Carpe Diem #204, The Moon (XVIII) Tarot

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

The wonderful 'Moonlight Serenade', played by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, is a really a nice piece of music to start this episode with don't you think so?

As I was starting my research for this episode I realized that we have full moon today, how is that possible? I didn't intent to post this article on purpose on the full moon day of May, well ... 'the hand of God?' By the way the full moon of May is called Full Flower Moon because in most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time and as I look around me ... that's quit true. It's also a good time for working on commitments, both in Spirit and in Love. What a coincedence because this card in the Divine Tarot has to do with Spirit and Love.
This card, The Moon (XVIII) is our last obstacle in our journey towards the Heavenly Realm, the New Jerusalem (Revelations 21; 1-5a. NIV). After The Moon (XVIII) there are three stages left: The Sun, Judgement and The World (in the meaning of the Universe, in some decks The World is called The Universe, however not in the RW-Tarot-deck which we use this month), all of which are glorious celebrations. But, in order to gain them, we must overcome the final enemy. The Moon (XVIII) is the great ultimate challenge. Let us take a look at The Moon (XVIII).

The face on the moon looks sour with eyes closed facing the earth. There are 32 rays (22 + 10) referring to the Tree of Life, the Kabbalistic glyph. On that tree there are, as they call it (including the ten sefiroth) 32 paths which stand all for growth. The Moon is shown in it's first quarter as the Moon is getting brighter. There are 15 yods (the 'spark' of God) between the Moon and the earth.
We see two pillars or towers which we already saw at the horizon on The Death (XIII). The Moon (XVIII) represents our incarnation, the final dying gasp of our individual consciousness and of our Ego. There are a Wolf and a Dog and a lobster is trying to climb out of the water onto the land.

howling at the moon
the tribe of the Wolves
goes on hunting

The night of the Full Moon is a paradox. On the one hand, the Full Moon represents the highest part of human achievement, wherein we are 100% reflecting all of the Light of God and illuminating others. At the same time, when The Moon is its fullest, the temptation is greatest for The Moon to proclaim itself the light of Heaven in the way of 'Look at me; see how glorious I am'. In this we can see that humankind would still love to be as God as we saw in e.g. The Tower (XVI) the equivalent of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11: 1-9 NIV).
Just before sunset on the night of the Full Moon, and just after sunrise the next morning, you can see both the Sun and the Moon together at the sky. You have a choice as to which you will look at. You can focus yourself in the direction of the true Light and worship the Creator, or you can turn your focus from the Creator to the creation and watch the Full Moon rise.

Sun and Moon together
both lights of heaven in one sight
a point of choice

The Moon is trapped in an orbit around the earth, yet it is not fixed to the earth. Therefore, the Moon doesn't rise and set at the same point or at the same time throughout the month. As we look to the Moon in a symbolical way, she's the equivalent of the nature of the individual soul. our consciousness is trapped to the earth, to matter and material. We must be able to renounce the Moon and its illusory light and the illusion of Ego. The Moon (XVIII) symbolizes that we have to overcome all final limitations, and we become completely free from all ramifications of our divine consciousness being placed inside.
The two Towers (wasn't that also the title of the second part of the movie triology of Tolkien?) are similar with our rational (male) and our creative (female) side, both the left hand and right hand pathways of consciousness. They, the Towers, stand guard to make sure that only if we are sufficiently purified, can we pass between them. They are guard-towers, because as we travel through this pathway that we see winding up into the mountains, we have finally reached our homecoming, the New Jerusalem (Revelations 21: 1-5a. NIV).

Credits: Full Flower Moon (woodblock)

The Moon is just a dead piece of rock. The Moon is dead, she needs the light of the Sun, the Light of God, to look alive. Death is the final obstacle to overcome. And that's the Divine meaning of The Moon (XVIII) only through a physical (and spiritual) death we can go on on the pathway towards Heaven. After death there is New Life, than we will be resurrected being again one with our Creator (we are before we were born already part of our Creator and as we were born He sended us into the world to let His Light shine) as we have seen in the life of Jesus Christ.

the final frontier
to become newly born -
conquering death

It's an intriging card The Moon (XVIII), but it's message is clear. Be the Light of God in your world, let the Divine Light shine out of Unconditional Love for all and everything, only than you can go on and experiencing the last three cards of the Divine Tarot.

I hope you are inspired to share your haiku with us all here on Carpe Diem.

This prompt will stay on 'til May 26th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will draw our next card of the Divine Tarot, The Sun (XIX), later on today around 10.00 PM (CET).

Namaste