Week 19: Card XVIII - The Moon

[Ariel's computer isn't working, so I'm posting this for her this week.]

This week's energy draws us deeper inside…call forth the resource of compassion while continuing on your journey this week to nurture & support you, especially if you find that this week you will be dealing with challenges, changes or difficulties you have not chosen.
 
During this past week, I have had an opportunity to learn & apply some new skills I picked up in a workshop called The Right Use of Power which was created by Cedar Barstow.  One of these skills was learning that our perception of where we are in times that are most challenging, often times determines the direction we will pursue & can influence how we use power in our lives, in the lives of our friends, family, & colleagues, moving on to a much larger field of influence.
 
Completing the workshop & facilitator training came in a timely way as we begin working with this week's use of deeper energy.  I send my blessings that whatever work you will be doing this week will clear, cleanse & correct the blockages you are ready to work through & release.
 
In loving service,
Ariel Laman
 

The following information was taken from the Tarot of Transformation by Willow Arlenea & Jasmin Lee Cori.  If you are drawn to purchase this deck for personal use, please contact Jasmin Lee Cori on her website which you will find either by going back a couple of weeks where I posted the information, or Google Jasmin.  Please bear with me as my computer is not working.
 

XVIII - The Moon - Peace in the Darkness
 
This card has been interpreted in a number of different ways.  It often represents a bleak time in the journey & is sometimes considered a “dark night of the soul”…Not everything is in darkness here; the light of the Sun shines in the distance.  It is the consciousness of the central figure that is shrouded in darkness.
 
…We focus here on learning to be at peace during times of sorrow, absence, & the darkness of “unknowing”.  We must keep our hearts open to ourselves so that we can have the compassion & “holding” that we need & also keep our hearts open to the larger situation. We will not be protected by putting on armor.  It is in being centered & open that we will perceive the situation more clearly & recognize what needs to be done.
 
The presence of the female figure in this card tells us that this is a feminine process.  In some ways, the message is similar to that of {Card XII} - the Hanged Man, who was depicted as male to represent letting go of (or turning upside down) the masculine principles of being in charge & leading with the rational mind.  The darkness here may involve a similar suspension of life as we know it, yet this process is decidedly feminine.  It is a watery, fluid process related to feelings & to waiting something out.
 
At the base of the tree {in the picture on this card} is a nest of eggs.  Eggs are symbols of potential & of new life.  The nest reminds us that new life & new forms are always coming into being, even when we cannot see them.
 
The lesson here is to wait & listen.  In order to listen to the subtleties of your feelings & perceptions, you need a certain inner quiet.  When your emotions are running rampant, you cannot hear the whispers of “the small, still voice within.”  You {may}…need to learn how to keep your fears & insecurities in check…{because fear & feelings of insecurities can distort your perception}.
 
Meanwhile, you are invited to relate to the changes in your life as skillfully as possible, with a sense of balance, inner strength & trust.  Avoid jumping to conclusions & getting caught in unnecessary dramas.  “Peace in the darkness”…{comes }…with letting the noise quiet down & abiding in an inner stillness.  When you {can} sit with what is, accepting things unconditionally, surrendering into them, peace will come.
 
When you draw or are drawn to this card, your challenge may be to come to peace with changes or difficulties that you have not chosen.  This could be a major loss in your life, a period of darkness, or the more ongoing flux represented by the cyclical changes of the Moon.  The Moon rules fluids.  In some traditions, the menstrual cycle is referred to as a woman's “moon cycle”.  Your challenge is to live in harmony with these rhythms.
 
During periods of change, you may experiece your feelings as confusing.  Can you allow the confusion simply to be there, one feeling following & seeming to contradict the last?  It helps if you can keep the perspective that these are only feelings, & that feelings change, like clouds moving across the sky.  If you can identify with the more spacious nature of the sky, the feelings will…be {less disturbing}.
 
This is not to suggest that you dismiss your feelings.  They contain important information, as do the various expressions of your unconscious.  This is a good time to dialogue with your dreams, artistic expressions, body, & intuition.  The principle here is…inclusion.  The trick is to open to it all & not get lost in any of it.  It is all part of the changing moon-flux of life.