“Wake up!” I whispered excitedly. My youngest shifted in the bed and responded, “What? What time is it?” I said, “It’s five, but you have to see the moon! It’s pink and glowing and enormous! Come on!” I urged. “I’ll pass,” he said and rolled back over to sleep. Then a little piece of me died inside. Here I am trying to create magical memories and, as he casually reminded me today, “You’re never gonna be great, you’re gonna be mom.”
Normally, my kids would be the ones pointing out the wonders of nature to me. It made me curious about what was happening beneath the surface. All is not lost, dear reader; they still tell me when they have weird dreams. Last night I dreamed I was teaching and I woke up with the knowledge that I should have three goals for the week. Dreams and wonders are all the domain of the Moon.
Every week, we explore a Tarot card because Tarot is rich in symbolism and helps us pause, notice the patterns, and tap into our intuition. This allows us to shift our mindset and move from overwhelm to action.
Card of the Week: The Moon
A stern face in profile, framed by a crescent within a full circle, gazes down from the Moon at a dog and a wolf howling at the sky. Two towers stand on either side in the middle of the card. At the base of the card, a crayfish climbs out from a pool of water onto a winding path that extends past the dog and wolf, the towers, and into the mountains. Fourteen Yod symbols, small Hebrew letters, also seem to drift down from the Moon like drops of light.
The Pattern It Reveals
The Moon has us looking beneath the surface and exploring cycles. There are many phases of the moon, and this Moon has a crescent shape enclosed in a full circle pointing to the phases of the moon. Tomorrow is a new moon where it will be almost impossible to see the moon, but it is there. Just like it is impossible to see our intuition, we sense it and feel it. Crayfish can regenerate limbs and are associated with growth. Dogs and wolves are pack animals and symbolize our civilized and wild, more intuitive selves. Howling is a way to communicate. Most of the symbols have dual phases. Towers can represent protection, but the Tower card usually symbolizes tearing down and destruction. Our intuition tries to communicate with us through feelings, dreams, and sensations. Every parent has had that gut feeling that something isn’t right and sure enough, you find your child covered in Vaseline. It’s a tightrope between watching them grow up while also wanting to be able to recognize the little one you raised and nurtured.
The Question Worth Asking
“Am I making assumptions about what is important to my child?”
I thought for certain that my kid would want to see the pink moon. Yet his priority was sleep. This same child will ask me if I would accept ten million dollars with the condition that a hyperintelligent gorilla which speaks English would hunt me and respawn every year. So, it’s not a lack of curiosity on his part. He is interested in different things and has separate priorities. He asks so many questions it does feel like those Yod symbols raining down. Sometimes I counter with a question to help him learn how to research and come up with his own conclusions. It’s a delicate balance to encourage autonomy and provide guidance and guardrails.
One Small Experiment to Try This Week
Get curious. Life just threw me a pop quiz. My eldest approached me with a fork and carrot cake and asked me to enjoy cake with them. I guess I failed since I asked, “Why?” “Forget it, I’ll ask my baby brother.” Baby brother also failed and asked, “Why?” Are we doomed? Who turns down cake for breakfast? We have literally had cake for breakfast in the past with much rejoicing.
We try so hard to create magical memories. Every year my mom bakes fruitcakes. It’s a labor of love and she must start soaking the fruit from the start of the year. Creating memories carries the cost of invisible labor. Are you curious if there is a different way without feeling wrung out like a dish rag? My friend Mama Mindy Green, a licensed Social Worker, and I are hosting an online event to help you make T.I.M.E. during the holidays. We will explore how to release holiday traditions that no longer serve you and how to engage your children, so you don’t carry the entire mental load. It will be Thursday, November 12th at Noon ET. Space is limited, so reserve your seat.
About The Author
Hi, friends 👋🏽. I'm Stacy Casson, a Lean Six Sigma certified mom of five. I used to hold a PhD in creating chaos. Now, I help other busy, overwhelmed parents move from Chief Doing Officer to Trusted Advisor and reclaim their peace.
