ILLUSION
IMAGINATION
BEWILDERMENT
If you look around the room right now, you will (probably!) see people and objects that are comforting in their familiarity. Everything is exactly as you expect it to be. You know that if you closed and opened your eyes, the room would be the same. But…have you ever lost the familiar to find, in its place, a world so extraordinary you can’t even grasp it? This is the experience of the Moon.
Most of the time we live in a tiny pocket of normality that we wrap around us like a security blanket. We turn our backs on the mysterious universe that waits outside. From time to time we may sneak a peak with our imagination, or venture out through fantasy or expanded awareness. We can be thrust out there unprepared through drugs, madness, or intense experiences such as battle.
The Moon is the light of this realm – the world of shadow and night. Although this place is awesome, it does not have to be frightening.
In the right circumstances, the Moon inspires and enchants. It holds out the promise that all you imagine can be yours. The Moon guides you to the unknown so you can allow the unusual into your life.
Sadly, we are usually afraid of the Moon. In readings, this card often stands for fears and anxieties – the ones that come in the darkest part of the night. Card 18 also stands for illusions. It is easy to lose our way in the moonlight. Be careful not to let deceptions and false ideas lead you astray. Sometimes the Moon is a signal that you are lost and wandering. You must find your way back to the path and your clarity of purpose.
feeling fear
- releasing inner demons
- feeling a nameless apprehension
- suffering from phobias
- giving in to the shadow self
- lacking courage
- being overcome by anxieties
believing illusions
- accepting a false picture
- deceiving yourself
- having unrealistic ideas
- misapprehending the truth
- experiencing distortions
- chasing after a fantasy
stimulating the imagination
- having vivid dreams or visions
- opening to fantasy
- plumbing the unconscious
- entertaining unusual thoughts
- being outlandish and bizarre
feeling bewildered
- losing direction and purpose
having trouble thinking clearly
becoming confused
being easily distracted
feeling disoriented
wandering aimlessly
Some possibilities
Some possibilities
- Seven of Cups – illusions, unrealistic ideas, fantasy
- Two of Swords – self-deception, not seeing the truth
- Eight of Swords – confusion, lack of clarity
There are no separate explanations for reversed cards. The meaning of a reversed card depends on what the card would mean if upright. A reversed card shows that a card’s energy is present but at a lower level. For some reason, the energy cannot be expressed freely, normally, or completely. It may be:
- still in its early stages
- losing force and power
- blocked or restricted
- incomplete
- inappropriate
- being denied
- only present in appearance
See Lesson 17 for more information on reversed cards.