The Moon - Controlling the Tides of the Mind

Who doesn’t love walking on a beach under the light of a full-moon?

Often the energy on the beach is palpable and the moment feels alive – pregnant with possibilities. Perhaps we see a ship in the distance or a dolphin breaking the waves as if reaching up to be bathed in the silvery light of hope. As the waves crash on the shore, our spirit sores with excitement, opportunity and courage. Yes, a moonlit night on the beach is truly a remarkable occurrence.

The Moon - Simply Deep Tarot

Now, let’s take that very same night and very same full moon, and move our setting to the depths of the deep, dark woods. Instead of a warm evening in Florida, we have a snowy night in the Adirondacks. Although we are safe in the confines of a warm structure, we shutter at the sounds of lone wolf calling out into the darkness. Looking out our window, we fearfully glance at the shadows dancing across the snow-covered ground. Are the movements we see the result of the wind in the trees, or perhaps it’s something else – more menacing – lurking in the night.

And so, we understand the dilemma and mixed messages offered by the presence of The Moon Tarot card (Major Arcana 18).

While the explanation above is a literal interpretation of the Moon aspect, the truth is the Moon represents how we view our life and the incidents we experience within it. For instance, you can offer the same situation to different people, and how they respond to the situation is entirely up to that person. This is true for both “good” and “bad” issues.

Example: Take a potentially serious medical problem.

Some people will respond immediately to the ‘dark’ side of the situation. We all know these types of people – at the first sign of any concern they run to their doctor convinced they will be receiving a dreaded diagnosis, and believe the ‘end’ is imminent. These people start talking about wills and planning funerals and begin reminiscing about ‘what might have been.’

Other individuals connect with the ‘lighter’ side of the situation. Sometimes, they even go too light and adopt a “Pollyanna” attitude. They choose to ignore obvious warning signs and simply believe “everything will be alright.” They refuse to seek any medical advice and pretend the problem does not exist. This approach can be even more dangerous than the previous one.

Still there are others who choose to keep a level head and attempt a practical approach to the situation. They realize there is the potential for a serious concern, but they diligently live their life despite it. They don’t feed the worries, but they do attempt to silence their fears through smart action. They assess the situation intelligently and take the necessary steps to rectify the problem.

Note - this is not an attempt to criticize or diminish anyone’s approach to problem-solving. Instead, the point is to show that regardless of the situation, there are always choices. We must make the decision to live a life where we swing between the extremes of excessive fears/idealistic delusions, or we choose to silence the ego-base, lizard-brain fears and exist at a higher, more fulfilling level.

And yes, living life fully in the face of reality is very scary. However, by using our intellect and our intuition, we can choose to see all situations for what they are – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and choose the most empowering course of action for a successful outcome.

The idea that ‘knowledge is power’ holds a lot of weight in the dim light of The Moon. When this card appears in a spread, the message is to access our inner, higher self so that we can indeed shine some divine energy on the situation and move in a direction that is aligned with the goals of our deeper,  more Authentic self.