Barbara Walker Tarot - 18: The Moon

Two dogs howl at a full moon ringed by nine blood drops. A path leads between two pylons into darkness. A crab perches in the middle of a dark pool. Called the dogs of Hecate in Greece, Anubis-jackals in Egypt, lunar wolves or Moon-dogs in the north, two canines traditionally guard the gates of death, which leads to the moon. It was once thought all souls went to the Moon-mother to be regenerated. Hence the blood drops: one for each “hidden” menstrual period, as moon-blood forms new life in the womb. The crab is a more universal death symbol. The ancient world everywhere believed doomsday would come when the planets lined up in the constellation of Cancer, the Crab. This idea may have contributed to general fear of the Moon card, called a crisis of faith, a dark night of the soul, intimations of destruction, terror of the unknown.