Hello, good people of the internet, and welcome to The Forty Servants in Theory and Practice, a series where I take a deeper look into the philosophy, use, and evolution of The Forty Servants system, drawing on nearly a decade of hands-on experience and magical experimentation.
Each entry in this free section of the series will focus on one Servant at a time, offering background insight, design history, divination reflections, shadow aspects, magical applications, and how my personal understanding of each has shifted or deepened over the years.
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So, let's go…
The Moon
This Servant shows us that which is hidden in the darkness. It encourages us to acknowledge our self-deceptions while also being mindful of the lies told by others and the general illusions of life.
ARTWORK
Very, very originally, the idea for The Forty Servants was for it to be something more like a “Magician’s Tool Box” and would feature things like the 7 Classical Planets, The Elements and stuff like that. The Moon and The Sun are from that period, along with the original version of The Planet, which was Mercury at first.
The art itself has that desert mountain rock that features in many of the artwork for other Servants, but in the foreground, we had the addition of some plant life. This is to go along with the “hope” element of the Moon, with the plants being signs of life growing in a barren desert.
The Moon itself, I am pretty certain, is a combination of drawn and photo material. I know it took me a while to get the look of this down, as just a drawn version just wasn’t working for me in the way I wanted it to.
Not much else I can add to this, it’s a pretty simple image, but even in its simplicity, or perhaps because of it, it’s one of the more striking images from the deck. In my opinion, anyways.
THE SIGIL
The sigil for The Moon represents the cycle of lunar phases: waxing, full, and waning. It has always really bugged me that the waxing part on the left isn’t joined to the other sections. And it bugged me at the time I did it too, but in creating the sigil I was trying to draw them without thinking too much about it, or getting in the way of them, or indeed trying to make them perfect. So I left it as it came out. There is probably something worth considering in why this is the way it formed this way.
If you feel someone is lying to you, try visualising the sigil glowing faintly above their head as they speak. This sigil placement can help loosen the tongue, make them slip up, or expose the crack in their story. You can also discreetly place the sigil under desks, beds, or in vehicles to encourage transparency and uncover deception. The sigil works best when its placement is deliberate but with a clandestine quality to it. By hiding it, you are also being somewhat deceptive.
The sigil can be drawn in the air in front of you if you are in need of a bit of hope about something. However, as The Moon reminds us, hope can also be dangerous. The sigil should be used with care as it is possible that along with the hope, you also conjure more illusion.
The sigil can be used for shadow work, to help bring unconscious patterns or hidden truths to light. Place it under your pillow to invite dreams that speak truthfully, or draw it before journaling, meditating, or reflecting on the past. I have found it useful in helping reveal lies I have been telling myself.
Sigil Quick Uses: Shadow work, uncovering lies, illuminating confusion, fostering honest communication, dream work, emotional navigation, and cautious hope.
DIVINATION
The Moon can represent a "light in the dark that guides you home", but it’s also a false light, and so is a tricky one in a divination. What you can be sure of is that there is more going on beneath the surface, within yourself or around you, and you should take note of it. Things are probably not as they seem.
For the most part, in a reading, The Moon will suggest lies, falsehoods, deceptions, delusions, etc. But it's not quite that the Moon represents these qualities, but more that it shines a light on them – it reveals them, rather than being them. The Moon has no light of its own and merely reflects the sun’s light in the darkness, so in one sense, the light that illuminates the darkness is also an illusion itself.
The Moon is also hope, and the light that lights your path in the night. But there is always the chance that this hope is a “false hope” and will lead you further into the illusion, or cause more pain in the long run. It is often not until we have given up all hope that we can start to accept and heal. Having hope can make us hold on to something that has already gone.
Is "the light in the darkness" leading you somewhere real, or are you chasing something that only seems correct because you’re lost and desperate to find a direction – any direction? This is what makes The Moon tricky in divination. It's not a Servant that gives straight or easy answers. The Moon suggests that whatever is happening, even with the stuff that seems positive and affirming, that you should “Look again.”
To get a better understanding of what The Moon is saying, you will often have to rely on the context and the cards that surround it in the rest of the spread. On one hand, it may reveal deceit, gaslighting, delusion, or even self-sabotage. On the other hand, it may be guiding you to trust your intuition more, to look beyond surface appearances, or to recognise patterns you’ve buried deep in your shadow.
Something is being hidden. But whether that hidden thing is a threat or a treasure will depend on how willing you are to let go of illusion and face what’s real. It may just be the case that what is happening is both a threat and a treasure.
Ask yourself: What am I not seeing clearly? What am I afraid to see? Where might I be deceiving myself? And am I following a light that leads to clarity… or further into Māyā?
