The Moon Card: A New Moon in Pisces Tarot Spread

On the 6th of March 2019, the moon will be new in the sign of Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac. Pisces is a mutable water sign and one that is symbolic of our mystical, intuitive and emotional natures. It is a sign that represents both the end of a cycle (the astrological year) and spiritual rebirth. If Aries is the infant of the zodiac, Pisces is the old soul.

The new moon in Pisces has always been an important one for me as I see it as the final new moon of the last creative cycle and one that can offer me insight into what the next cycle will bring. If you look at the pictographic symbol for Pisces it is an image of two fish tied to one another but swimming in opposite directions and the glyph is two crescent moons united by a straight line, both of these symbols to me of shifting tides and the relationship between our inner and outer lives. I feel the Pisces new moon to be a threshold time; a final opportunity to sink into the mystery of my inner world before Aries season and the next solar cycle begins. Aries is a cardinal fire sign that awakens personal agency and creative desire and as such it has always represented the creative new year (which is why my 13 Moons program started on that date for the last two years. It is the spark that moves us forward into the spring season and the time when we will bring winters dreams into being.

But before a new cycle can begin I like to pause in order to honour the one that is ending. One of the ways that I like to honour the new moon in Pisces is with the practice of reflective writing or journal work, prompted by the symbolism of the tarot, a magical practice that is so fitting for this deep-water sign.

The Moon card is the major arcana tarot card that is associated with the sign of Pisces. In it’s more traditional presentation it presents an image of a dog and a wolf howling up at the moon. The moon shines down on a body of water out of which a crayfish crawls, and in the background, two pillars, or a stone passageway can be seen. Like the two fishes in the symbol of Pisces, the dog and the wolf can be seen to represent our domesticated as well as our wild natures. Within the tarot water always represents the unconscious mind, our emotional and intuitive selves, and the imagination. The crayfish can be read as symbolic of our deepest or most personal fears, the ones we keep hidden (even from ourselves), and the two pillars may represent a threshold or portal through which we can travel, offering us passage to a new way of being.

For this Pisces new moon I offer you a tarot spread that draws on the symbolism of the Moon card and I invite you to use it as an opportunity to do some reflective journal writing, looking back at what this last year has gifted you and honouring the inner wisdom you are taking forth into the next cycle of growth.

Pisces New Moon Tarot Spread

Begin by pulling the Moon card from your deck and placing it in front of you. Begin your practice by taking some time to gaze at the card and notice what you see. Even if you know the card well try to look at it with fresh eyes and notice which of the images and symbols you are drawn to. Pay attention and write down anything you observe.

Next, take some time to shuffle the deck while contemplating the following questions for a three card spread to be laid out beneath your Moon card. I have given you a few different ways to frame each question so that you can choose the one that feels most resonant to you, or you may frame your own question based on what I have written here. If you love all the questions I’ve shared here feel free to turn this three card spread into something larger. In other words, follow your own instincts and make the reading yours.

Card 1: Your Domesticated & Wild Self

  • In which ways have my domesticated and wild selves come to know each other more fully in the last year?
  • How may my domesticated and wild natures come into better relationship with each other?
  • What does my wild self want my domesticated nature to remember?

Card 2: Messages From The Depths

  • What did I learn in the last year that has helped me to understand myself more fully?
  • How can I come to trust my deeper instincts more fully?
  • Is there a message that my subconscious mind has been asking me to pay attention to? How can I learn to listen to these messages?

Card 3: Crossing Thresholds

  • As I prepare to end one creative cycle and enter another is there anything that can assist me on my journey?
  • What is the nature of the threshold I am crossing at this time? What is the nature of my creative work at this time? Where does my evolving edge lie?
  • What am I leaving behind? What am I bringing forth?

Once your cards are all laid out take some time to take the entire spread in. Notice how the cards relate to each other, what is the story being told? Again, look at each card with new eyes and see what stands out. Tarot cards can be said to hold specific meanings when they are read as stand-alone cards, but the meaning & symbolism change in the context of the spread they are part of and the questions being asked. Take all of this into account as you form the narrative of your personal reading. Finish by opening your journal and writing down your notes.

I like to leave my spread out on my altar during the days of the new moon and will take it down when it feels complete. This also gives me an opportunity to continue looking at it and deepening my understanding of it. I hope this spread offers you insight for this last new moon of the winter season.

Closing Notes

The cards I have shown here are from the Pagan Otherworlds tarot created by Uusi design studios. I am not an affiliate for this small company, I just love everything they make. If you enjoyed this post and want to learn more about working with tarot along with lunar & seasonal wisdom teachings please join me for my 13 Moons Circle. It only opens up once per year and is now open for registration for the 2019-2020 program.