Between a Dog and a Wolf
The channeled reading for the month of February brought forward The Moon, a Major Arcana card from the Rider-Waite tarot. The image is based on the earlier Tarot de Marseille, which originated in the 17th century. In the image, the Moon is depicted as a human profile partially eclipsing the Sun. Beneath these celestial bodies, a dog and a wolf sit on the banks of a body of water from which a crustacean emerges. In the distance, a river descends from a mountain range, crossing a landscape flanked by two towers before it passes between the two canines.
The image of the dog and the wolf references the French expression entre chien et loup (“between a dog and a wolf”), used to describe the half-light of dusk or dawn, when it may be difficult to distinguish a wolf from a dog. The idiom has ancient roots and first appears in Latin texts from the 7th century. More than the ability to visually distinguish a wild canine from a tame one, the expression reflects a time when it may be difficult to discern friend from foe, safety from threat, fact from fiction.
And what of the crayfish – neither in the water nor yet out of the water? This awkward little creature is like us, searching for footing in uncertain times. It is also linked to the traditional symbol for the constellation of Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon and associated with home – or, more pointedly, Home.
The medicine this card offers is an acknowledgment of the painful complexity of this time. Today, February 1, the Moon is full in the sign of Leo, as the Sun stands directly opposite in the visionary sign of Aquarius, together with the planets Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto. Leo, ruled by the Sun, is an ally for our collective courage. We are passing through a portal, represented by the two towers in the card. We are coming into a new understanding of what it means to be at home in the world – one that requires a new level of awareness, compassion, and recognition of the interdependence of all beings.
On February 17, we will experience an annular solar eclipse in the visionary sign of Aquarius, when at the new moon the Moon will partially block the Sun, just as it does in the card. The eclipse will be visible only in the southernmost regions of Argentina, Chile, and Africa, but it will be felt everywhere and by everyone. This new moon, the second following the winter solstice, marks the start of the Chinese New Year and the Muslim observance of Ramadan.
May we see both the dog and the wolf, and fear neither.
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