Analyzing the Moon card: so many layers

[Laura Borealis]

Back to the Moon card. My current process is taking me through the full gamut of emotion on this one. There are moments of clarity, moments of great confusion. When you begin ripping out the false beliefs of your life by the roots the perceptual shifts it creates can be very unsettling. It makes you question your every decision, there is no longer any certainty any knowns in your life. That is the Moon experience depicted by the card.

This is so powerful.

 

[Ruby Jewel]

There's definitely a visual similarity there, right? There's that idea of something hidden, glimpsed beyond the veil, or that unexplored, unknown land beyond the towers. Yeah, I think they could refer to the HP's columns, depending on the reading.

For me those towers have always evoked the Gates of Ivory and of Horn that were spoken of by the ancients (as in Homer's Odyssey, and in Plato, Virgil, etc.) These gates were associated with sleep and dreaming - false dreams pass through the Gate of Ivory, and true dreams through the Gate of Horn. The whole concept is a pun or play on words in Greek, as the word for ivory is close to the word for deceive, and the word for horn is similar to the word for fulfill.

I don't know if that's what the artists of the early Tarot decks had in mind, but it's a useful association for the Moon, which is such a tricksy card. Intuitive flash of insight or deceptive illusion? Which gate did you pass through? Hard to say under the watery light of the Moon.

I like your perspective on the two towers as representing the Gates of Ivory and Horn. I pulled out "The Odyssey" and looked through to see if this were mentioned anywhere in the chapter index as there are descriptions of what each chapter contains; however, I didn't see anything about the gates. Would you happen to know which part of the journey might make reference to these gates?

 

[Ruby Jewel]

I found this article/blog on the Ivory and Horn Gates on Google. It is somewhat enlightening. Alan Wallace, the Buddhist has written an interesting book on "Lucid Dreaming" explaining how to cultivate the ability for it.

http://www.excommunicate.com/the-gates-of-horn-and-ivory/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-4


Also saw a print "Harlequin at the Gates of Horn and Ivory" by Frances Broomfield. The view through the Gate of Ivory (indicated by an elephant) looks very similar to the Moon card with a dog looking down a long path and howling. I think your speculations about these gates may be closer to the truth than you think, Laura Borealis. This thread was opened to discover the many layers of the Moon card, and it is just amazing how they are being peeled back in this thread.

 

[Laurelle]

Thank you. I don't think it's fair for someone to chide me based on the standards they hold for themselves in their own lives. In any case my comments in this thread pertain to my current situation as it pertains to the moon. It's not indicative of the entirety of my life. I am allowed to feel how I feel about it, without someone lecturing me.

Back to the Moon card. My current process is taking me through the full gamut of emotion on this one. There are moments of clarity, moments of great confusion. When you begin ripping out the false beliefs of your life by the roots the perceptual shifts it creates can be very unsettling. It makes you question your every decision, there is no longer any certainty any knowns in your life. That is the Moon experience depicted by the card.

Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. I was trying to be uplifting. We have all had our difficulties in life. I wish you well on your journey.

 

[tarot_quest]

I just found an interesting article from an astrologer about having planets in the 12th house.

http://www.astro.com/astrology/in_dgtwehouse_e.htm

She uses humor and stresses the qualities from a 12th house placement, by giving examples from her clients.

 

[Ruby Jewel]

I just found an interesting article from an astrologer about having planets in the 12th house.

http://www.astro.com/astrology/in_dgtwehouse_e.htm

She uses humor and stresses the qualities from a 12th house placement, by giving examples from her clients.

Very interesting article on the 12th House....especially in consideration of it's being equated with the Moon card.

 

[Laura Borealis]

I like your perspective on the two towers as representing the Gates of Ivory and Horn. I pulled out "The Odyssey" and looked through to see if this were mentioned anywhere in the chapter index as there are descriptions of what each chapter contains; however, I didn't see anything about the gates. Would you happen to know which part of the journey might make reference to these gates?

Hi Ruby Jewel, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I see you found the Wikipedia article so you know this already, but for the thread - the Gates are described by Penelope in Book 19, lines 560-569. She's talking about a dream she had of her husband returning, but says she believes the dream is a false one that came through the Gate of Ivory.

The Alan Wallace article you linked is interesting. I thought he made a good point about how the Gate of Horn can be a place of shadows and darkness. The truth isn't always pretty.

Thank you for bringing up that painting, also (Harlequin at the Gates of Horn and Ivory). I think it's clear that the artist is referencing the Moon card with their Ivory Gate. It seems they are also drawing on some much older art -

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-house-of-sleep-1655-artist-michel-de-marolles-17631749.html
http://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/tm/580655.jpg

You can see the same elephant and ox symbolism above the two gates. Interestingly, above the elephant there is a Moon goddess! I'm not sure which one, but she has the crescent on her head so she surely depicts Luna in some form or another. Below, through the gate, there is a scene of chaos. I can't really tell what's going on in there. Through the opposite gate, there's what might be a version of the Wheel of Fortune. Also a Hanged Man (though upright and hanging by the neck). Harsh truths?

In my poking around the internet this morning, I also ran across an entertaining article about the French writer/poet Nerval, who (possibly apocryphally) used to walk a lobster on a leash through the streets of Paris. The author ties in the Moon card, and since I enjoyed it I'm linking it here for anyone interested -

http://boingboing.net/2013/02/18/nervals-lobster-why-should.html

 

[lilac-dawn]

I have seen the Moon indicate the profession of singing.

 

[Puffette]

Hi ATers!

I am getting a better grasp on the Moon card lately and at the same time, I am realizing that this card contains so many layers. It's a very interesting card.

It would be nice to analyze the different elements that compose this card and it would be even more interesting if you would let us know whether SOME element of this card meant something specific for you in your readings.

-The Moon: Shed a light at night. Heighten the intuition and can also lead to confusion (and to fears and paranoia when taken to an extreme)

- Wolves: Our animalistic nature, pulsions and desire

- Dogs: Our ''civilized part''; when we behave like humans because of our conditioning from society

- Crab (in water): The unconscious, dreams, illusions, the psyche

-The two towers: Any ideas?

Also, I am wondering if the Moon is almost always associate with CONFUSION or of the moon can be associate with a reliable intuition. (Thirteen's differentiation between the Moon and the HP (filter and unfiltered) was useful here! Anyhow, life experiences from your readings are always welcome)

The two towers are representing the dark side and the secrecy part of one's life. Those things that are never meant to be said,revealed,the hidden desires and fantasies,a hidden suffering or simply our heart shielded and hidden so that no one can hurt us.
The best way i can describe this card is a phrase from Titanic that can be applied for both genders: " A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets"
Mostly i get the moon when someone is confused and feels lost in darkness,not percepting things as they are. The reality gets distorted and we tend to make thousand of scenarios and imagine the worse or the best of someone. Lets say one falls in love and sees the partner as the most beautiful person in the world while the other people scratch their head and wonder what this person saw at the other one wondering where's the beauty. This is a small example of how things might not seem as they are. That person might be in reality average looking and maybe not so outstanding in presence as her lover sees her/him.
Also remember that the wolves are in groups and communicate through that howling(sound). In real life,moon card speaks about eerie connection between human beings. Is that strong bond between two people that can feel or sense what the other one feels,perception and intuition,telephaty,dreaming,its like having their little world full of secrets in which they can understand each other through a simple look or a thought/energy they exchange. Its a very profound card with many meanings but generally it becomes negative when speaking about romance. It shows previous hurts,turbulences,fear and confusion. Alone becomes negative but depending the surrounding cards it can become very romantic and pleasant to interpret.