ocean tides, and the observation that the brain was the organ with the highest percentage of water and that certain people could be observed seemingly affected by the phases of the moon.
A ‘Moonshadow’ refers to the dark silhouette or shadow that is cast on the Earth's surface by the moon during certain phases or events, such as a solar eclipse or when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. It is a phenomenon where the moon blocks or partially blocks the sun's light, creating a shadowy area on the Earth. Moonshadow can also refer to the shadow cast of a person when the moon is particularly bright. The shadow of course represents the deep subconscious.
MOONSHADOW
We search the stars for meaning.
but we already know
the answers;
the Moonshadow
that haunts
the troubled surface
of the deep water,
which we turn from,
in our longing
for the light,
is the dancing silhouette,
of our own
half-forgotten selves.
—Rocco Jarman
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
The card has a darker blue background suggesting a twilight scene with a large yellow full moon in the sky, adorned with a face in profile. The moon is emitting rays of alternating length. A rain of 15 gold drops is suspended in the sky. Below the moon, in the centre of the scene, is a pool or swamp from which a lobster is emerging. To the right and left of the pool are grey stone towers with a single high window apiece. A winding path leads from the pool between the towers and on towards the distant horizon. On either side of the path, there are two canines—on the left a dog up on all fours howling at the moon, and on the right wolf growling, sitting on its haunches. In the far background a horizon of blue hills and peaks.
EGREGORE & ESSENCE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
THE MOON card represents the emergent nature of Reflection, both the innate active process of reflection as well as the passive product of it.
There are two ways of spreading light…to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
Francis Bacon
The mountain makes the valley, as the valley makes the mountain. There is a marriage always between the yin and the yang, between the light and the darkness, and between, nothing lies fully at rest.
THE UNFOLDING
THE MOON CARD is unique.
This is the only card in the Major Arcana, that does not depict any central human or angelic figures.
This is the second of three celestial cards (THE STAR, THE MOON & THE SUN) and the first of the two official luminaries, and contains aspects of both the Sun and the Crescent Moon.
THE MOON FACE
The most prominent feature on the card is the serene face nested in a disk and crescent of the radiant moon, eyes closed. The picture of absolute tranquillity, in contrast to the Moon’s cyclic nature and impact on tides. The alternating lengths of the rays emitted express the inherent dual nature of the Moon, which gives rise to the alternating polarity of the moon, as well as the duality of the subtle and the gross.
The Sun is also depicted in the face of the moon, depicting the notion that the Moon is a reflective luminary, shining only with the light of the sun, the crescent shape within the disk represents the cyclic nature of the Moon. Given that the Sun represents the Hermetic Ordering Principle, the Moon receives the full light of the Sun and reflects a selective, filtered band of light.
15 golden in the form of the Hebrew letter Yud, regarded as “The Letter of God”, signify the luminaries, both the Sun and the Moon as relays of the Divine Signal (Emanation and Emergence —See the section on KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM)
THE TWO TOWERS
These represent the two pillars Boaz & Jachin, the gates of heaven, through which the path of Life is firmly shepherded.
THE WOLF & THE HOUND
The Wolf and the Hound represent different aspects of the human subconscious.
The Hound, with its domestication, symbolizes the aspects of our subconscious that we have tamed or seek to control. It represents the behaviours, impulses, and emotions that, on the surface, appear to be under our command, yet beneath the veneer of domesticity, they remain inherently wild, driven by primal forces and instincts that can erupt unexpectedly.
Conversely, the Wolf embodies the untamed, raw essence of our nature. It represents the part of our subconscious that is intrinsically wild, untethered by societal norms, and deeply rooted in its primal essence. Unlike the Hound, which barks at the moon in a display of agitation or excitement, the Wolf howls—a primal form of communication that speaks of connection, longing, and a profound recognition of its place within the natural order. This howling can be seen as a form of prayer, an acknowledgment of the deeper, spiritual forces that move through life and the universe.
