LexTalk

Have you ever been lying in bed at night when you hear a noise somewhere in the house?

You freeze.

Listen.

Wait.

What was THAT?!

Was that a footstep?

Did a door just move?

Is someone downstairs?!

Is it a ghost?!

Is this how I die?!

And within approximately 14 seconds, your brain has written, directed, and produced an entire true crime documentary about what’s happening in your house.

You finally get brave enough to investigate… and it’s the cat.

Of course it’s the cat.

JUGGY.

But it’s funny how differently our brains work when we can’t clearly see what’s happening.

During the day?

That shadow is obviously a jacket hanging on a chair.

At 2:00 a.m.?

THERE IS A PERSON STANDING IN MY ROOM.

And apparently… tarot has a card for that.

Welcome back to LexTalk Tarot: One Card at a Time!

Today we’re officially exploring Card #24 of 78.

Today’s card is mysterious.

Dreamy.

A little eerie.

And filled with some of the strangest imagery we’ve encountered so far.

Today we’re learning about…

THE MOON — XVIII

There’s an enormous moon.

Two towers.

A winding path disappearing into the distance.

A dog.

A wolf.

Water.

And… a random crayfish crawling out of the pond.

Because apparently tarot said:

You know what this mysterious moonlit landscape needs?

A lobster-looking creature.

But underneath all this strange imagery is a fascinating lesson about:

Intuition.

Uncertainty.

Dreams.

Imagination.

Fear.

The subconscious.

And what happens when our brains try to fill in information we don’t actually have.

For my beginner tarot brain, I’m remembering today’s card like this:

The Moon = Not everything is as clear as it seems.

Let’s explore.

Meet The Moon

Card: The Moon

Number: XVIII — 18

Arcana: Major Arcana

Traditional Astrological Association: Pisces

Core Themes: Intuition, uncertainty, dreams, illusion, imagination, emotions, and the subconscious

The Moon is part of the Major Arcana, so we’re once again exploring one of tarot’s bigger archetypal themes.

And today’s theme is something every human experiences:

Not knowing.

Not knowing what someone is thinking.

Not knowing what’s going to happen.

Not knowing whether we’re making the right decision.

Not knowing whether something feels “off” because our intuition is noticing something… or because our anxiety has decided to start writing fan fiction.

And THAT is what makes The Moon so interesting to me.

Because intuition is valuable.

Our instincts can absolutely make us stop and pay attention.

But our fears can also convince us of things that aren’t necessarily true.

The Moon seems to live in that strange space between:

What do I KNOW?

and

What do I FEEL?

And sometimes those are two very different things.

Think About Actual Moonlight

This helped me understand the card immediately.

Imagine walking somewhere during the day.

You can clearly see what’s around you.

Trees.

Rocks.

Buildings.

The path.

Everything has defined edges.

Now imagine walking through that exact same place at night.

The moon provides SOME light.

You can still see.

But not perfectly.

Shapes become shadows.

Distances become harder to judge.

Things look different.

And because your brain doesn’t like missing information… it starts filling in the blanks.

That bush moves.

Was that the wind?

Probably.

…

BUT WHAT IF IT WASN’T?!

That’s The Moon.

The world hasn’t necessarily changed.

Our ability to clearly perceive it has.

And I think that’s such an interesting metaphor for uncertainty.

Let’s Study The Moon

The Rider-Waite-Smith Moon card is another one where the artwork basically teaches the lesson.

There is SO much symbolism packed into this strange little nighttime scene.

So… let’s investigate.

The Moon — Intuition, Dreams & Uncertainty

Obviously… we have to start with the giant moon staring down at everything.

And honestly?

It looks slightly judgmental.

The moon has long been associated symbolically with:

Intuition • Emotions • Dreams • Mystery • Cycles • The Subconscious

Unlike the sun, the moon doesn’t completely illuminate everything around us.

It provides enough light to see… but still leaves shadows.

And THAT feels incredibly important.

Moon = Partial illumination.

We know something.

We feel something.

We notice something.

But maybe we don’t have the entire picture yet.

And The Moon reminds us:

Incomplete information is still incomplete information.

Even when we have a very strong feeling about it.

The Moon’s Face

Another thing I noticed while studying this card:

The moon has a FACE.

