Atu XVIII - The Moon

The Moon

Ah, here we have the "dark night of the soul".  After receiving the Star's light, we now go through the portals of the conscious to the deep underlying subconscious, and come face to face with our motives, our fears, our ego.  Carry the light that's within your grasp (scarab beetle holding Sun) and come out safely the other side.  This too will pass, a transient experience leading to great inner growth, a necessary step on the path, confronting our shadow side. Ruled by Pisces, here we are healing these darker aspects for new growth.

from the original website:

 XVIII - The Moon.
"This card is more than just the dark night of the soul. It is part of realizing that all we use to interpret what is "real" are also senses of illusion. It is all illusion. It symbolizes Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac. Also the Hebrew letter Qoph. The howling of the dogs confuses our ears, and the darkness blinds our eyes. But remember that darkness is only the absence of light. The darkness of our own souls is only the illusion that any part of us is dark, or evil. The scariest part isn't the darkness, or even ourselves, the scary part is realizing that our beliefs of what is right and wrong (Light and dark) are merely safe ways of trying to find a 'niche' in society. Until we are willing to acknowledge that anything we know is false, we realize that the only thing we can know is ourselves. Our dark side is not dark, but merely part of us we hide from the light. As long as we give ourselves a bad side, we don't have to accept the responsiblity for the implications of knowing. Pass through those gates, but make sure your heart is as light as a feather."
Zach Owens

"Your soul is shining through brightly; you are being yourself and know it. It's as if your soul has become your skin, or an object you could pull out of your pocket, instead of something deep inside you."
darkwater

"I feel that the moon represents things that are hidden or mysterious, mostly pertaining to emotions and thoughts or experiences. It could represent a person burying true feelings, or some one who is thinking about or experiments with the occult. It could warn of a person who is sly and not what they appear, usually I believe the interpretation is only negative if the card is reversed. If it is beware of deception."
lorraine

"The moon is signalized that there is a time for found the TRUE self. If you want fill you'r destiny (XXI. card), you must live in the harmony with your spirit. There's the gate in the card. That is the gate to new ways of reality and new world where is not place for old systems you have been living by. Maybe this part of way is about researching the clear of child (The Fool). You must be yourself if you want to go to another part of way, The Sun."
Jerkens

"Choosing to reveal or conceal your authentic self. P.M.S., Deception within ourselves, or the brunt of someone else."
Lisa Lovejoy

"Strong night energy....psychism is a strong force....magnetism...and animal-like instincts....may or may not be used or acted upon...strong energy field surrounding the earth and activities...a good time to get in touch with oneself and to focus on what is going on around you..power"
Lisa Lowder

"On the Initiate's cyclical journey, the Moon is the Dark Night of the Soul, after the old world is destroyed at the Tower and s/he has glimpsed the new one at the Star. It is the arduous process s/he must go through to arrive at the Sun."
Frater K

"The Sun, The Moon, and The Star cards are important in the Torah because they are -more than anything- that with which we associate Astrology and our fates. They are the most familiar governing bodies of the Universe that we know. The Moon is the most ambiguous of the 3. It is with the darkness of the night that the Stars can be seen and its is without the sunlight of the day that our physical world becomes shadow. The sun and the moon both affect how we percieve and the enviroment in which we see. They are opposites of each other.

The Moon is a feminine card. It is the Temple of the High Priestess -a female archetype. This card is to do with receptive energies, shown by the blue colour of the card (echoeing the colour of the High Priestess). It is also to do with change, a cyclic change; a development that is slow and subtle. An indirect approach or influence. The cycles and phases of the moon affect womens menstruating cycles and hence this is a card of the womb and hormones. Visually, this card could be seen as depicting an internal view of the entrance of female genitalia. This is a card of getting both the creative and receptive lines in harmony (red and blue lines in the bottom foreground). The later cards of the Arcarna continue to deal with this idea of the womb (Aeon, for example).

The scarab beetle is the symbolic God of Transformation ‘Khepri’ of Khemet (Ancient Egypt). He labouriously rolls his dung before him just like the Sun rolls on to rise at the beginning of a new day. Hence it is a card of renewal. But a continuous one. This renewal has taken place before. This leads the card to dealing with past life and karma. There always retains an element of the unkown in this renewal, though it is familiar. There is a feeling of having encountered this before and a use of your intuition. This intuition and the dark factor of this card mean it deals also with mystery and the subconsious. The moon is a magick mirror where the reflection is shallow deep but put your finger to the water and you will find much more underneath. It is a card of intitiation, cults and the occult/eclipsed. It is also the mythical underworld of the Greeks called Hades, which was guarded by Cerberus dogs (they are inculded in the Hermit card). We each have a guide to protect us and direct us through this potentially perilous place. In The Moon is suggested an often sexual nature of these intitiated mysteries. It can indicate the perverse side of sex; S&M, and adversely, even rape. It can also be a sentiment of feeling, ‘left in the shadows’ -when applied to sex, virginity or inexperience.

Positively, The Moon card represents a deep, romantic relationship -one of those unusual and special experiences, and indeed relationships in general. When applied to a particular person, this could be someone who has a store of talents waiting to be discovered. Or it can indicate deep changes in the subconscious which will result in a difference in personality. It can be the slow release of deep rooted fears which dominate your psyche or an indication to let go of them and to be aware of their falsity. When applied to the material world, the card can represent something mysterious that youre already suspicious of. It may also represent deceit in an area of your life, particularly as regard people and relationships. Beware of house burglary. And often in readings I personally have found this to be a card of moving, stock, lock and barrel, to another country and particularly different culture. A move of house as opposed to travelling and one that will affect all areas of your life for long to come."
Jera

"The moon represents the threshold between you true and authentic self and the false you of the expected and worldly projections. Gaurding the threshold are two jackals ( anpu, anubis, opener of the ways), in the egyptian book of the dead(which is actually about becomming awake), anubis gaurds each secret doorway and the only way to pass on through is to know his name, and to know his name is to know your TRUE self. 'get me onwards, anpu, onwards to ausar (Osiris)'."
zero

"The moons creates the urges to procreate life itself.It creates occilations and undulation. It is the goddess of love and dancing and also THOTH's love. That is why she is always represented above his head or as the rounded IBIS bill.The egyptians like natural symbols."
THomasOTH

""chapel perilious" itself, initiation."
hilmar

"Emotional and intuitive. A very emotional person. Not hearing, self-deception. Lies and deception is revealed or concealed. A balancing of emotions to get where you want to go. If balance does not occur, deception will."
Alison

"Encountering the aspects of self that have presented what seemed real, but which turn out to be illusion based on what is desired, but not yet brought forth into concrete reality. For whatever reason. Possibly a more deeply rooted 7 of cups."
Anne