Moonlight Becomes You - Major Arcana's # 18 "The Moon"

"If I say I love you
I want you to know
It's not just because there's moonlight
Although, moonlight becomes you so"


                                                     "Moonlight Becomes You"
                                                       composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke


May's full moon is called the "Milk Moon,"or "Flower Moon." "Milk Moon," refers to the abundance of milk produced by cows feasting on the fresh grass of late Spring.  "Flower Moon," naturally stems from all the plant life in bloom at this time.   No matter what you choose to call our celestial lady, know that she is mysterious, sometimes sullen, sometimes obscure.  She lights the night with reflected light, symbolizing our subconscious and our tendency to view life through our own perceptions rather than through the direct light of reality.

Our Moon is a close friend of the High Priestess, who represents intuition and unconscious thought.  Lady Moon can intrigue and seduce us with her ever shifting images.  And she can frighten us with distorted shadows of our inner selves.

Let's consider the images of # 18 as depicted in Ryder Waite.  A narrow path winds its way through  barren hills and valleys to a distant point on the horizon.  In effect, the path divides the shadow realm in half.  The left side of the realm is where we find the domesticated canine, the right side, the savage wolf who bays at the somber-faced moon above.  Only this illuminated roadway separates the two selves.  And here is the lesson of the card.  Stay on the path and your vision is clear.  You will safely pass by the two towers that form a gateway into the deeper parts of your mind.  Allow yourself to wander too far from the path in either direction and you risk becoming lost in your own imagination.

The crayfish crawling from the inky waters represents the subconscious, never fully exposed to the light.  The subconscious houses lots of monsters;  traumas, faulty belief systems, personal prejudices, etc.  However, there is a promise in the card.  Moonlight rains down on the scene.  Each of the beams is in the shape of 'yod', representing the first letter in the name of God.   All is in perfection and grace once you look past the frenzied activity of your imagination and the sum of your fears.  The moon can comfort and guide you.  Creative people often navigate the shadowy terrain on either side of the path, guided back to center by the benevolent light of the moon.  Each successful journey moves them farther down the path of their soul.  Let the moon's light illuminate your path in the darkness.

Please Note:  Saturday, May 5th is the full moon.  The moon is also in perigee or, at the closest point to the Earth.  She will be big, bright and beautiful.  A great time for abundance and gratitude!  Enjoy!




LADY ORACLE