Which somehow makes the entire scene even creepier.

It appears to be quietly observing everything happening below.

And I like thinking of this as the observing part of ourselves.

The part that notices.

The part that watches our thoughts.

The part that says:

Okay… I’m feeling anxious right now. Why?

Instead of immediately deciding:

I feel anxious, therefore something terrible must be happening.

That tiny distinction is HUGE.

The Wolf — Our Wild Instincts

On one side of the card is a wolf.

Wolves can symbolize:

Instinct • Wildness • Untamed Nature • Primitive Reactions

This can represent the part of us that reacts before we consciously understand why.

That gut reaction.

That immediate:

NOPE.

Or:

Something feels weird.

Sometimes those instincts are worth examining.

But instinct doesn’t always automatically equal objective truth.

Wolf = Our wild, instinctive nature.

The Dog — Our Familiar Side

Standing opposite the wolf is a dog.

And I LOVE this pairing.

Because a dog represents something more:

Domesticated • Familiar • Conditioned • Socialized

So we have:

The wild

and

The familiar

standing together beneath the moon.

Almost like two different parts of ourselves responding to the same uncertainty.

The instinctive self.

And the conditioned self.

The part of us shaped by experience.

And the part that simply reacts.

Dog = Our familiar or conditioned nature.

Together, the dog and wolf remind me that human beings are complicated.

We’re rational… until we’re not.

THE RANDOM CRAYFISH

Okay.

Obviously.

WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS.

There is a crayfish crawling out of the water.

And when I first started looking closely at this card, I thought:

Why?!

Why is THIS here?!

But the crayfish actually fits the card beautifully.

Water throughout tarot commonly connects with emotions and the subconscious.

And here we have a strange creature… literally CRAWLING OUT OF THE WATER.

Something is emerging from beneath the surface.

Thoughts.

Feelings.

Memories.

Instincts.

Fears.

Things we haven’t completely understood yet.

Crayfish = Something rising from the subconscious.

And I LOVE that as a memory trick.

If I see the weird little crayfish…

I can remember:

Something beneath the surface is coming into awareness.

Done.

The Water — The Subconscious

The crayfish is emerging from a pool of water.

And water appears constantly throughout tarot.

It’s commonly associated with:

Emotion • Intuition • The Subconscious • Inner Experience

Water can be calm.

Or turbulent.

Deep.

Shallow.

Clear.

Murky.

Kind of like emotions.

Sometimes we know EXACTLY why we’re feeling something.

Other times?

We’re just sitting there thinking:

Why am I in a weird mood today?!

And maybe we don’t immediately know.

The Moon encourages curiosity.

Not judgment.

Instead of:

Why am I being ridiculous?

Maybe:

What is this feeling trying to tell me?

That’s a much kinder question.

The Two Towers — Crossing Into the Unknown

Two towers stand on either side of the path.

And I think these are SO visually interesting.

They almost look like a gateway.

A threshold.

Something we’re passing through.

Beyond them…

the path continues.

But we can’t clearly see where it goes.

Towers = The threshold between the familiar and unknown.

Sometimes moving forward means entering territory we don’t completely understand.

New job.

New relationship.

New project.

New city.

New identity.

New chapter.

You can research.

Plan.

Prepare.

But eventually…

there’s still an element of:

Well… I guess we’re doing this.

The Winding Path

THIS might be my favorite symbol in the card.

A long path begins at the water… passes between the dog and wolf… moves between the towers… and disappears toward distant mountains.

We cannot see the entire journey.

And honestly?

When do we EVER see the entire journey?

We might know what we want.

But we don’t know exactly how we’re going to get there.

We don’t know who we’ll meet.

What will change.

What opportunities will appear.

What obstacles we’ll encounter.

The path simply continues.

Path = Moving forward without knowing every step.

And I think that’s beautiful.

Because maybe clarity doesn’t always mean knowing the entire route.

Sometimes clarity is simply knowing:

What’s my next step?

The Drops of Light

In the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith imagery, small droplets appear falling from the moon.

They’re sometimes interpreted within older esoteric symbolism in different ways.

As a beginner, I’m not going to pretend I’ve suddenly mastered every occult interpretation of every tiny symbol.

But visually, they reinforce the idea that the moon’s influence is reaching the landscape below.

