A beautiful and mysterious card, the Moon conjures up the feelings of fear and anxiety. In the dark of the night nothing is clear and an overactive imagination can lead to illusions and irrational fear. When you are not sure of the way forward, trust your instincts, listen to your intuition and feel your way forward. The stars and Sun give off their own light, whereas the moon can only reflect. Is everything really as it seems? Could there be a hidden agenda hiding in the shadows of the dark side of the moon?
The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans is a simple black and white image with a golden moon encased in a rainbow coloured frame. The black of the sky appears scribbled and accentuates the sharp edges of the tress left white in the foreground. The style of the image makes me think of scared animals with their fur sticking up on end. The traditional Moon card image shows a dog and a wolf howling at the moon, representative of the animal self, the primitive and savage side to man. This artists interpretation gives the feeling of something wild and scary hiding in the shadows of the woods. Ones imagination could run wild, creativity being born in this space of dreams, fears and anxiety. This card warns us not to stay too long and get lost in this place of fear.
A more colourful and dreamy image awaits us in the Journey to Enlightenment Tarot by Selena Joy Lovett. The Moon is instantly recognisable as being inspired by the classic Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, a face, eyes closed, looking down in contemplation. Underneath this, a second cresent moon looks down, intertwined with the stars and shadows of figures in this rich dreamscape space. This version of the Moon card is more mysterious and dreamy. It has a stillness to it, telling us to take our time, to feel our way when things are unclear. Be careful not to take things at face value, maybe we are being kept in the dark. Listen to your dreams, your intuition, take your time to investigate before moving forward.
The Blood Moon Tarot by Sam Guay also asks us to question what is true. The dreamy, watery painting of several masks being lifted off a face, invites introspection. Questioning who we are. The Moon represents the grey zone in-between what may not necessarily be black and white. It can require great courage to explore this moonlit path, but even the worst of nights will eventually end and creativity can emerge from the dreams. Sam Guay asks in the accompanying book to his cards, “What wild unknown places do you need to explore within yourself?”
Although the Moon card can represent fear and anxiety of un unclear path ahead, there is a calmness to it. The trees of The Wild Unknown Tarot remind me of the towers of the traditional image which has a path leading through the middle. Are we already through the towers of conciseness and are looking back from the other side? Without the darkness the reflected light of the moon could not be there to illuminate your dreams and nightmares. Use this as a time of introspection and always trust your intuition.
