In the Shadow of the Moon: A Lesson in Tarot and Shadow Work
Surrender to the Darkness
A vast ocean of mystery, danger, and illusion stretches out and swells over a pier. Above and below, shadows seem to wait and watch. The Moon is the world of the unconscious, and it can be both frightening and disorienting. There is nowhere to anchor and everything feels confusing and deceptive, though slightly seductive and familiar. Even time seems to be disappearing, but there is an urgency for you to move or risk being lost here forever. It’s not too late to turn back, but if you truly want freedom, you will brave the current and surrender to the waves of cosmic intuition. -- The Moon XVIII, The Fountain Tarot, p34.Â
Let’s start with the Moon! It seems appropriate for a number of reasons. This weekend we are in the shadow of the new/super/black moon in Virgo. This year, 2019, my tarot card is The Moon (also the Hermit which is how the work of the Moon is often administered). I am a moon baby, born on a Moon-day 32 years and six months ago. And the moon, in all of her mysterious glory, rules my birth chart. So, I guess what I am trying to say is….Hi! I’m DaVonne, the Tarot Alchemist, and I will be your host on this blog.Â
Like the quote from the above entry for the Moon states, and the image of the corresponding card beautifully illustrates, the Moon carries with it some very mysterious and magical qualities. She heavily influences oceans, people, and menstrual cycles. Her phases were worshiped and ritualized by a number of ancient civilizations and people. Witches of past and present scheduled their alchemical work around her movements. Yet most people will past through an entire month and never lift a gaze to her.Â
I’ve always been intrigued by Mystery. So it should be of no surprise that the Moon card in almost every tarot deck I’ve ever purchased or touched, would indicate whether or not I would actually connect, or work with a deck. There are, of course, other factors, but a poorly designed Moon card could turn me off from a deck.Â
The Moon card in the tarot, as indicated in the excerpt from The Fountain Tarot Guidebook, represents mystery, illusion, psychic abilities, seduction, shadow, and intuition. Working with the Moon, or doing shadow work, as the moon is often times associated with this type of alchemic technique, can cause anxiety, disorientation, confusion, discomfort, and, believe it or not, freedom. Trust me this process, should you accept the invitation and the challenge to work through it is not for the weak. It requires a soul ready for real change and growth.Â
The advice of the quote above is to surrender, which is the only way to get to the true medicine the Moon affords, the freedom. Fighting against the strong tides the Moon produces, will only make the healing energy of this celestial body, and the work required to move through it, harder to bear. Trust me, I’m floating in it right now. The moon invites you to trust her. To allow her mysterious waves to carry you away to places you may not want to go, or realize are deep within you, to heal the parts of your Self (and some times those of your family and ancestors), you most likely weren’t aware were broken.Â
Shadow Work: The Alchemy of the Moon Card
Society has taught us to push aside any feelings of fear or discomfort for the illusion that “everything is fine.” Of course, I can’t remember which book I read that contained this example, but I am reminded of the image of a family going through a divorce. The parents are arguing constantly and barely speaking but they will put on a smile to go on a family vacation and tell everyone they're fine. Why then, when an emotionally disturbed teenager tells the world they are fine and then falls into depression and commits suicide, are we surprised to learn that they were truly torn to pieces inside and drowning in their dark emotions? Extreme I know, but imagine if the norm in our society was for that teen’s parents, to actually sit them down and discuss the reality of their situation; the depth of the emotions they are feeling and face the open wound head-on. Then that teenager would probably do the same for their deep, bleeding, emotions and work through them in such a way that would allow them to be released and relieving their torture. This is shadow work. Facing those things inside us which we are the most afraid of and healing their traumatic effects.Â
Another example of shadow work is journaling about why we are so quick to anger when someone questions our intelligence. Or why we are so easily agitated when things are not going our way, or 100% perfect. Or why we need to insult another person to have fun in a social gathering. All of these things are examples of unconscious expressions of deep shadowy wounds. Some of them may sound familiar as they are very common human expressions. Every person walking around on this planet has a behavior that is expressive of a traumatic event/experience, ancestral/familiar wound or curse, or other similar happenings. This is the work of the energy of the moon card, to help bring awareness to these such wounds (along with other cards in a reading) so that we can confront them head-on and heal them once and for all.Â
This is not a quick fix or one size fits all type of practice. In some cases, it may take years of therapy or similar healing techniques to even gain an ounce of change, or soul evolution. Patience, balance, persistence, and conscious awareness are the underlying efforts needed to do shadow work.Â
So all hail the moon in her illustrious glory. Bath in her silvery healing light. For she illuminates for us all the depths of our souls and the stripes that bleed there so they may be healed.Â
The technique of tarot I use is focused on working through these types of wounds and facing them head-on. Used as a supplement to professional mental health guidance, tarot can aid in cultivating emotional and traumatic healing, both personal and familial/ancestral. If you are interested in a reading please feel free to DM me for more information.Â