And that’s enough for my beginner brain right now.

One card at a time.

Remember?

The Moon Upright Meaning

When The Moon appears upright, common interpretations include:

Intuition • Uncertainty • Dreams • Illusion • Imagination • Anxiety • Subconscious Feelings • Confusion

Maybe you’re navigating something unclear.

Maybe you don’t have all the information.

Maybe your instincts are telling you to pay attention.

Maybe anxiety is influencing your perspective.

Maybe something simply hasn’t revealed itself yet.

And this is where I think The Moon gets misunderstood.

It doesn’t automatically mean:

SOMEONE IS LYING TO YOU.

Or:

THERE ARE SECRETS!!!

Could deception be relevant depending on the reading and surrounding context?

Sure.

But The Moon itself can represent something much broader:

We don’t have complete clarity yet.

And when we don’t have clarity… our brains LOVE filling in the missing pieces.

What Do I Know vs. What Am I Assuming?

THIS might be my favorite practical lesson from The Moon.

When I’m uncertain about something, I can ask:

What do I KNOW?

Then:

What am I ASSUMING?

Those two lists might look VERY different.

For example:

What I know:

Someone hasn’t texted me back.

What I’m assuming:

They’re angry.

I said something wrong.

They don’t like me anymore.

Something happened.

The relationship is ruined.

I need to move to another country and start a completely new identity.

Meanwhile… they’re grocery shopping.

The Moon reminds me that our brains are REALLY talented storytellers.

And sometimes those stories aren’t true.

The Moon Reversed Meaning

Everybody together now:

REVERSED DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN BAD!

Common reversed Moon themes can include:

Emerging Clarity • Confronting Fears • Emotional Awareness • Confusion • Misinterpretation • Releasing Illusions

Sometimes The Moon reversed can mean that the fog is beginning to clear.

You’re understanding something.

Information is emerging.

You’re recognizing that fear influenced your perception.

Or you’re finally confronting something you’ve avoided.

Other times, depending on context, it can represent continued confusion or difficulty trusting your own judgment.

Reversed Message:

Clarity begins when we question the stories our fears are telling us.

OOOF.

Writing that one down.

Intuition vs. Anxiety

Okay.

THIS is the part I really wanted to explore.

Because people say:

TRUST YOUR GUT!

all the time.

And sometimes?

YES.

Absolutely pay attention when something feels wrong.

But anxiety can also FEEL like intuition.

Fear can feel incredibly convincing.

Past experiences can influence how we interpret current situations.

So how do we tell the difference?

There’s no perfect formula.

But The Moon gives us some useful questions.

Ask:

What do I actually know?

What evidence do I have?

What am I assuming?

Is this feeling connected to something happening now—or something that happened before?

Do I need more information?

Can I wait before making a conclusion?

Intuition can be information.

But it doesn’t always need to become an immediate verdict.

Sometimes the healthiest response to:

Something feels off…

is:

Okay. Let me pay attention.

Not:

I HAVE SOLVED THE ENTIRE MYSTERY.

The Moon in Love & Relationships

Ohhhhh boy.

Relationships + uncertainty?

What could POSSIBLY go wrong?!

The Moon can be especially interesting in relationship readings because relationships require communication.

And when communication is missing… our imaginations LOVE stepping in.

The Moon Upright in Love

Common themes can include:

Emotional Uncertainty • Insecurity • Unclear Expectations • Misunderstandings • Intuition • Idealization

Maybe you don’t know where someone stands.

Maybe communication feels unclear.

Maybe you’re worried about something.

Maybe you’re interpreting behavior without actually knowing what it means.

And THIS is where The Moon offers a really important reminder:

Ask before assuming.

Because sometimes our brains turn:

They seem quiet today.

into:

THEY HATE ME.

Maybe they’re upset.

Maybe they’re tired.

Maybe work was stressful.

Maybe they have a headache.

Maybe they’re thinking about what to make for dinner.

We don’t know.

Love Reflection:

Am I responding to what this person actually communicated—or what I’m afraid they might be thinking?

The Moon Reversed in Love

Reversed themes may include:

Emotional Clarity • Addressing Misunderstandings • Recognizing Fear • Improved Communication

Maybe something finally gets discussed.

