18. Moon on Water

[Wanderer]

 

I should start by saying that the Moon is one of the cards I've always felt that I don't fully understand, and this is amplified with the Moon on Water. It's a complex beast of a card, full of symbolism, and which hints at a wide range of meanings. This is, I think, as it should be; it's a card about the doorstep of knowledge, and the recognition of ignorance; it is shadows, illusions, and fleeting glimpses that only half make sense.

 

The book lists a large number of facets, most of which have come into play at some point in the many times that this has turned up for me; I'm finding it to be one of the most frequent cards, and it always seems to be in the right place. So, my understanding is based partly on the traditional and intended meanings, and partly on experience and intuition...

 

First, a description. A huge moon shines through a faint wispy haze, silhouetting winter trees, an aurochs, and a flock of wild cranes. The trees and aurochs stand on a small mound rising from a mire, or bog, with strands of fine grasses or rushes breaking the surface. The moon is mirrored in the slightly rippled surface of the mire, with no clear reflection, but just a diffuse brightness that gives no detail away. Beneath the surface of the water, we can see stones and weed (this suggests it is a river rather than a bog; so which is true?), and also an enormous, detail-less egg. This, we are told, is the Primal Egg, from which anything and everything can be born.

 

The symbolism here is complex, but it all relates to the half-seen unknown, and our fears and uncertainties. The egg could bring forth gods, monsters, or knowledge; and only when it hatches will we understand. It is a major feature in oriental creation mythologies, tying in with the cranes (which represent immortality and deep wisdom, particularly in the esoteric arts where they are tied to Taoist enlightenment and the Elixir of Immortality). The Aurochs is a much more local symbol, a powerful figure from a half-remembered past that relates to solidity and deep-rooted attachment to the land, but also danger. The winter scenery indicates a time of quiescence, of surviving, and of waiting for things to change. Although the winter is harsh, it is a known hardship; the aurochs, the egg, and the water all represent the unknown. How deep do those waters flow? If you step in to reach the egg, would you disappear completely, or wade safely through?

   

The Moon itself here simply adds to the message. It is an overpowering, overwhelming disc of light that remains completely unreachable; the shattering of the reflection into amorphous light tells you that something is not what it seems. Is the Moon really bright? (No, it isn't; it's a ball of dark rock, reflecting the Sun of Life). Is its apparent form as it really is, or is the diffuseness of the water a better reflection? Which is more 'true'? Even the thin wispy haze hides and reveals at the same time. The whole scene captures our fear of unknowing beautifully.

 

So what does this mean? Depending on context, it can relate to fears of the unknown future, or of circumstances. It can be a desire to learn more about things that are hidden, secret, or even forbidden; the need to explore things that according to others are 'best left alone'. Beginning study of esoteric subjects or arts as a way of lifting the veil is a significant interpretation (and it turned up repeatedly in relation to my early days of discovering this deck; I truly felt as though I was wading into moonlight without knowing what was under my feet). The book also suggests a desire for sexual exploration as one possible meaning, and I can see this too; there is a powerful symbolism in the egg, and the tantalising nature of the card almost requires a heightening of the senses and a tingling on the back of the neck. I can easily imagine a physical, sensual reaction in someone experiencing this scene, and a desire to throw oneself into the water, despite a deep fear that it will not be what we want. Sometimes arousal can be tied to a desire to explore other aspects of the seductive mysteries of the world.

 

How this all applies to a particular reading is complex. Is is a spiritual awakening, or chasing will-'o-the-wisps into the bog? Illusions are all around us, but so are the hidden realms of knowledge and understanding. Is there an unhealthy secret desire here, or just exploration and apprehension at stepping into a new realm; or, perhaps, is the edge of enlightenment even within reach? Everything depends on the context, and the rest of the reading... but as often as not, the meaning itself is only part-truth, and part-illusion. After all, that's what it's meant to be.

 

 

Finally, I'm reminded of Li Bai (Li Po in Wade-Giles transliteration), the greatest of all Chinese poets, known as the Banished Immortal. Over a thousand years ago, and after decades of composing the most mind-expanding intuitive poems, he drowned while drunk, stepping out of a boat to embrace the reflection of the Moon on Water.

 

[Kristin]

The Moon is usually one of my favorites in a deck and at first glance this is a beautiful card. I love how it feels part meadow and part marsh. I love the gigantic moon with the silhouetted animals in front, and the illumination on the water. You can sense the gentle flow of the water if you look at the bottom right corner.

 

I love everything about this card, except that darn egg. I dread when this card comes up because it's so confusing to me.

 

One thing that stands out is the obvious feminine energy of this card. There's the stork which is known for fertility. The Moon is feminine and the egg strengthens this power. As a woman, we flow by the cycles of the moon. We are mysterious and powerful.

 

Something I ponder... Rather than the egg being a real object in the water, could it perhaps be a distorted reflection of the real moon?

Edited November 28, 2022 by Kristin

[Wanderer]

On 11/28/2022 at 4:53 AM, Kristin said:

The Moon is usually one of my favorites in a deck and at first glance this is a beautiful card. I love how it feels part meadow and part marsh. I love the gigantic moon with the silhouetted animals in front, and the illumination on the water. You can sense the gentle flow of the water if you look at the bottom right corner.

 

I love everything about this card, except that darn egg. I dread when this card comes up because it's so confusing to me.

 

One thing that stands out is the obvious feminine energy of this card. There's the stork which is known for fertility. The Moon is feminine and the egg strengthens this power. As a woman, we flow by the cycles of the moon. We are mysterious and powerful.

 

Something I ponder... Rather than the egg being a real object in the water, could it perhaps be a distorted reflection of the real moon?

Ah, but the aurochs is most definitely not feminine! There are strong (if more subtle) elements of the masculine as well, creating a balance, but what I see most strongly (overwhelmingly) is the mystery. This card is all about the potential, and the unknown. What is in the egg? Anything, and everything. The Primal Egg (as declared in the handbook - it's definitely not meant to be a reflection) is the source of who-knows-what. And that, I suspect, is the real message. Along with the rest of the card, it's a reminder that there are unknowns and mysteries in this world, and we need to be able to cope with that! I actually love seeing this card appear, because it has so much potential, and invariably has something important to say...