Astrological Tarot Lesson 1 Part XIII – PISCES and THE MOON
What every good magician needs to know.
As the Sun has moved into the Mutable Water Sign of Pisces, we are now completing the Zodiac series. As the Zodiac is a cycle, it is not a true ending, but the culmination of all which we began last Spring, and a time for reflection and wrapping up loose ends before the Zodiacal New Year begins at the Spring Equinox with Aries. Each month we have been looking at the Major Tarot Key which associates with each sign:
Aries – Key 4 The Emperor
Taurus – Key 5 The Hierophant
Gemini – Key 6 The Lovers
Cancer – Key 7 The Chariot
Leo – Key 8 Strength
Virgo – Key 9 The Hermit
Libra – Key 11 Justice
Scorpio – Key 13 Death
Sagittarius – Key 14 Temperance
Capricorn – Key 15 The Devil
Aquarius – Key 17 The Star
Pisces – Key 18 The Moon
photo from Advanced Tarot “Triplicities and the Tree of Life”
As I’ve shared, it is often the message within the Tarot Key which illustrates the challenge or aspect which must be brought into balance in order for a person born under the sign to evolve.
As you can see, the sign of Pisces corresponds to the Major Arcana of The Moon, which unfortunately is all too quickly cast aside as a warning; a message of deceit, fear and illusion. For one who fears the dark, this may be true. But the dark is only the harbinger of the unseen or unknown; of alternate times and messages received at night, whether through dreams or through late night contemplation while the rest of the world slumbers… and in that I find myself more intrigued by possibilities, than fearful. I like to say that the Moon card is the most Tarot-ey of all of the cards. This is not only because of its sense of secrecy, or the importance of the Moon in magic, or its influence on the emotions. Remember that the card which corresponds to the actual planet of the moon is not the Moon Card, it is the High Priestess. Here is a secret worth contemplating. The High Priestess hides secret wisdom, yet not in order to deceive. And likewise, it is not the moon’s fault that it obscures one’s vision.
L to R: Alexander Daniloff Tarot, Russian Tarot of Saint Petersburg, Classic Marseille Tarot
When this card is drawn, it shows that a situation requires the most highly tuned intuition in order to be navigated. Yes it is true that trusting your intuition does require courage. And proceeding with courage even in the face of the unknown is part of the secret of the Moon. But consider that another key to being able to trust your intuition is directly correlated to your honesty. The more honest you are with yourself, and of course with others, the more clear your intuition will be. This is because there will not be any skewed perception based upon denial or manipulation or falsehood.
When we encounter the Moon, things are not always what they appear to be… to our regular 5 senses.. But fortunately we don’t have only our external senses to rely upon. We can use our internal sense, our intuition, which is especially sensitive in Pisces. Their mutable nature makes them able to adapt, to change directions and shape, and to pick up on subtler clues that others might miss. The moon card is also a card of evolution as we visualize an emergence from the water onto land and the amphibian changing from a sea creature to a land creature.
Being able to read the tarot requires not only depth of introspection but a sharp left brain or logical mind as well, in order to take the symbolic thought, idea or intuition and be able to connect to it and engage with it in your physical life. Intuition does not count for anything unless you act upon it.
In regards to divination: “Don’t ask the same question more than once expecting to get a different answer. You have to allow things to happen, to give things space and room to move. Getting information is good, but balance that by thinking on your feet and responding in the moment.”
Pisces (THE MOON) – Mutable Water ruled by Jupiter (Wheel of Fortune)
We are one month away from the Spring Equinox. This quarterpoint of the year is a very important day of the magician’s calender as it is the Zodiacal New Year and can be considered the best time for setting intentions and putting into motion what we desire to will into being. It marks the beginning of Spring and it ushers in the active, progressive part of the year. Over the course of the next month, prepare yourself by getting your Spring cleaning done now, both material and internal. You have an entire month to do it, so I encourage you to being the process, and get a little done each week. This will give the new seedlings of your Spring intentions plenty of room to grow, and a clean environment and healthy constitution to make sure that they flourish.
The Spring Equinox in the Pacific Time Zone takes place on March 20th, 2017. We will celebrate, set intentions and charge candles on March 18th, with two Middle Pillar ceremonies, one at 6pm and one at 7:45.
“The present writer would urge all his readers who desire seriously to practice the magical art, to train themselves thoroughly in this technique of the middle pillar. It is the key to practical magic”
– W. E. Butler, The Magician and His Training
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