The Eighteenth Arcanum is entitled The Moon, and corresponds to the Hebrew letter Tzaddi with a value of 90. Mouni Sadhu tells us that the hieroglyph is a ROOF, not as a protective shield, but rather one that “stifles and oppresses, limiting our freedom and bringing disaster”. “Of all the arcana, the Eighteenth is the most ominous and unfavourable. It describes the most dangerous conditions in which Man can place himself because of his own stupidity and lack of inner sight.” He refers to this card as a very mysterious one, with a scientific name signifying twilight, or dusk, but more commonly called the Moon, with a quiet light which is reflected, rather than primary.
Mouni Sadhu says, “Where then is the Primary Source of Light? you will ask in despair. We want to receive the LIGHT directly from that source! And the ominous card answers: you are subdued by the Hierarchic Law (Law of Gradation) because of your downfall. You have no right to the True Primary Light, you have lost that right because of your merging into treacherous Matter. The closest hierarchic authority gives you your due portion of light. Be satisfied with it, you, who because of your downfall, have deliberately merged yourselves in the illusory world of BINARIES. Such is the hard language of the Eighteenth Arcanum.”
Between the two towers “twists the serpent-like path of your existence, strewn with clean sand, in order to show any visible traces of blood on it.” Our author reminds us that blood in occultism is our vital force-energy, which we dissipate because of ignorance. The ternary of this card is Occult hierarchy, Hidden enemies, Hidden Dangers.
Mouni Sadhu says, “From occult laws we know, that we can easily be invultuated through our blood. It is terrible. But who can invultuate us?” The answer is that the wolf is our open enemy, and the dog a false friend; however they also are bound by the hierarchic authority closest to us, which sends us some of its light. The lobster represents us when we retreat, allowing us to be easily invultuated. Mouni Sadhu describes in detail various scenarios of how invultuation is accomplished through the enemy making voodoo type dolls representing our image, or using actual hair, blood or other samples from our physical body, or using our photo or signature in order to curse us. Thus an enemy might send a missile against us which lodges in our aura, resulting in destruction or death.
However, he reminds us that the sender of such curses is putting himself at high risk because of the possible return blow, and therefore the black magician usually does not curse another without a cause. Usually the cause is that the victim has interfered someway in the black magician’s realm of power and he feels threatened. But in truth, many such curses are without cause except that the victim is defenseless and an easy mark for a sadistic mindset. Mouni Sadhu gives too much credit to the “ethical” reasoning of black magicians.
In the King James Holy Bible we find the Hebrew word Tsadah which relates to this Arcanum as it means, “destroy, hunt, lie in wait”. In relation to the gematria associated with this word, we discover that it also equals a blood sacrifice devoted to destruction as an accursed thing. Underlying it are the balances of divination, and the decree of vengeance of the house of the leopard.
Psalm 10 has eighteen verses which relate to this eighteenth Arcanum. In them we find the LORD hiding his face, and therefore we only see his light as reflected in the moon. We also find a Man of the Earth which is an Oppressor, his heart revealed and the answer of the prayer of his victims.
PSALM 10
Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in vait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor ones may fall by his strong ones.
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou will not require it.
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness till thou find none. the LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his hand. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
An interesting fact is that the eighteenth Hebrew letter is one of eight which are “crowned”.
I Corinthians 15:47 reminds us, “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the LORD from heaven.” The first man placed a crown of thorns upon the head of the second and shed his innocent blood. Ezekiel 13:17-23 displays God’s displeasure with those who hunt souls through the use of images. Invultuation is the use of images in witchcraft for hunting souls. The Man of the Earth has stolen the crown of the Son of God who hath eyes as a flame of fire, and he uses this position for the cursing of vengeance. The work of that archangel, the master of cursing, “the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture” is spoken of in Micah 7:2, “The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.” The Eighteenth Arcanum indeed reveals the hidden works of darkness.
MOUNI SADHU UNMASKED 