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PayeWacker next challenged viewers to look for those cards depicting the moon in them, looking at its phases when upright, then turning them one by one to see how their meanings would change.
![Image](http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/3871/pwsmoons.jpg)
As Cedars pointed out, none of them are full moons, save for the High Priestess crown, if you consider it the moon and not a scrying ball, as PW says. Since RW uses very basic colors and only yellow for both moon and sun -and crowns, as PW reminded us-, I wonder if they didn't use full moons for fear of their being mistaken with suns.
However, they are different phases, which could also give us hints on the time scale of the reading.
- The High Priestess is wearing the crown of Isis, Egyptian goddess of the moon, often depicted with the head of a cow because of the moon's horns. This crown covers all phases of the moon, so as PW also told us, she masters all hidden knowledge. The moon at her feet is a crescent, gathering power and energy on its way to fullness, the sign of new beginnings and efforts to come.
Once again, I can't help seeing how little the image of the feminine goddess has changed, even when translated from one cult into another. Isis is probably taken from an earlier goddess, and I have seen countless statues of the Virgin Mary both with the moon crown and/or the moon at her feet. Isn't that interesting? No matter what we chose to call her, there seems to always have been a moon goddess and probably there will always be.
The point I think PW wanted to raise is that the HP reversed shows a waning moon: all energy and projects retreating into ourselves, the energy dissipating, the link with our inner wisdom weakening in this period.
- The Chariot, or rather the charioteer, sports both crescent and waning moons on his shoulders - not my merit: I only found them after reading it from PW's post-. Curiously enough, the crescent seems in a foul mood and the waning in a happier, relaxed stance when the card is upright, which of course reverse when the card is upside down. Now, why would the gathering energies be so aggressive? Maybe because we feel impelled to take action while we can? I can see how the waning phase would be more relaxing, as we wrap up our business and prepare to get some well earned rest.
I am curious about the starry canopy. Not counting the Pentacles, there aren't that many starry cards in this deck. I only found the Star, of course, and also the crown of the Empress and even the star shaped flowers in the 6 of Cups. I am sure PW will draw our attention to those sooner or later :)
Now, if you try putting both the Chariot and the HP together and reversed, you see her 'moon horns' and his shoulder pads are the exact reverse of the other's phases, but still covering all of them between the two and twice, so... 2 months? This is beginning to look like a calendar!
- The Moon: I am curious why this crescent moon should be backed by the sun, both raining yod tears on Earth below. This moon looks none too happy to have her domains so invaded: in fact, if sun and moon were to hold this position, we would only be able to see the sun, most probably. Disquieting card, this. Once again, when overturned the moon becomes a waning phase, so the energy and meaning derived from this card would have less of an impact on the seeker, maybe.
- 8 of Cups: this is one of the few waning phases in its upright position but, is it really? Because it could also be part of an eclipse. Of course, if the sun passes in front of the moon, we never notice the first. If it is a sun eclipse, then this moon is not waning but the only full moon - save for the HP crown-. So, which would you say it is? Considering the card's usual meaning of leaving a situation before it falls around our ears, I would say the energies are waning and we don't feel strong enough to take it any longer. When reversed, our crescent energies prevent us from knowing the right moment to leave, or maybe we know this time it is worth to make an extra effort and stay.
- Finally, the 2 of Swords is once again a crescent. Let's hope the rising energies help break the uneasy and tense balance of this card. When reversed, the waning energies deprive us of the necessary tension to keep fighting the unknown, we relax our stance, open our arms -armed arms, hee, hee- and hopefully let the blindfold drop from our eyes.