The Moon Tarot Card Meaning
Upright Keywords
Reversed Keywords
This is the energy of the subconscious, the murky depths, and the work of dealing with what you've pushed down and avoided. The Moon represents diving into the uncomfortable territory of your own psyche, the fears, the traumas, the unprocessed feelings that have settled to the bottom. It's not pleasant work, but it's necessary.
The Moon Imagery and Symbolism
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, a full moon hangs in the night sky between two towers, with a face gazing down in profile. A narrow path leads from a pool of water through the towers and into distant mountains. A crayfish emerges from the pool whilst a dog and a wolf howl at the moon from opposite sides of the path. Pamela Colman Smith’s artwork creates an atmosphere of unease, mystery, and things not being quite what they seem.
The crayfish emerging from the pool represents thoughts and feelings rising from the depths of the subconscious. The dog represents the tamed, civilised mind, whilst the wolf represents the wild, instinctive self. Both are needed for the journey through moonlit territory. The two towers mark the gateway into the unknown.
The moon itself illuminates the path but also creates shadows and distortions. Moonlight changes how things look, making familiar things strange. The overall image captures the disorienting, uncomfortable process of exploring your own psychological depths, where nothing is entirely clear and the terrain shifts beneath you.
Gord’s Thoughts on The Moon
The Moon is about going through the sludge. Dealing with all the shit you've pushed down and avoided. I often use the example of filling a pint glass with canal water. At first it's murky, but things settle. Some stuff floats to the top, easy to deal with. But the sediment sinks to the bottom where you can't see it. And it piles up until something happens and suddenly you're dealing with it all again. The Moon is spooning out that sludge. It's uncomfortable, but it's necessary.
The Moon Tarot Card Meaning Upright
Depths
This card represents depths, the deep, subconscious territory where unprocessed emotions, fears, and memories live. Going into the depths means being willing to explore parts of yourself that you normally avoid. It's uncomfortable down there, and things don't look clear, but what you find will help you understand yourself better.
Psychic Exploration
This card suggests psychic exploration of your inner landscape. Not necessarily in the supernatural sense, but in the sense of deeply exploring your own psychology. Psychic exploration here means paying attention to dreams, feelings, reactions, and patterns that you usually ignore or suppress.
Subconscious
This card represents your subconscious and what it's trying to tell you. There's material beneath the surface that's influencing your behaviour, your reactions, and your decisions without you realising it. The Moon asks you to look at what's operating underneath. What patterns are running that you haven't examined?
The Moon Upright in Love and Relationships Readings
In relationships, this card can suggest there are things beneath the surface that need addressing. Unspoken feelings, old wounds being triggered, or patterns from past relationships bleeding into the current one. Honest exploration of what's really going on underneath will serve the relationship better than pretending everything's fine.
The Moon Upright in Self-Care and Empowerment Readings
For self-care, this card suggests honouring the process of going through difficult emotional territory. Be gentle with yourself. This is heavy work. Empowerment during Moon phases means allowing yourself to feel what comes up without judging it, fixing it, or pushing it back down.
The Moon Upright in Career and Creativity Readings
In career and creativity, this card suggests accessing deeper, less comfortable material in your work. The most powerful creative work often comes from the parts of yourself you'd rather not examine. The Moon says go there anyway. What you find in the depths could transform what you're creating.
The Moon Upright in Life Changes and Shadow Work Readings
For life changes, The Moon guides you through shadow work. It’s not about avoiding darkness but learning from it. When you face your fears and traumas, they lose power. Trust your intuition to lead you through the night; daylight returns when you integrate those lessons.
The Moon Tarot Card Meaning Reversed
Confusion
When reversed, this card can suggest confusion. The subconscious material is muddying the waters and you can't think clearly. Confusion here means you're being influenced by unprocessed emotions but can't identify which ones or why. Things feel wrong but you can't put your finger on what exactly.
Refusal to Confront
This card reversed can suggest a refusal to confront what's lurking beneath the surface. You know there's stuff down there but you'd rather not look. Refusal to confront your inner landscape might feel safer in the short term, but the sediment keeps building. It'll surface eventually whether you're ready or not.
Fear
When reversed, this card can represent fear that's running the show from the shadows. Not a specific, identifiable fear, but a deeper, more amorphous anxiety that colours everything. Fear from the subconscious is harder to address because it doesn't have clear edges. Name what you can. Work with what surfaces.
The Moon Reversed in Love and Relationships Readings
In relationships reversed, this card can suggest you're actively avoiding difficult conversations or refusing to look at what's really happening. The anxiety about the relationship might be coming from unprocessed stuff that has nothing to do with your partner. Work out what's yours before projecting it onto someone else.
The Moon Reversed in Self-Care and Empowerment Readings
For self-care reversed, this card can suggest the psychological work has become overwhelming. You're drowning in your own depths and need to come up for air. Empowerment means knowing when to pause the deep diving and do something grounding, something real and physical that brings you back to the present.
