The Moon — Arcana XVIII

The Moon — Major Arcana of the Tikkoun Tarot de Marseille

The Moon is mysterious and impenetrable... only at first glance.

It looks to the left, plunging us into the receptive memory of the universe. In this exclusive and secret space-time, anything is possible. The Moon is the ultimate metaphor for the imaginary: the visualization of what exists before manifestation. Feminine, visionary, and fertile, it is the pineal gland: the intuitive eye... the portal to the soul.

Lustful and sensual, the Moon is both "celestial womb" offered to the desire of its lover and "inaccessible goddess-mother." Beneath it, two wolf-dogs lap at its rays as if suckling from a nurturing breast. They resemble an animal version of primordial twins. And at the bottom, the crayfish seems to rise from the abyssal depths of its pond. Is it nostalgic for its embryonic life... or does it signal that what was buried is already emerging to the surface of consciousness?

In any case, all these characters participate in a fantastical ballet. And if the Moon is the mistress of ceremonies, it's because she invites them to the imminent wedding of Animus and Anima: archetypes of duality.

Based on "Selene and Endymion," Nicolas Poussin (1594 - 1665)

Lights

Interpretation

With the Moon, we are propelled into the limitless and unfathomable universe of our unconscious.

After the treasure hunt of the 17th card (The Star), the 18th card invites us on a journey to the center of the... Mother. On the agenda: dreams, imagination, and plenty of intuition. The Moon is the great orchestrator of the tides. Intimately feminine, it illuminates our nights and regulates our year with 12 to 13 months of an average of 29.5 days. Thus, the Moon card is both a regulator and a transformer. And in its deeply maternal resonance, it reminds us that every cycle is a rebirth.

In the tarot, the Moon precedes the Sun. Yet the two lovers engage in an endless chase... a constant interplay where they only couple during rare eclipses. However, as it is the mirror of the Sun, the Moon reflects to the Sun (our ego) the touching reflection of its fantasy: separation is a perfect illusion.

In a reading, it thus invokes the activation of our feminine aspect. Receptive and generative, its awakening is indeed the essential prerequisite for the forthcoming union of our dualities.

Its promise: "The lobstar of the show!"

Shadows