The Major Arcana Tarot: The Moon
The Moon is a powerful card that represents intuition, dreams and the unconscious. It also has a powerfully feminine aspect, as well as a darker, more mysterious side.
On most Moon cards is the representation of a crayfish at the bottom of the card. This symbolises the emergence of the unconscious, but can also represent the darker aspects of the questioner's psyche - what may haunt their dreams, their fears and their worries. According to Carl Jung, the Moon represents your 'shadow' self, part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings and instincts. Jung wrote that: "Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is."
So is the Moon shining a light on the darker aspects of the questioner's personality? The answer is not necessarily. It can also symbolise a blockage in the journey forward, a refusal to confront the real causes of a person's unhappiness or misfortune or a spiritual journey that has gone awry. It can also be a warning that all is not as it first seems, and that outside influences are possibly deceptive or casting an illusion. Depending on the surrounding cards, the appearance of the Moon warns the questioner to take another look, as what might at first seem positive may have hidden aspects that have not yet been fully revealed.
The Moon inverted
Reversed, the Moon is actually a more positive influence. It indicates that, while recent events may have been uncomfortable or that the questioner has been going through a period of self-delusion, these feelings are beginning to fade and that a clearer understanding of the situation is emerging. It can also indicate a fundamental unhappiness with a situation, but again, depending on the influence of the surrounding cards, there is a way forward. The Moon reversed speaks of a period of heightened psychic and intuitive awareness, allowing the questioner to strip away the illusions and see the truth underneath. The Moon tells the questioner that to progress forward, it may be necessary to confront their fears or emotional issues that are unresolved. Once that has happened, that increased psychic awareness can be used to forewarn of future hurdles.