The Moon

A path through uncertain light. Things are not what they seem, and fear or imagination fills the gaps. Go slowly, trust your instincts, and wait for clearer light before deciding.

intuition · illusion · uncertainty · dreams · the unconscious

Confusion beginning to lift, or fears that have grown in the dark. Something hidden comes to the surface. Look at it plainly and it shrinks to its true size.

fear released · clarity returning · confusion · hidden truths

A pale full moon with a calm, closed-eyed face hangs in a deep blue sky, drops of light falling from it. Below, a pale path runs between two stone lanterns toward far mountains, with water winding alongside. A red fox and a black-and-white dog sit on rocks on either side of the path, heads raised, howling at the moon. In the foreground a red crab climbs out of a small pool among the reeds.

In Rider–Waite–Smith tarot the moon shines between two towers over a path, a dog and a wolf howling and a crayfish rising from a pool: the realm of dreams, instinct, fear and illusion. The two animals are the tame and the wild in us, and the creature from the water is what rises from the unconscious. Here the towers become stone lanterns, whose light guides without fully showing the way, and the fox, a shape-shifter in Japanese folklore, takes the wolf's place.

Uncertainty or unspoken feelings in the bond. Do not act on suspicion alone. Ask gently and give it time to clear.

Unclear information or shifting ground. Check the facts, read the fine print, and hold decisions until the picture is clear.

Before acting on a worry, write it down and separate what you know from what you fear. Wait one night, then read it again.

Not yet clear

The situation is unclear; wait until more is visible before trusting the answer.

What fear might look smaller if you saw it in daylight?