New Moon through Glass

There’s an old superstition that it’s bad luck to look at the new moon through glass. Here we deconstruct this belief to see what is actually behind it.

For astrologers, the new moon means a new beginning, new energy. A chance to let go of the past. You’ve finished the business that needed finishing. You’ve done your cleaning and decluttering, you’ve shrugged your shoulders, made your affirmations and you’re ready for the new. This all feels positive.

Then a day or so after the new moon you look at the western horizon at sunset and you catch a glimpse of the first crescent of the moon like a backwards letter C. It’s faintly visible but it’s there, just before it follows the setting sun and disappears below the horizon.

 But should you see the first crescent of the new moon in the mirror (through a looking glass) it appears the other way round like a letter C – in other words as a waning crescent moon. 

In a mirror, the image of the waxing (growing) moon is reversed. And the growth of the new cycle is considered to be annulled.

That’s why it was considered unlucky to see the new moon through (a looking) glass.

This has become distorted over the years to suggest that you shouldn’t look at the new moon through a glass window. In my opinion, this is not the case as clear glass does not affect the image of the moon. And for those who wear glasses…