THE LOBSTER & THE SWAMP
The crustacean represents the Astrological sign of Cancer, but also the Astrological sign of Scorpio with its implications of death and transformation.
The swamp itself, with its dark, fertile grounds and emergent flora, symbolizes the subconscious as the primordial void from which all life and consciousness spring forth.
The swamp depicts the primordial soup of our innate vestigial ancient DNA and also the primordial void of our deep subconscious, in one sense our doorway to our root of origin in another sense our doorway into the infinite dark. The swamp has light and dark flora growing out, representing an even more primordial aspect to our nature and our subconscious, and how shadows of things other than ourselves emerge from that door. Consider the human gut flora, and the metaphor of gut to our subconscious. Everything that affects our consciousness, through direct awareness or the subconscious is what is reflected by the light of consciousness, or that which casts the shadow of its existence into our field of consciousness.
SYMMETRY & SEQUENCE
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by the relationship of the numbers, others thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
The integral symmetry of this card comes to us in several ways.
The motif of the Moon appears three times in the Major Arcana. The first is as a crescent in the THE HIGH PRIESTESS card, which depicts a seated priestess with a crescent moon partially veiled by her robes. The second time we see the crescent moon as the epaulettes of the shoulders of the driver of THE CHARIOT.
THE HIGH PRIESTESS represents Duality and the Passive Feminine principle.
The CHARIOT represents the Will and the Active Masculine Principle. The Moon as a luminary shines only with the light it receives from the Sun, and then it cycles through phases from new moon to full moon and so on.
The symbolism of the Two Pillars is strongly depicted in all three cards.
Additionally, THE MOON is one of three celestial cards: THE STAR, THE MOON & THE SUN, the latter being the two classic Astrological Luminaries. These cards appear in a sequence directly after each other in order between THE TOWER and JUDGEMENT.
The symbolism of the radiant illumination is strongly depicted in all three cards.
Lastly, the scene of the luminary between the stone towers is seen also in the far background of the DEATH(XIII) card. In the DEATH card, several figures are supplicant before the horsed figure, echoed in THE MOON card by the canines and the crustacean before the Moon. The crustacean also symbolises the Scorpion itself a symbol of Death and therefore of transformation.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
The 18th Letter in the Hebrew Alef-bet is Tzadi, meaning “Justice”. In Kabbalah Justice is always paired with Law, as in the two pillars of Divine providence and dominion.
18 is also made up of 2x9. The 9th letter of the Hebrew Alef-bet is Tet(9) which carries the mystical meaning of “Best” or “most good”, the literal meaning is mud or clay. This same letter when written ‘turned-in’ means its own opposite.
Best is a limit. Its own opposite is then is “Worst”, or “least good”. These represent the two pillars of divine design and creation. This concept is represented by the two pillars, and also the phases of full moon and new moon.
Regarding the 32 rays of light emanating from the Moon:
The Sephirotic Tree of Life has 10 stations and 22 branches (10+22=32), implying the whole arrangement of existence is governed by the principles of Reflection (Duality) and Cyclic Periodicity which harkens to the notion of the Emanation of creation as Light and Sound (The Word), given that light and sound are regarded as particles, packets or waves.
Ein Soph Aur is the Kabbalistic concept of the Infinite Light of which all of creation is an emergent emanation.
The Word is a Judaic (and Christian) concept relating to the Formation and inception of Creation, and the Hermetic principle of Vibration.
In this context, the 32 rays of light not only illuminate the physical darkness of night but also symbolize the illumination of the mind and spirit by the divine light of Wisdom and Understanding. The two uppermost Sephirot on the Tree of Life are Binah meaning “Understanding” and Chokmah meaning “Wisdom”, when attained, they activate Da’ath which means “Knowledge”. Knowledge is attained via Living (experience).
Regarding the 15 golden dew drops in THE MOON card:
In the Hebrew Alef-bet, the number 15 is made up of Yud(10) and Hei(5).