Maybe an assumption turns out to be wrong.

Maybe you’re understanding why something bothered you.

Or maybe you’re recognizing a relationship pattern that needs attention.

Again…

The Moon does NOT automatically mean:

CHEATING!

LIES!

BETRAYAL!

Tarot is reflection.

Not surveillance.

If you need information from another human being… talk to the human being.

The Moon in Career

Career Moon energy can show up when something feels unclear.

Maybe expectations aren’t defined.

Maybe you’re considering a new opportunity.

Maybe you’re waiting for information.

Maybe you aren’t sure what direction to take.

Common upright themes include:

Uncertainty • Unclear Expectations • Creativity • Imagination • Navigating the Unknown

And creativity is an interesting piece of The Moon.

Because imagination isn’t automatically BAD.

The same brain capable of creating scary scenarios…

can also create:

Art.

Stories.

Ideas.

Solutions.

Possibilities.

Dreams.

Imagination can create fear OR possibility.

That’s a pretty cool lesson.

The Moon Reversed in Career

Reversed career themes can include:

Emerging Clarity • Better Information • Recognizing Unrealistic Expectations • Understanding Confusion

Maybe something finally makes sense.

Maybe you receive the information you needed.

Maybe you realize a path isn’t what you expected.

Or maybe you’re recognizing that fear—not reality—has been stopping you.

Career Reflection:

What information would help me make a more confident decision?

Sometimes the answer isn’t:

Think harder.

It’s:

Get more information.

The Moon & Money

Financially, The Moon offers a VERY practical lesson.

If something isn’t clear… ASK QUESTIONS.

Read the agreement.

Research the company.

Understand the fees.

Check the numbers.

Verify information.

Don’t let excitement make the decision.

And don’t let fear make the decision either.

Money Reflection:

Am I making this decision using reliable information—or reacting emotionally to uncertainty?

Tarot should never replace professional financial guidance.

But using a card to remind ourselves:

Maybe I should read the fine print…

That seems pretty reasonable.

Not Knowing Isn’t the Same as Something Being Wrong

THIS.

I think this might be the biggest thing I’m taking from The Moon.

Sometimes uncertainty feels dangerous simply because…

we don’t know.

And our brains don’t like empty spaces.

So we fill them.

Usually with the worst possible scenario.

But:

Not knowing doesn’t automatically mean something bad is happening.

Sometimes you simply… don’t know yet.

That’s it.

Maybe more information will come tomorrow.

Maybe someone needs to respond.

Maybe something needs time.

Maybe YOU need time.

We don’t always need to solve uncertainty immediately.

Sometimes we can simply acknowledge:

I don’t have enough information to know yet.

And leave the blank space blank.

The Mystery of the Unknown

And here’s the OTHER side of The Moon.

Unknown doesn’t only mean scary.

Unknown also means:

Possibility.

Think about it.

If we knew every single thing that was going to happen for the rest of our lives… would that actually be fun?

No surprises.

No unexpected friendships.

No spontaneous adventures.

No opportunities you never imagined.

No moments where life completely exceeds what you thought was possible.

The unknown contains things we fear.

But it also contains things we haven’t dreamed of yet.

And maybe The Moon asks us to respect BOTH.

Today’s LexTalk Tarot Journal Prompt

Grab your tarot journal!

Today’s main reflection question:

Am I listening to my intuition—or am I allowing fear to fill in information I don’t actually have?

And here’s another one I LOVE:

What do I actually know about this situation—and what am I assuming?

A few more:

What information am I missing?

Am I imagining the worst possible outcome?

What emotion keeps surfacing lately?

What might that emotion need from me?

Where am I uncomfortable with uncertainty?

What would help me feel more grounded?

Where could I benefit from asking a question instead of making an assumption?

What does my intuition feel like when I’m calm?

And finally:

Can I allow something to remain unknown until I have enough information to understand it?

That’s a HARD one.

The Tarot Deck I’m Learning With

The Moon is another PERFECT example of why I’m loving learning tarot through the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork.

Instead of memorizing:

The Moon = Intuition and uncertainty.

I can look at the card and remember:

Moon = Partial illumination

Wolf = Wild instinct

Dog = Familiar or conditioned nature

Crayfish = Something emerging from the subconscious

Water = Emotions and subconscious

Towers = Crossing into the unknown

Path = Continuing without seeing the entire journey

And suddenly… this incredibly strange card makes sense.

