What Does The Moon Card Mean In Tarot?

The many phases and personified faces of the moon have been worshipped for centuries. Some cultures saw the planetary being as a force that governed nature's cycles — and in effect, our own agricultural and personal cycles (via Britannica). In 2021, moon worship still takes many forms — in deities and rituals as well as spiritual practices (via Wicca Spirituality).

"In astrology, the moon represents our emotions," author Ruby Warrington said to Well+Good. And in new moon rituals, she says that it is "an invitation to go inward and be with our emotions [and] our inner-voice to find what our truth is in this moment, so that we can plant the seeds for what we want to create and manifest and bring out at the new full moon."

Similarly, the moon manifests itself in tarot cards — often speaking to our inner emotions. Read on to know more about the Moon card if it shows up in a reading.

Astrology ties the moon to emotions but the practice of tarot gets a little more specific as to what those emotions are. According to Biddy Tarot, the Moon card represents your intuition and subconscious as well as the anxiety of uncertainty. If you see the card upright in a reading, it may be highlighting your own fears of the future or present. "Instead of avoiding them, take the time to let them rise and know that you are strong enough to resolve them," tarot card reader Frances Naude told Well+Good. "The guidance is to see our new phase as an exciting opportunity that illuminates our highest path forward and to trust in the path unknown instead of fearing it," she said.

The Moon is also a Major Arcana card, which means that if it shows up in your reading, it is offering guidance on long-term themes in your life. So, the card may usually appear when there's a period in time that is significant for you in the long run. If it appears reversed, however, you might be processing this time well — you're "receiving intuitive messages" and being called to listen to them, per Biddy Tarot. "Trust that you have all the information and that you can see the situation at hand in its entirety. This transition is happening for you, not to you," Naude advised.