Pearls of Wisdom ~ The Moon

6 Haunted Days

Going through the deck for the 1st time The Moon card just captivated me.It's such an unique interpertation.

A woman in the night kneeling before her ritual table calling up energy with her wand. Lush grass and a tree (looks like a dryad) with what looks like buds forming in spring. We do have the fullmoon, but also the other phases! I reallylike this,it shows us the cyclical nature of the moon, and how each phase has it part and meaning.

There is a wolf and a dog, representing our untamed, wild nature and our more civilized rational persona. Reflected at the bottom is the night sky and moon phases again...a wonderful image. As above, so below. This image creates the effect she is in another realm completely....floating in dreamtime, in the cosmos. At least it gives me that impression. Or perhaps that the moon, no matter how beautiful is still only a reflection, and reflections can easily play tricks and lead to fantastical imaginings.

On the bottom right we have a crystal ball along with an open bag with runes scattered nearby. The runes shown are speaking of secret forces, questing for self-discovery, a major breathrough...nature and spirit being the catalyst. Above this we have a bag, to me it being a tarot bag immediatley came to mind, as we have divination items all grouped together. Divination is all about contacting our subconscioness, intuition....and usually dash or 2 of magic. It tells me that the answers I seek among the confusion the moon can create can be found through contacting the divine through tools.

On The left side of the card we have an incense burner, candle, a crystal down at the bottom...and does anyone know what that bowl is and what's in it?? I was thinking these elements represent the elements, but have no idea what the bowl with the crab on it is. Water? What's the white stuff?

Just looking at this image and the woman deep in ritual surrounded by the dark night I feel an instant rapport. After all the Moon card is about our subconscious, intuition, mystery,magic....the occult (among other things). The time out of time, dreamscapes. And doing ritual puts you in touch with all these states of awareness and ideas. I thought this was a very brilliantly inspired way of seeing this arcana.

:love: Miss 6
 

Sulis

This is such a wonderful Moon card. I love the way Roxi Sim has made each card completely unique yet she's got the meanings spot on and then some :)

This card is magical and it's seems so special to me (and I suspect to you 6 Haunted Days) because I'm a user of lunar forces in magic myself.
I love what you've said about finding the answers amongst the confusion by contacting the divine through tools.

The reflection of the moon and showing it's phases is a master stroke I think and once again we have the Goddess of the land reclining just behind the tree.
A small crab sits by the woman's knee representing Cancer, this card's astrological sign.
The crab is seen again on the bowl you mention and I think it could be a scrying bowl and the 'white stuff' is actually the moon reflected in the surface of the water in the bowl.
I agree with you that the water in the bowl, the crystal ball, the incense burner and the candle represent the elements needed in ritual and in magic.

I've only a very basic knowledge of runes and I'm loving the way they are included in this deck, they add that little extra bit of meaning and they are so subtle that you can use them or ignore them if you like.

It's a gorgeous card, I wonder what spell she's casting :)
 

6 Haunted Days

Yes, Sulis, I bet it is a reflection of the moon! Never thought of that. I, too, heavily use Lunar forces in my spirituality and magic...in fact I am currently trying to get in the zone of living by the lunar calender with the help of that day planner Lunaria I mentioned in another thread.

Last night I got out allmy old books on the Runes....randomly chose some cards and the deeper rune interpertations with the books and cards were amazing, very relative...it really deepened the card and it's meaning. She must know her runes very well to match them up so perfectly with the cards. I highly recommend getting at least a small book on runes, it really adds some magic.

It occurred to me that besides the traditional meanings when this card comes up in a reading, it could certainly also be a nudge or prompt to do a ritual, working or spell in connection with the what the reading was about...
 

Sulis

6 Haunted Days said:
It occurred to me that besides the traditional meanings when this card comes up in a reading, it could certainly also be a nudge or prompt to do a ritual, working or spell in connection with the what the reading was about...
Yes I agree.
I've actually read The Moon as a hint for me to do spell working before..

Could you recommend a good book on rune meanings?
 

6 Haunted Days

Sulis said:
Yes I agree.
I've actually read The Moon as a hint for me to do spell working before..

Could you recommend a good book on rune meanings?

These I thought were all good.
Taking Up The Runes: A Complete Guide To Using Runes In Spells, Rituals, Divination, And Magic by Diana L. Paxson


Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic by Edred Thorsson

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Runes (Complete Illustrated Guide)
by Nigel Pennick

The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Runes
by Sirona Knight

There are of course differing viewpoints on exact interpertations,historu,usage etc....a lot of debate that slinks into open verbal warfare seems to surround any discussion of the runes
 

Rede Seeker

Rune Books

I recommend passing on the Paxson 'Taking Up the Runes'. It is very pricey for what it contains. I posted a review on Amazon.com if you're interested.

Here's others to consider:

A Runic Inspiration by Maddy Hutter and Stephen McNallen is a simple booklet available at www.runestone.org.

Runecaster's Handbook by Edred Thorsson (formerly At the Well of Wyrd).
 

Rede Seeker

Thoughts on the Moon Card

Thank you for pointing out tye Dyad/Tree Spirit. With all the swirls and candle light this card contains I didn't see her until you pointed her out.

The bag, crystal, bowl, candles et al. around the border of this card are repeated on the altar. Talk about detail - take a look at the (scrying?) bowl on the altar and the bowl on the border of the card. Both have a moon peeking through barren tree branches reflected on it's surface.

This version of the Moon card feels deep and introspective - a gathering of might for a purpose. Other Moon cards feel very differently - the subconscious surfacing but without direction or control. Baser instincts being freed. In the Pearls of Wisdom Moon card, the instincts feel more primal, less base, more like the instincts peculiar to Man, our heritage and legacy. Interesting that the 'Man' Rune (Mannaz) appears on the right border.
 

Marli

I have been looking at this card on and off for a while now, and tonight it seemed to be calling to me, though only 1 specific part of the card...

For some reason my eyes keep going to the bottom right corner of the card, the crystal ball stand, is it my imagination or does it look like the stand itself is made up of snakes trying to "bite" the crystal ball that they uphold? and if so, then anythoughts on what this could mean?
 

Rede Seeker

Snakes biting the Crystal Ball

I hadn't noticed that before. It reminds me of sperm trying to penetrate the egg to fertilize it. Perhaps the crystal ball the woman holds has been impregnated giving her access to the future?