Throughout LexTalk Tarot, I’m using a physical Rider-Waite-Smith style tarot deck because studying the traditional artwork is helping me understand these cards instead of simply memorizing definitions.

If you’d like to learn alongside me using the same style of deck, you can [check out the tarot deck I’m using here — paid link].

You absolutely don’t need my exact deck to follow along. I’m simply sharing what I’m personally using throughout this journey.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Learning Tarot With a Journal

I’m also keeping track of each card, the symbols, reflection questions, and my beginner memory tricks in a tarot journal.

And today’s entry will absolutely include:

Random crayfish crawling out of water = subconscious stuff coming to the surface.

If that isn’t memorable… I don’t know what is.

If you’re learning tarot alongside me, any notebook works perfectly.

But if you’d like a dedicated place for card meanings, symbolism, personal interpretations, and reflection prompts, you can [check out the tarot journal I recommend here — paid link].

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How I’m Remembering The Moon

Beginner tarot friends… Don’t memorize this entire blog.

Here’s today’s cheat sheet:

THE MOON — XVIII

Core Meaning: Intuition and uncertainty

Upright: Intuition, dreams, uncertainty, illusion, imagination, anxiety, subconscious feelings

Reversed: Emerging clarity, confronting fears, emotional awareness, confusion, releasing illusions

Moon: Partial illumination

Wolf: Wild instinct

Dog: Familiar or conditioned nature

Crayfish: Something emerging from the subconscious

Water: Emotion and subconscious

Towers: Threshold into the unknown

Path: Continuing without seeing the whole journey

And our beginner memory trick:

The Moon = Not everything is as clear as it seems.

Done.

One card.

One story.

24 Cards Into LexTalk Tarot!

We have officially explored:

24 OF 78 TAROT CARDS!

Which means we’re now a little over 30% of the way through the entire deck.

WHAT?!

And I swear… when I started this series, 78 sounded enormous.

Now?

I’m starting to see the stories.

The patterns.

The symbolism.

And I can look at something as bizarre as:

a dog, wolf, moon, towers, and RANDOM CRAYFISH

and think:

Oh! The subconscious!

Progress.

One Last LexTalk Thought

I think The Moon might be one of the most human cards we’ve explored.

Because human beings HATE uncertainty.

We want answers.

We want reassurance.

We want to know:

Are we okay?

Is this going to work?

Do they love me?

Did I make the right choice?

What’s going to happen?

And sometimes… there isn’t an answer yet.

That’s uncomfortable.

So, our brains start creating one.

We fill silence with assumptions.

We fill uncertainty with fear.

We fill missing information with stories.

And before we know it… we’re emotionally reacting to something that hasn’t actually happened.

But The Moon doesn’t tell me to ignore intuition.

Quite the opposite.

It reminds me to LISTEN.

Pay attention.

Notice.

Be curious.

But also ask:

What do I actually know?

Maybe intuition is the little voice saying:

Pay attention to this.

And fear is the voice immediately responding:

I HAVE ALREADY DETERMINED THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME.

We don’t have to choose between being intuitive and being grounded.

Maybe we can be both.

We can honor a feeling… without immediately treating it as fact.

We can notice something feels different… and ask questions.

We can trust ourselves… and still gather information.

We can admit:

I don’t know yet.

And perhaps that’s one of the hardest forms of trust.

Trusting ourselves enough to remain in the unknown for a little while.

Because not every shadow contains danger.

Not every unanswered question has a terrible answer.

Not every strange feeling means something is wrong.

Sometimes the path is simply dark because… it’s nighttime.

And eventually?

The sun comes up.

Until then… maybe we don’t need to see the entire road.

Maybe we just need enough light for the next step.

And if something crashes downstairs at 2:00 a.m.?

Before beginning your new career as an amateur paranormal investigator… check for the cat.

JUGGY.

The Moon = Not everything is as clear as it seems.

One card. One lesson. One little bit of magic at a time.

— Lex

Tarot interpretations are subjective and are shared here for personal reflection, education, and entertainment. Tarot should not replace professional medical, legal, mental health, or financial advice.