The Moon Reversed in Career and Creativity Readings
In career reversed, this card can suggest anxiety and confusion about your professional direction. Nothing feels clear, and fear is clouding your judgement. Step back from making major decisions until the fog lifts. Sometimes the best career move during Moon energy is to wait until you can see clearly.
The Moon Reversed in Life Changes and Shadow Work Readings
Reversed, The Moon in shadow work suggests you’re resisting inner exploration. Maybe you’re clinging to denial or stuck in fearful patterns. To move forward, accept that healing means confronting messy emotions. Avoid lying to yourself and seek guidance as you unearth what’s been hidden.
The Moon on the Fool’s Journey
The Moon is part of the Fool’s Journey, a narrative framework that follows the Fool as they encounter experiences and lessons that shape their understanding of themselves and the world. It’s not a straight line. The 22 cards of the Major Arcana map a cycle of growth, challenge, and transformation that keeps looping back to the beginning.
The journey divides into three realms: Conscious, Unconscious, and Superconscious. Each realm represents a different phase of the work. Understanding where a card sits in this framework helps you see how themes connect and evolve when multiple Major Arcana cards show up in a reading.
The Moon in the Superconscious Realm
The Moon sits in the Superconscious Realm, which covers the Devil through the World. This is where you experience destruction and loss, rediscover hope, battle demons you thought you’d already dealt with, and learn to let go so you can begin again.
This part of the journey tears everything down and rebuilds. Things fall apart. You rediscover who you are beneath everything you thought you were supposed to be. Completion is possible, but it comes with a price: you have to let go of some baggage, some people, some versions of yourself to step into what’s next. And then the whole cycle starts again.
The Moon and the Element of Water
The Moon is connected to the element of Water. Water speaks to emotion, intuition, and connection. It’s fluid, responsive, and doesn’t stay contained. This element shows where feelings are moving through your experience — joy, grief, love, and longing with equal depth.
Water energy values emotional truth. It asks you to honour what you actually feel rather than what you think you should feel. When Water is present, trust your intuition and pay attention to the emotional currents beneath the surface.
The Moon Journalling Prompts
What hidden emotions or fears am I ready to acknowledge, and how can I create space to explore them safely?
Where am I allowing confusion or doubt to hold me back, and how can I embrace clarity and self-trust?
How can I connect with my intuition and approach my inner journey with curiosity and courage?
Frequently Asked Questions about The Moon
What does The Moon mean in a tarot reading?
In a reading, The Moon speaks of intuition, illusion and hidden depths. It asks you to confront what’s beneath the surface and trust your inner guidance. When you feel uncertain, The Moon invites reflection rather than action. It reminds you that clarity comes after navigating your shadows.
Is The Moon a yes or no card?
The Moon doesn’t give a straightforward yes or no. It suggests the answer is hidden or still unfolding. When you draw it, trust your intuition rather than seeking an external verdict. This card encourages you to explore the question deeply and wait until the path becomes clearer.
What is the role of The Moon in the tarot deck?
In the tarot deck, The Moon occupies a liminal space between conscious and unconscious realms. It challenges you to explore the unknown aspects of yourself. Its role is to guide you through transitions, shining dim light on hidden paths. It teaches that mystery is a necessary part of growth.
What does The Moon symbolise?
The Moon symbolises dreams, illusion, intuition and the subconscious. The imagery of a moonlit path with creatures and towers in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck reflects the journey into your shadow. It speaks to cycles, tides and the pull of hidden forces influencing your actions and decisions.
What does The Moon suggest about navigating life’s challenges?
The Moon suggests that navigating life’s challenges requires trusting your instincts and sitting with uncertainty. It warns against blindly following appearances or ignoring your feelings. By exploring the darkness rather than rushing to escape it, you build resilience and discover the wisdom hidden in difficult experiences.
Is The Moon a positive or negative card?
The Moon isn’t inherently positive or negative. It indicates a time of reflection, uncertainty and emotional depth. Your interpretation depends on how you engage with these themes. Seeing The Moon can feel unsettling, but it’s an invitation to slow down, listen deeply and allow change to unfold.
How does The Moon align with themes of personal growth?
The Moon aligns with personal growth by urging you to explore your subconscious and embrace your intuition. Shadow work and dream analysis help uncover patterns and fears that hold you back. By acknowledging what lies beneath the surface, you evolve in authenticity and compassion.
What are some other names for The Moon?
Other names for The Moon include La Lune in the Tarot de Marseille and The Dream in some modern decks. Some inclusive decks rename it The Night or The Unknown to emphasise the exploration of hidden realms and mystery rather than a gendered archetype.
What other tarot cards often appear with The Moon?
The Moon often appears with cards like The High Priestess and The Hermit, reinforcing themes of introspection and intuition. When combined with The Star or Temperance, it suggests healing and balance. Together they encourage you to trust the process and follow your inner light through uncertainty.
How can The Moon guide me in exploring hidden truths?
The Moon guides you in exploring hidden truths by inviting you to slow down, meditate, and pay attention to dreams and symbols. Journalling, therapy or creative practices can help bring subconscious content to light. By acknowledging those truths, you can free yourself from deception and fear.