Yud and Hei are both letters found in the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God. The mystical meaning of Hei is “Breath/Flow”, denoting the Female, cyclic nature of God and Yud meaning “the point of emanation, the letter of God (The Emanation)”. The 15th letter is Samech which means “Completion”. Together these denote the divine masculine and feminine aspects of God in union.
As it happens, the number 15 is not typically written in Hebrew using the letters Yud (10) and Hei (5) precisely because this combination forms a name of God. Instead, it is instead often written with the letters Tet (9) and Vav (6) to avoid this. Tet (9) means “Best or most good”, and Vav (6) means “Hook” as in that which connects that which is above to that which is below. In this respect, 15 denotes the connection between the upper and lower bounds.
Seen through the lens of these ideas, the card becomes a bridge, not just between two pillars of reality, but between the many layers of existence and consciousness, as well as the sin curve of ebb and flow between them.
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
The Sun, the Moon and the Two Pillars have several Hermetic allegorical interpretations.
The Sun is the Ordering Principle and the Source of Emanation and represents the Principle of Reason which presides over all the 7 Hermetic Laws, and is implied in the first principle: The ‘All’ is mind. Reason governs all. All that is, is governed under Reason.
The Moon represents both the reflection of the Sun’s light, and allegorically, therefore, the principle of Duality or The Law of Correspondence: As Above, So Below.
Furthermore, depicted by the Moon’s phases, is The Law of Rhythm: Everything that is, ebbs and flows according to the tides of its form and the cycles of its flow.
Strongly depicted on many levels within THE MOON card, are the Two Pillars.
According to Hermetic reason, Duality is emergent from the emanation of Singularity (Mind), from which the remaining 5 of the 7 Hermetic principles arise progressively via emergence. This is captured by the phrase: The Right Impels, The Left Abducts referring the the emergent nature of existence and the nature of duality itself. This is an understanding encoded into the symbolism of the Two Pillars as well as the twin snakes climbing the Hermetic Caduceus:
The Left is emergent from the Right, but the Right is sustained by the Left + the progressive emergence of Actualisation
Non-Being is an emergent necessity of Being because of the immutable condition of Duality + Integration.
The Shadow is Emergent from the Light.
ASTROLOGY
THE MOON card is associated with The Moon, and with the sign of Cancer(♋︎). The Moon represents cyclic nature, reflection, waxing & waning, the subconscious and emotions.
Just like the moon waxes and wanes, the crab of Cancer emerges and retreats from its shell in one sense, or sheds and grows a new shell every season.
SCORPIO & TRANSFORMATION
Incidentally, the Lobster is regarded in some interpretations as a scorpion, depicting Scorpio, and therefore represents Transformation. Scorpio is represented by 4 animals, each with a different relationship to Transformation.
Scorpion (Water) - Unable to change.
Serpent (Earth) - Able to shed its skin and renew.
Eagle (Air) - Able to rise up and soar, and shift perspective and range.
Phoenix (Fire) - Sacrificing itself to the flames, the Phoenix is reborn from the ashes.
The image of the ‘scorpion’ emerging from the water, under the transfiguring light of the moon, steps onto the winding pathway (Earth), which itself is symbolic of the writhing serpent.
This alludes to the transformative nature of cyclic ebb and flow, which mirror the cycles of death and rebirth respectively, by which everything in creation transforms via iterations.
VEDIC ASTROLOGY
In Vedic astrology, the Moon is considered one of the most important planets as it governs our state of mind including our thought process, emotions, and intuition. In this tradition, the Moon rules our attachment towards things, and people and how we influence others, our moods and our character. The Moon is said to give us our souls. Pregnancy, childbirth and fertility are also believed to be governed by the Moon.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
HINDU MYTHOS
Chandra is the Hindu god of the Moon and is considered the ruler over people’s minds and emotions.
EGYPTIAN MYTHOS
The Egyptian god Khonshu was considered the god of the Moon, whose name means ‘traveller’, thought to watch over those who travel at night, or who travel the paths of the mind and the subconscious. In their creation myths, it is the same god, who in the form of a serpent, fertilizes the Cosmic egg from which the world is born.
