The Moon reversed is one of those cards that could go a couple of ways when you try to determine what it means for you. But, both ways are interpretations that should make you feel a little more in control of your situation — and, in fact, you could find yourself feeling a lot better as a result.
Talking About the Moon
The Moon card is part of the Major Arcana, so this is a crucial card in your spread. These cards are the ones that give you the larger picture or the overall influence relating to the question you’ve asked. The Minor Arcana are the trees to the Major Arcana’s forest, so when you get the Moon card, pay close attention because it’s a Major Arcana card, but realize that you need more detail from the Minor Arcana cards around it — and that’s especially apt for the Moon.
In general, the Moon can mean one of two things. One is that there is something hidden going on, things aren’t being revealed completely, or you can’t see a situation clearly. Part of this lies in the moon’s residence in the night, reflecting only what little light it gets from the sun, rather than illuminating anything itself; thus, the Moon card indicates there is little true illumination in a situation. The other part of not seeing things clearly is related to the moon’s link to water and tides; just as water can erase or obscure objects, so too can the moon obscure information or feelings.
The other meaning, though, is essentially that things aren’t as bad as they seem. This too is a form of not seeing a situation clearly, but it’s a much more positive one. It’s a sort of “darkest hour is before dawn” type of deal. Think about how you feel in the very early morning, before dawn but after those worrisome hours of 2 or 3 a.m. — you’re past the major frights, you’re tired, but daylight is almost here to show you what things really look like.
So when you get the Moon reversed, you can go off in a couple of directions with your interpretation. Reversals, remember, can indicate reversed interpretation, blocks, removal of blocks, and confusion. Apply that to the Moon card, and you get some overall positive vibes.
Plot Twist
One common interpretation is that you’ve been under a confusing influence or dealing with a trickster, but that situation is now turning around for the better. You can see it more clearly, find out what’s really going on, make much better connections, and take more confident actions. Maybe there was something weird about that job you interviewed for that you couldn’t quite pinpoint, but the Moon reversed indicates you’ll figure out what was setting off your internal weirdness radar. Or people just seemed kind of out of it when you dealt with them, as if Mercury retrograde were in effect, and now things are going more smoothly.
Another common interpretation of the Moon reversed is that you think things might be out of your reach or comprehension, but they’re really not as bad — yes, that’s similar to one of the upright interpretations, but in this case, it’s not the darkest hour before dawn — it was never that dark to begin with, and now you can see that. This could indicate a case of Impostor Syndrome, especially if you’re asking about your career and get this card in a position that deals with your feelings and actions.
Of course, it is possible for the Moon reversed to also mean that the situation may be even more confusing than you realized; in other words, the larger extent of the confusion is becoming clear. However, don’t get too upset about that interpretation. When you know just how bad a situation is, you can take more effective action to resolve it.
One last possible interpretation is that things will clear up, but you’ve got a little more disorganization and muddled thinking to get through first. That relief and clarity you want aren’t quite ready to appear. Hang in there.
Get Ready
So what do you do when the Moon reversed ends up in your spread? First, you should know by now that it’s not a bad card. Reversed cards have this reputation as being negative, but on the whole, the Moon reversed isn’t frightening. Second, whatever the question is about, slow down… but get ready to pounce. You have to tread carefully when you can’t clearly see where you’re going, but once you do see, you can charge full speed ahead — and you’ll want to be ready.
The Moon reversed is heavily dependent on the cards around it and on the subject of the reading. If you’re doing a one-card spread, the Moon reversed could indicate that you need to refine your question, too. For more extensive spreads, look at the position of the card as well as the meaning. For example, in a position indicating past influences, the card could mean the confusion is long gone. In a position indicating future influences, it could mean that you still have to be cautious, but more information that will clear up the situation lies ahead. And if the card shows up in a position indicating how others are influencing the situation, re-evaluate how you deal with everyone involved, and place what they say and do under extra scrutiny. You should also be very careful about how you act around them lest they get the wrong idea.
If you really want to delve into the deep here, get an online tarot card reading from an experienced Keen advisor. It always helps to have someone else gazing at those cards and putting together the answer to your question. And that fits perfectly with the Moon card, too; two pairs of eyes can see more in the spread and create a more detailed response.
