Thought for the day - The Moon

When the Moon comes up in a reading we often panic because it looks gloomy and cautious. But the Moon, like the Sun is a powerful light in the sky and can be associated with attainment. If we take the Moon card in the Rider and Waites deck we see a dreamy looking Moon with mystical colours and two dogs staring up at it barking. But why are they barking? Are they barking out of fear? Or are they barking because they do not understand the Moon?

The Moon card can often feel unsettling. It represents emotion, cycles, and intuition—things that aren’t easily pinned down. When this card appears in a reading, it often signals that you’re in a period of uncertainty or confusion. You may feel like you can’t make sense of what’s happening around you, as if everything is shrouded in mist and you can’t see the path clearly. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps clarity isn’t what’s needed right now.

Like the dogs in the card barking up at the Moon, trying to make sense of it, you might feel the urge to explain or rationalise everything. But trying too hard to understand what cannot yet be understood can lead to more stress. Some things reveal themselves only in their own time. The Moon asks you to sit with the unknown. Instead of pushing for answers, it might be more helpful to acknowledge that this moment is simply unclear—and that’s fine.

Accepting that things don’t make sense right now could be your most peaceful choice. You don’t have to fix it, force it, or understand it. Let it be what it is. Just as the Moon rises and falls regardless of how we feel about it, some situations unfold without our control. This lack of clarity, frustrating as it may be, can serve a purpose.

What’s interesting about the Moon’s light is that it isn’t complete; it softens the edges of reality. It casts shadows and invites us to explore the parts of ourselves or our situations that we might usually overlook. This might be a chance to go within, to notice subtle feelings or seek understanding in less obvious places.

The Moon brings mystery, but it also brings perspective. It suggests that just because something isn’t clear now doesn’t mean it never will be. That dull, unclear phase—what often feels like the gloom before dawn—is often the sign that a brighter and more illuminating phase is on the horizon.

Let the mystery exist. Let the Moon do what it does. You don’t have to have all the answers right now.

“The moon, like a flower
In heaven's high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.”
— William Blake