18. THE MOON: THE SHADOW SIDE

By Judy Jennings © Copyright 2013

That which is known to you, but not to others.
That which is known to others, but not to you.
That which is known to yourself and others.
That which is not yet known.

Aspects of the Shadow Side, like the four suits of the Tarot itself, express in four essential ways.  If you're like me,you've already spent a good portion of your life believing the Shadow Side within yourself is a force to be tamed, avoided or eliminated.  Perhaps you fear it.  Consider, however, our journey through the triumphs and the message that's been demonstrated repeatedly along the way:  A meaningful life is built on the foundation of a harmonious, loving relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds.  The realm of the Shadow Side is to be embraced.

The Moon represents a state of extreme influence from the subconscious mind, when awareness is heightened and the mind is receptive.  here in the flickering shadows, stirred up by the previous activities of The Star, cosmic direction is received and understanding is expanded.  The Moon represents a time of increasing awareness that the greatest function of the personality is to serve as a vehicle for the expression of higher ideals.

A simple example demonstrates the energies at work in The Moon.  It's easy to understand that the human eye cannot look directly into the Sun, which in Tarot represents Higher Power, matters of the Spirit, and the source of all life.  The Moon, on the other hand,offers the radiance of Universal Light in a form that can be gazed upon, danced under, and romanticized.  In the shadows cast in this light we find the personality emerging from the idea that we are all separate, isolated beings.  The traveler on the path of the Great Work surfaces from the pool of the subconscious to pass through the domains of the material world and make her way past the boundaries of that which is already known.  The creative force is in full form here, and dreams and other messages from the subconscious may be more prolific than usual.

The Moon represents the Fourth Stage of Spiritual Enlightenment, where the knowledge gained in The Star is incorporated into the personality.  In its highest expression, it is a symbol for the evolution of consciousness and the development of wisdom and awareness.  It's said that soul of a person is represented in The Moon...but what is the soul?  Paul Case describes the soul as the link between Spirit and Matter.

In The Moon, the soul of the traveler walks in both light and shadows, aspiring to move beyond the limitations of the material world and social conditioning.  There's a compelling connection with Higher Power, as the traveler builds on understanding that has been gained through meditation.  This is a time when the mind is open and receptive, and imagination runs high.  Psychic ability is at its most potent in this state.

Whenever The Moon presents in a reading you can be sure that creative juices are flowing, intuition is strong and changes of some sort are taking place  in the personality, for The Moon dwells in both shadows and ascension.  The traveler follows the path past conventional notions and ventures out onto the astral plane, where she begins at last to scale the highest summits of the Great Work.

The destination of this, which has been mapped out all through the major arcana, is found in the numerological reduction of the number of the card.  The Moon, 18 becomes 9, and in that we find a mystery revealed, for this clue points to the state of mind exhibited in The Hermit as the ultimate purpose of the path shown in The Moon.

The track of the traveler on the Fool's Journey rises and falls along the way, passing through both light and shadow, but continually moves in the direction of the Great Work.  Now, at the stage expressed in The Moon, the traveler is for the first time fully aware of this purpose and consciously participating in its fulfillment.  Slipping through the shadows and bathing in the reflecting moonlight, she presses onward, not completely sure where this road will take, but confident that she is heading in the right direction.  The journey has become its own reward.

17. THE STAR: THE QUEST FOR TRUTH

By Judy Jennings © Copyright 2013

For the better part of this past year we've been traveling through the major arcana.  We've discovered the pathway of the development of a healthy personality, learned the qualities of an enlightened mind, and have come to an understanding that a truly meaningful life depends on a harmonious working relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds.  As the journey has continued, we've felt the effects of influences beyond our control and received guidance regarding the most positive ways to deal with change.  By the time we passed through the forces expressed in Death into the highly energized state found in Temperance, it's possible that we may have also stumbled into a vague understanding of another great truth that is told in the Tarot:  We are not really separate beings, isolated and alone.  The states of mind demonstrated throughout the major arcana are intrinsic to the human condition, shared by all of us.  The journey revealed through the triumphs is a thread that ties us together, countless souls on a common pilgrimage.

Most recently our trek has ushered us through conditions of extreme emotionalism, unreasonable restrictions and the sudden breakdown of former beliefs.  We emerge from that chaos to find a familiar face, someone who we've already met several times along the way.  Who is the woman in The Star, and where else have we found her?

This is Hathor, most ancient of Earth Goddesses, known in her earliest form as the Horned Cow Goddess.  Hathor is Mother Nature in her most benevolent aspects.  Fishing in the waters of the subconscious for the unknown, Earth Mother greets us with the gift of meditation and points the way towards psychological healing.  She stirs the pool of universal consciousness and creates vibrations that are the beginnings of new ways of thinking.  The healing power of meditation is the focus of The Star, and is the key to regenerating the Spirit following the effects of The Devil and The Tower.  It's also instrumental for the control of the lower instincts that reside in the personality, as shown in Strength.

Hathor has appeared in a variety of forms as we've traversed the Fool's Journey, beginning with the Hoigh Priestess, who refers to the ancient Horned One with the crescents on her head and at her feet.  Earth Mother bursts forth in The Empress and again in Strength, then wields the sword of Justice that follows the turning of the Wheel of Fortune, on which her name in inscribed in its archaic form, ATOR.  The four triumphs that represent Earth Mother-The Empress, Strength, Justice and The Star-have a powerful rapport between them, which is to be considered when they present together in a reading.  The energies in these cards work in concert.

Symbolically, the knee on the Earth and the foot on the water suggest balance between the physical realm and the subconscious mind.  Water flowing into the pool signifies interaction with cosmic influences, while that pouring onto the ground indicates a modification of the five senses.  The Star is a promise that meditation has the power to heal not only the mind, but the body as well.  The seven small stars in the background represent the seven chakras.

I a reading, the appearance of The Star always encourages the practice of meditation and points the way towards psychological healing.  A person represented by this card will be highly intuitive and eager for the truth.  Courage, loyalty, hope, inspiration, unselfish aid, gifts of the Spirit and great love are qualities that are associated with this triumph.  This is someone with a strong commitment to the common good.

Meditate on The Star to quiet your mind and develop new ways of thinking.