What Does The Moon Symbolize? | Moon Symbolic Meaning

What the Moon symbolizes in spirituality

The divine feminine

Of course, as well as the symbolism associated with the different phases of the Moon, the Moon as an entity also signifies many things. For example, in many spiritual traditions, the Moon is associated with female energy and female deities, while the Sun is seen as male.

Indeed, there are many goddesses associated with lunar energy, and in turn, these deities are often protectors of those in childbirth and children, themselves.

Goddesses associated with lunar energy are often defenders of children and are immortal matrons of childbirth. Such deities include:

• Virgin Mary - Christain matriarch linked to the new moon and associated with peace, perfection, and purity.
• Kuan Yin - Goddess of grace, kindness, and purity in the Chinese tradition. Also associated with childbirth and protection.
• Artemis - Hunter goddess of the Greeks, who was prayed to for help with childbirth
• Diana - A powerful woodland goddess and Roman Protector of women and animals.
• Hecate - Greek goddess of cycles including birth, perfection, and magic. Associated with intuition and secrets.

Christain matriarch linked to the new moon and associated with peace, perfection, and purity

Illumination

In addition to representing the divine feminine, in spirituality, the Moon is also associated with enlightenment and illumination and our conscious and subconscious. After all, the Moon does shine down on us all and illuminates the dark.

However, unlike the Sun, the Moon's method of illumination is more subtle, relying on reflected light. This is important in Moon symbolism because you will often see associations between gentle, intuitive, and passive knowledge. Indeed, the Moon is believed to represent the type of knowledge that comes to us and insight, rather than the kind we can actively search for in the world.

Of course, this connection to inner insight matches well with the association of the Moon in spirituality with our inner world. The parts of our experience that are not immediately obvious to those around us or even ourselves. Indeed, the Moon symbolizes things such as our inner feelings and desires, our shadow self, and things that we are yet to discover about ourselves. Yet, with the gentle illumination that the Moon brings, we can come to learn these things about ourselves and integrate them without too much strife.