The Moon XVIII in the Rider Waite Tarot
Table of contents
Table of contents
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
The Moon Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation
Major
Water
Pisces
Generally speaking, The Moon is the card of mystery, intuition, deep emotions and illusion. It indicates that not everything is visible or understandable at the moment. It urges you not to trust appearances and to listen to what your feelings whisper to you, rather than what your mind tries to rationalise. It may herald a period of turmoil, confusion or doubt, but it’s also a call to introspection, to listen to your inner cycles. The Moon teaches you to tame your fears, to move through dark areas, and to recognise that the truth is not always bright and straightforward. It’s a card of slow, intimate transformation, opening the doors to the subconscious. It reminds you that clarity will come, but that you must first honour the night of the soul to better welcome the dawn.
RWS Tarot : Arcana The Moon readings
Love / Sentimental reading
with the card The Moon
In the sentimental domain, The Moon evokes a relationship marked by ambiguity, emotional instability or doubt. It can reveal vague feelings, an element of illusion, or unconscious fears from the past. If you are in a relationship, this card may indicate that you do not see the situation clearly – beware of secrets, misunderstandings or self-deception. It also suggests a deep, almost psychic bond, where emotions are intense but sometimes confusing. For singles, The Moon may herald a troubling encounter, imbued with fascination or mystery, but one that calls for caution. Above all, it invites introspection: what is it that really attracts you? And what scares you? The Moon teaches that not everything in love is rational – you have to learn to navigate the waters of the soul.
Professional / Work reading
with the card The Moon
Professionally, The Moon evokes a period of vagueness, confusion and uncertainty. You may be going through a phase where objectives are not clearly defined, where information is incomplete or even manipulated. There may also be shadows: things left unsaid, jealousies, underground conflicts. This card advises you to be particularly vigilant of the signs, not to act hastily and to listen to your intuition before making a decision. In a creative context, the Moon can be very inspiring: it encourages the imagination, art and dreams, but it requires you to be firmly anchored so as not to lose yourself in illusion. It calls for caution and observation. If you feel a vague sense of unease, listen to it: your subconscious sometimes picks up on what reason dares not see.
Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card The Moon
Financially, The Moon is a card of extreme caution. It often indicates that not all the information is visible or that a situation is hiding something. It could be a scam, an unclear contract, an uncertain investment or poor management that we prefer to ignore. It invites us to be wary of fine promises or ‘miracle’ solutions. It can also reveal an irrational relationship with money: fears of running out, compulsive buying, confusion between needs and desires. The Moon advises you to wait for clarity to return before making any important decisions. She also encourages you to do some inner work on your relationship with material security: is it based on an old fear? Learn to recognise your unconscious patterns so you can better manage your abundance.
Family reading
with the card The Moon
In the family sphere, The Moon brings to light unexpressed tensions, buried secrets or trans-generational memories that are still active. It speaks of a heavy emotional climate, an atmosphere where feelings dominate, but are not always named. It can also reveal a fusional mother-child relationship that is sometimes difficult to balance. Communication is unclear, intentions are not always understood, and old wounds may resurface through present interactions. This card calls for gentleness and inner listening. It can also indicate family hypersensitivity, with each person projecting their fears onto the other. To move forward, you will need to dare to name the unspoken, confront repressed memories, and restore a more sincere climate, even if this means going through a deep emotional journey.
Spiritual reading
with the card The Moon
Spiritually, The Moon is an initiatory card. It represents the path of the unconscious, the lunar cycles, the feminine mystery, access to the subtle worlds through dreams, intuition and mediumship. It invites you to descend into your inner depths, to explore your shadows, your fantasies, your repressed emotions. It’s the map of the inner labyrinth: you don’t always know where you’re going, but it’s by moving forward step by step, in the light of intuition, that you can achieve a profound transformation. It favours introspective practices such as meditation, dream analysis and divination. However, it warns against spiritual illusions: be careful not to confuse intuition with mental projections. The Moon is a doorway to inner wisdom… but you have to go through the fog to find it.
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
5-Card spread
The Moon and its positions in a 5-card draw.
Want to better understand how to interpret the card The Moon according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card The Moon in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.