GREEK MYTHOS
The Greek goddess Artemis, sister to Apollo the Sun god, was associated with the Moon. She was a famous huntress, who was gifted a bow (crescent) by her father Zeus. Her sacred animals were hounds and golden deer.
Artemis was the goddess that was turned to during times of transition, such as menstruation (waxing and waning), sexual development during puberty, marriage and midwifery.
Selene is the Greek elemental personification of the Moon. Her brother was Helios the elemental personification of the Sun, their sister was Eos (Dawn).
NORSE MYTHOS
In Norse mythology, Sol and Mani were the Sun and Moon, or more precisely, the brother and sister gods who drove the Sun and Moon in their courses through the sky, pursued by wolves. The wolves would eventually catch and devour them, which is how people made sense of the solar and lunar eclipses.
INCAN MYTHOLOGY
The ancient Incas called their Moon goddess Mama Quilla, who cried silver tears. They believed that lunar eclipses were caused by an animal or serpent attacking the goddess.
INNER REFLECTION
Never was the word reflection so poignant.
In the gentle luminescence of THE MOON, we find ourselves at the threshold of the seen and the vast, uncharted terrains of the unseen. Here, in this serene twilight, the card unveils a landscape rich with symbols, a mirror reflecting not only the light of the sun but the intricate dance of existence itself as ‘reflection’. Here we encounter the cyclical nature of life, of birth, death, and rebirth, echoing through the ages in the rhythmic cadence of the cosmos.
THE MOON is the essence of emergence through reflection, and reflection of emergence which visually in the card, and symbolically on many levels, depicts a bridge—an interstitial nature that connects not just dualistic pillars of reality, but also facilitates the passage between. It is the ocean that spans and connects the shores of the conscious and the subconscious, ebbing and flowing between the various planes of existence and their influences on each other.
Here we see encapsulated the cyclic ebb and flow, the sinusoidal rhythm of life itself, which is echoed in the natural cycles of the moon and the tides it influences.
While the Sun is not directly depicted in THE MOON card, its principles are implicit in the very existence of the moon’s light. The Sun symbolises the original source or emanation, the principle of Reason, governing the mental and material worlds.
Within this tableau, the majestic Moon presides—a serene goddess of the night, casting her soft glow upon the earth, revealing the path between the dual pillars of reality. The towers stand as sentinels, boundary markers of being and non-being, of existence and negation—foundations rooted in the ancient soil of opposites. Here we are reminded that every journey is a passage not just through space but through time along the sin curve of ebb and flow, which echoes a symmetry within the layers of our own psyche, where the wild and the tame within us howl and bark in unison with the ebb and flow of Life, even as deeper aspects of our psyche is emerging from the primordial soup of creation within us.
Here we see Reflection as a verb not simply a noun, the emergent presence of what is fundamentally happening, not just an image we perceive. The Reflection is the unfolding conversation between what is seen and not seen, fully present in each moment, and undergoing the constant change of ebb and flow—the alchemy of transformation.
THE INVITATION
What is my relationship to the Reflection and the Light? Can I see reflection as a process rather than an image? Do I face each phase of the moon greeting its invitation to fullness, to yielding, to disappearance and to re-emergence and newness? How do I reflect this in my stance?
The title image of this post depicts two pillars and the symbol of emanation between them as both source and bridge.
What we are is Reflection—the ability of consciousness to perceive itself, the miracle of matter waking up to its own divine reflection. We are an embodied duality, suspended between the poles of yin and yang, dancing our way to the Rhythm of Life, towards perfection and eternity, one cycle at a time.
If you are interested in joining me for an integrated exploration of your own Archetypes, Symbolism, Mythos, Totems and Astrology via the Hermetic lens, and have an appetite for something more deep and mature, schedule a call.
Good read.
Additional note: the lobster looks like the many armed Hecate.