The tarot and the moon have always been connected — The Moon card sits in the Major Arcana for good reason. But you don't need to be an astrologer to use the lunar cycle in your practice. A simple awareness of the phase you're in can add depth to every reading.
The new moon is the moment of beginnings — the sky is dark, and something is starting. It's the natural time for readings about new intentions, new relationships, new projects. Questions like 'What do I want to call in this month?' or 'What intention should I set for this cycle?' are perfectly suited to the new moon.
Cards drawn under the new moon often speak to potential and hidden possibility. The Fool, the Aces, the Star — these are new moon energies.
As the moon grows toward full, it's a time of development, momentum, and increasing clarity. Readings during the waxing phase suit questions about what you're working toward — what's growing, what you're building, what steps to take. The energy is outward and expansive.
The full moon is the most powerful moment for readings about what's hidden, what's coming to a head, and what needs to be seen. The Moon card itself is a full moon card — mysterious, revealing, sometimes unsettling. Readings under the full moon tend to surface what you've been avoiding or what's been working below the surface of awareness.
It's also a powerful time for gratitude readings: what has come to fruition, what can I celebrate, what do I now understand that I didn't before?
As the moon shrinks back toward dark, the energy turns inward and toward release. This is the time for readings about what you're letting go of — old patterns, relationships that have run their course, beliefs that no longer serve you. The Death card, the Ten of Swords, the Eight of Cups — these are waning moon energies: the necessary endings that make space for what's coming.
Velvet Tarot shows you the current moon phase alongside every reading, so you always know what lunar energy you're working with.
Ready to experience a reading for yourself?
Start a reading with today's moon phase →