Moonpool

The Moonpool is a round pool of water at The Lake. It is a sacred place where medicine cats and leaders share tongues with StarClan.

Description
The Moonpool is a small pool, situated at the bottom of a stone hollow, a certain distance from the Clan territories. On one side, there is a steep cliff with water flowing out from a cleft, feeding the pool. There is an underground stream leading out of the pool, which flows into the lake and marks the border between ThunderClan and WindClan. A narrow path dimpled with ancient pawprints leads down to a flat stone "beach" next to the pool. For sharing tongues with StarClan, the medicine cats lap up a few drops of wateror they touch their noses to the water.

New Clan leaders also go there to receive their nine lives.

Starlight

 * After the cats arrive to the lake, they wonder if StarClan will show them a place where they can communicate with them, such as the Moonstone in the old forest. Leafpaw is very restless, searching for any sign that can be interpreted as a signal to show a location of such a place.


 * Spottedleaf visits Leafpaw in a dream, telling her that StarClan also had a difficult time finding a new meeting place, and that Leafpaw should follow starlit water to find it. Leafpaw takes Sorreltail, a fellow warrior, with her, and follows the stream that separate the ThunderClan and WindClan territories. They come upon a stone hollow with a starlit pool, and Leafpaw sees the reflection of StarClan warriors in the water. She discusses with several StarClan warriors then returns to the Clan to bring them the news.


 * Leafpaw names the pool the Moonpool, and later Cinderpelt gives her her medicine cat name, Leafpool, in honor of her discovery.

Twilight

 * It is revealed that Onewhisker made the journey to the Moonpool in order to receive his nine lives and new name from StarClan, making him the first leader to do so in the new territories. At the time of the half-moon, the medicine cats from all four Clans, Barkface, Mothwing, Cinderpelt, Leafpool, and Littlecloud, meet together to go to the Moonpool and share tongues with StarClan.


 * When Leafpool is fleeing from Cinderpelt, she goes to the Moonpool to seek advice from her ancestors on what to do about her love for Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior. Spottedleaf appears to her and tells her to follow her heart, and that she knows what is right.

Sunset

 * The medicine cats meet together at the half-moon to go the Moonpool, except for Mothwing, who did not attend. Leafpool is welcomed by StarClan as the new medicine cat of ThunderClan, and though she searches for Cinderpelt, she can't see her.


 * Feathertail requests that Leafpool teach Willowpaw of StarClan's ways at the Moonpool, due to Mothwing not believing in StarClan at all. At the second medicine cat meeting in the book, Willowpaw is made a medicine cat apprentice at the Moonpool, and Leafpool guides her through her first dream of StarClan.

The Sight

 * Jaypaw dreams of the path to the Moonpool, and when he follows Leafpool while she travels to the Moonpool, he recognizes the path and is able to visualize it in his head. When they reach the hollow, he follows her, and feels other cats brushing past him, though there seems to be no one else there. He realizes Leafpool is sleeping and he does the same, letting his nose touch the Moonpool. He witnesses a meeting where Leafpool is asking StarClan advice on who Firestar should recognize as deputy, Graystripe or Brambleclaw. On awakening, Leafpool is shocked and angry to find him there, and they leave the Moonpool after she questions him.


 * Jaypaw goes to the Moonpool by himself to seek advice from StarClan on how he could become a warrior. On reaching the hollow, the invisible voices welcome him again as he goes down to the pool and touches his nose to the water. After a meeting with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, and then Spottedleaf, he realizes his only choice is to become a medicine cat, and the voices instruct him to accept his destiny.


 * The medicine cats travel to the Moonpool for their regular meeting with StarClan, and Leafpool brings Jaypaw to initiate him as a medicine cat apprentice. After he touches his nose to the Moonpool, he spies on different cats' dreams, during which both Yellowfang and Spottedleaf come and rebuke him. Leafpool wakes him, and they leave the Moonpool with the other cats.


 * Jaypaw follows Poppypaw into her dreams when she is very sick, and they come upon StarClan meeting around the Moonpool.

Dark River

 * The medicine cats travel to the Moonpool at the half-moon to dream with StarClan. When they lie down beside it, Jaypaw intentionally trespasses in Willowpaw's dream. Yellowfang finds and rebukes him for his actions, and then Jaypaw wakes up beside the Moonpool.


 * Jaypaw visualizes the lake by imagining a vast Moonpool.

Outcast

 * Jaypaw believes that the ancient cats were the ones who whispered to him at the Moonpool, and who had left the pawprints around it.