SHADOW REVERSAL
Reversals in The Forty Servants don’t signify the opposite of the normal energy of the Servant but more a dysfunctional version of it, or a detrimental misuse or misunderstanding of the qualities.
In a reversal, The Moon doesn’t reveal lies and illusions, it embraces them instead. Or all it sees are lies and deceptions in places where there aren’t. You may spiral into paranoia, convinced everyone is lying, you could be trapped in self-deceit, denying real problems, you may believe in false dreams so deeply that you ignore obvious facts of the situation. This disfunctional version feeds on fear and anxiety. All it sees are shadows, secrets, futures.
A reversed Moon can also signify that someone has given up all hope – hope for the future, or hope of ever finding the truth. Not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. Only seeing the falsehood in everything. Thinking nothing is real, nothing is true.
It’s also a sign that a copy of something is being embraced as the real thing, or good enough, but at the same time, knowing it’s not the genuine thing.
MAGICK
The Moon excels in any magick aimed at revealing the truth, whether that’s exposing lies from others or uncovering the lies we tell ourselves.
As mentioned above, if you suspect someone is being dishonest, mentally project the sigil over their head (or under their chair, or whatever works best) and observe what follows. Often, their words will begin to stumble, or their mask will briefly slip.
To do magick to help with shadow work, place the sigil on the front of your shadow work journal. Ask for clarity and help. Then just start to write freely. Don’t censor yourself and don’t worry about having to make sense. Just write what comes out and keep writing until it comes to a natural feeling finishing point.
Or draw the Sigil on a mirror and do some mirror gazing. Let thoughts and emotions arise. What do you see reflected back at you? What emotions stir? Speak aloud to your reflection as though you're speaking to your shadow self. Offer it compassion. Ask what it needs.
The Moon can be used when you need a light to metaphorically help you find your way home in the dark. The Moon can serve as a lantern or a wayfinder in times of confusion or disorientation. You can talk to the Sigil or the Card, but I often just go out at night and talk directly to the Moon itself. Tell it out loud what’s confusing you and what you need clarity on. Ask it directly if people are lying to you. Then see what happens. If you are anything like me, then you aren’t going to get an immediate answer, but instead messages filter through over the next few days through syncs, overheard conversations or lyrics.
The Moon is also useful in dream magick and divination. Before you sleep, speak to it and ask what you would like to be revealed. Sleep with the sigil or card under your pillow or mattress. Ask it to show you what you need to see. And then keep a good record of your dreams.
Something I have never done, but often thought about, and I reckon it would be very effective, is to draw the sigil on a flashlight, lamp or lantern. Walk around shining it in your house, on books, newspapers, your street, or your town. If you get a chance, shine it around your office and your co-worker's desk. You could, of course, though all this as a visualisation, too. Or instead of drawing the sigil on the flashlight, create something that slips over the top and projects the sigil.
And, of course, working with The Moon during a full moon night will heighten everything. Its energy becomes louder, clearer, and more direct. Full moon rituals asking for clarity, healing through truth, or dream revelations are especially potent with The Moon as your ally.
SERVANT COMBINATIONS
The Moon works very well with The Seer to amplify intuitive wisdom and visionary perception. An ideal combination for uncovering unseen patterns.
The Moon and The Protector work well together to decrease the effects and fallout from any deceit or deception surrounding or aimed at you. Use this duo when you’ve faced emotional exposure or hidden truths that now leave you vulnerable.
Use The Moon with The Healer when you’re doing deep emotional or shadow work. The Moon helps to reveal the hidden upset; The Healer helps heal the pain.
When shadow work reveals actionable problems, the combo of The Moon and The Fixer can help you bring those revelations into solutions.
The Moon and the Balancer are a good combination. The Moon shows the distortions, illusions, or emotional imbalance, and The Balancer brings stability, equilibrium, and peace.
The Moon and The Road Opener are a good team when you are trying to get out of an illusion. The Moon helps show you the illusion, and The Road Opener shows you ways to get out of it.
THE FORTY SERVANTS IN THEORY & PRACTICE SERIES SO FAR
ARTICLES:
THE WITCH
THE GATE KEEPER
THE MOTHER
THE FATHER
THE PROTECTOR
THE SAINT
THE CONDUCTOR
THE PROTESTER
THE IDEA
THE BALANCER
PATREON LECTURE VIDEOS:
001 — Introduction
002 — Beg, Borrow, Be.
003 — Art History
004 — The Book Of Pacts
005 — Pathworking Astral Addresses
And that's it for this time, I hope you got something good from it. If you'd like to chat about it, you can leave a comment below, or come find me on Bluesky!
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So, until next time,
MAY YOUR BEST DAYS BE AHEAD!
Tommie