I have always had a fascination with the moon.
As a young girl, I would peek out the window at bedtime to wish upon the stars and then find myself searching for the moon in the dark sky. There were nights when it was right there—big and beautiful, rich with full light—and other nights when I couldn’t find it. Either it hadn’t risen yet or it was in its new moon phase, also known as the dark moon. I was thrilled to bits when I would see it rising high above the trees, settling into wispy clouds, peeking in and out as the sky grew darker.
I loved seeing the moon change shapes, from a barely crescent moon to a quarter moon to a gibbous moon and finally to what looked like a perfect circle in the night sky. It was a stunning contrast against a dark backdrop of what felt like a universe that went on and on and on.
There were childhood summers where I was lying flat on my back in the grass, looking up at the night sky, counting stars, and searching for the moon. I would borrow my dad’s binoculars to zoom in, seeing the craters and wondering what it would be like to step foot on what felt like another planet. I even dreamed of being an astronaut flying into space, hoping to be the first woman on the moon. This passion for the moon and the night sky carried into my schooling, where I soaked in everything I could learn about our solar system, feeling that the moon was within my reach.
After studying the phases of the moon in college astronomy classes and later understanding the astrological impact it could have on personal transformation, I began to explore the spiritual connections that the moon had brought to many cultures over thousands of years. No matter where we are in the world, we can see the moon. It’s something we all have in common.
The moon had brought great comfort to me in my life, particularly during times when I’d felt a loss of personal identity. This occurred shortly after the birth of my first child, a period of anxiety, depression, and confusion. I was a mother, but who was I really? I took many walks during that first year as a mom, gazing at the moon and trying to make sense of who I was and what purpose my life served.
This same feeling returned as I edged closer to my sixties, feeling bored with where my life was at that time, wondering if there was any magic still left within me, enough to cobble together a dream or two. And that was when it hit me. What were my dreams?
I found it difficult to conceive any images in my mind or to feel a pull in any particular direction. I seemed, once again, to be in a state of wondering, questioning, yearning for something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I knew there had to be clarity somewhere beyond the fog I found myself immersed in—and I was eager to discover it.
It was during these intense periods of feeling lost with no star map to guide me that I just sat with the stuckness, becoming present with where I was in the moment, recognizing that I was wandering, hoping, breathing deeply, and reconnecting with the sense of peace I always felt whenever I spent time reflecting by the moonlight. It was there that I would surrender to our lunar goddess and allow her to guide me through her many glorious phases, from the darkness of uncertainty and into the light of possibility, as I processed my thoughts, questions, and insights, recording them in my journal.
These moments of deep inquiry gave me what I needed to pivot toward a new direction without an attachment to knowing where I was headed. It was just enough light to get to the next point, where I could contemplate where I might go as I entered a new phase of self-discovery and understanding, continuing my evolutionary journey as a creative being.
Living with uncertainty, learning to embrace the element of surprise, engaging in a dance with possibility—these are the lessons I’ve learned as I’ve moved through midlife. And now I’d like to share them with you through the wisdom of my experience and through the pages of my new book, Journaling by the Moonlight: Unearthing Your Creative Calling in Midlife.
While bringing my own experience to the forefront and taking the knowledge I have of the moon and its place in spiritual transformation, I have combined it with my training as a creativity and life purpose coach and as a journaling workshop facilitator—and created a body of work. Journaling by the Moonlight is a unique blend of creativity, spirituality, and journal writing designed to take creative seekers on a path of self-exploration, a deep dive into dreams that feel nonexistent yet are still surfacing in synchronicities and symbolism, sometimes catching us by surprise.
How are these long-held dreams wanting to be expressed in this phase of midlife? How are they wanting to be noticed in a different way from what they ever have before? Where will they guide you next if you listen to their whispers?
I invite you on a magical journey of creative self-discovery, one that is open and allowing—inspired by the moon phases and laced with dreams that are still dancing around you and aligning with the stars!
About Tina Games