 * The medicine cats meet for their regular meeting there, which Mothwing does not attend. Jaypaw meets with the ancient cat Rock, and meets the beautiful StarClan cat Feathertail for the first time. Leafpool, who is present when he meets Feathertail, is concerned that there may be trouble with the Tribe of Rushing Water, and debates on whether to tell Firestar or not on their way home.


 * In the territory of the Tribe's ancestors, the Tribe of Endless Hunting, Jaypaw is reminded of the Moonpool when he sees that the ancestors gather around a larger pool of water, without any plashing of a waterfall.

Eclipse

 * The medicine cats meet each other at the Moonpool at the time of the half-moon. The normally absent Mothwing is in attendance, and she gives her apprentice, Willowpaw, her full medicine cat name of Willowshine when they reach the sacred place. Jaypaw dreams of the medicine cat Littlecloud meeting Runningnose, and he is disappointed that he did not receive a more worthwhile dream.


 * After the eclipse, Sandstorm wonders whether Leafpool should go to the Moonpool to receive guidance from StarClan. Leafpool stays, caring for her sister, Squirrelflight, who is deeply wounded.

Long Shadows

 * The medicine cats meet to go to the Moonpool at the half-moon, with the exception of Leafpool, who stays in camp tending sick cats. Mothwing and Littlecloud are also not present. On reaching the Moonpool, Jaypaw dreams of the badger Midnight, and also is asked to help ShadowClan by Raggedstar and Runningnose. He fades from the dream and awakes beside the Moonpool.


 * When the medicine cats once again meet together, Leafpool comes with him. On reaching the Moonpool, Jaypaw is given his full medicine cat name, Jayfeather, in the presence of StarClan and the ancient cats he had met. He dreams, and meets with Brightspirit.

Sunrise

 * At the half-moon, the medicine cats journey to the Moonpool, though Jayfeather comes alone from ThunderClan. Littlecloud brings his new apprentice, Flamepaw, and presents him to StarClan in the proper ceremony. Jayfeather meets the new apprentice while he dreams, and is disappointed that StarClan gives him no guidance by the time he wakes at the edge of the Moonpool.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * The medicine cats' meeting at the Moonpool is not shown in the book, but Jayfeather recalls it when he notes that no one said anything about the beavers blocking the stream. It is noted in the allegiances of the book that Kestrelflight has taken the place of Barkface as WindClan medicine cat.


 * Later, Poppyfrost travels to the Moonpool on her own, wanting to try and reach her deceased sister, Honeyfern. Jayfeather follows her there, and tries to take her back home, but Breezepelt had followed them there. He threatens to kill Poppyfrost, and Jayfeather attacks him. Another, unseen cat joins the battle on Breezepelt's side, but Honeyfern appears and battles them both back. As they flee, the rest of StarClan appear and Yellowfang warns Jayfeather the the cats of the Place of No Stars were rising up. Jayfeather wakes up to find Poppyfrost worrying over him, and they help each other back home.

Fading Echoes

 * Mothwing and Mistyfoot travel to the Moonpool together so that Mistyfoot can receive her new nine lives and name, due to Leopardstar's death. Jayfeather walks in Mothwing's memories, and sees that after Mistystar awoke from beside the Moonpool, and soon realized her medicine cat did not believe in StarClan. Mothwing tells her that they have different beliefs, but that she has always been a good medicine cat for her Clan, and Mistystar accepts this.


 * The medicine cats meet for the journey to the Moonpool, and as they settle into sleep around it, Jayfeather meets with Yellowfang. She, and eventually Spottedleaf, take him to the Place of No Stars, where they witness cats battle training. Brokenstar and eventually Tigerstar warn them away.

Night Whispers

 * Flametail visits the Moonpool on his own, since his mentor, Littlecloud, is too sick to go with him. ShadowClan ancestors appear to him, and they tell him his Clan must stand on its own. He then leaves the Moonpool in a hurry.


 * All the medicine cats, except Flametail and Littlecloud, visit the Moonpool at the half-moon. Despite the cold weather, the Moonpool has not frozen over. All of the medicine cats experience the same dream; a StarClan ancestor from their own Clan tells them the Clans must stand alone, apart from each other. Jayfeather is frightened and tries to warn his fellow medicine cats of the Dark Forest cats, but a vision appears before him and he sees the Moonpool freeze over completely, and all of StarClan freezing, and then shattering.

Secrets of the Clans

 * The ancient cat Rock speaks about when he and the unknown healers of two other Tribes used to meet at the Moonpool, the place of the ancestors. He was very close to the place, and remembers it very well. He has seen the Clans coming, and hopes the Moonpool will bring them peace.

Trivia

 * The pawprints left are left by the Ancient cats.
 * Other animals would not see StarClan if they drank from the Moonpool.