Ep. 36 The Full Moon Coffee Shop
Written by Cordelia.
Listen to the full episode :
How are you doing, my dear listeners? Yesterday was the Moon Festival for many East Asian countries, and it was also the night when the full moon shone its brightest and most beautiful light of the year. This occasion is a time for family gatherings in many Chinese households. As we know, the full moon’s lunar energy can sometimes make people feel a bit uneasy. Perhaps this unease comes from the weariness after a long summer, but for those who often keep their emotions hidden, the beginning of autumn is when their true colors start to emerge. That’s why the ancient Chinese people dedicated this evening to family, creating a space where they could express their true feelings.
In many cultures, the moon is revered like a god, while the stars are seen as storytellers, sharing the wisdom they’ve gathered from above.
In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about a novel titled The Full Moon Coffee Shop (満月珈琲店の星詠み), written by Mai Mochizuki.
About the Novel
The Full Moon Coffee Shop was first published in July, 2020, now is a series, on the book #5. And the first book is translated into English and published on August 29, 2024.
This novel tells a realistic magical story, at the Full Moon Coffee Shop, customers enjoy cakes, coffees, and teas, while the feline staff consult them on their asotrlogy birth charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and help them navigate the points where their lives have gone astray. Each visitor has been feeling more than a little lost, whether it’s a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck tv show producer, a hopeful hairstylist, or a technologically challenged IT enteripuer. But these feline guides know just how to set them back on their fated paths. After all, there’s a reason the shop appeared to each of them.
But here is the trick, this amazing coffee shop is run by talking cats.
In Japan, cats are symbols of good luck. According to legend, if you’re kind to a cat, one day it will return the favor. And if you happen to be kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon on the full moon nights. This particular coffee shop is unlike any other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and appears at random to people who are at crucial crossroads in their lives.
About the Writer
And now, a bit about the writer behind this enchanting tale. Mai Mochizuki was born in Kokaido and currently resides in Kyoto. She made her literary debut in 2013.
Here’s a fun fact – the writer’s surname, ‘Mochizuki,’ actually means ‘looking at the moon.’ It’s as if she was destined to write such moonlit stories, much like Murasaki Shikibu, the famed author of The Tale of Genji. You can almost imagine Mochizuki crafting her magical narratives under the same moonlit skies, and also, in Kyoto.
Starts
“The stars cannot decide your future, but they can offer guidance to help you make decisions that align with your true desires.”
Astrology can be a powerful tool, but it’s essential to remember that it’s meant to support, not dictate, our choices. For instance, you might be told by your birth chart that you have a natural inclination toward acting or working in the film industry. However, if you never take the steps to pursue that path—if you don’t audition, study the craft, or immerse yourself in the industry—you’ll never realize that potential. It’s not the stars or the astrology that determine our success; it’s us. The choices we make, the risks we take, and the actions we commit to are what truly shape our destiny.
The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a mystical place that suddenly appears when people are at a crossroads in life. Inside, two wise cats guide people through the cosmos, teaching them the order of the planets, the phases of the moon, and how these celestial bodies influence different stages of life. They don’t offer easy answers but rather insights that help you see your challenges from a new perspective. They remind people that while the stars might illuminate certain possibilities, it’s up to them to take the steps necessary to turn those possibilities into reality.
I finished the first two books of this series In both stories, the Full Moon Coffee Shop appears mysteriously on nights of the full moon, offering solace to people who find themselves lost or troubled. The feline proprietors use astrology not as a fortune-telling device but as a tool to help their customers understand themselves better and find the strength to move forward. What struck me was how seamlessly these seemingly disconnected stories wove together, creating a larger narrative that was both comforting and profound. By the end, I found myself deeply moved, not just by the stories themselves but by the idea that while astrology can guide us, it’s ultimately our own actions that determine our path.
How to get the place we want or get anywhere we want, the key is to do self-learning.
The books sparked a deeper curiosity in me about astrology. Though the astrological explanations were quite technical, the author’s deep understanding and sincere study of the subject shone through. But more importantly, these stories reinforced a critical lesson: the stars might light the way, but it’s up to us to walk the path.
Life is a Circle
In life, as in stories, everything is connected, often in ways we don’t immediately understand. The characters in the book I’m reading are no exception—each one is intricately linked to the others, their lives weaving together in a tapestry that only reveals its full pattern over time. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that nothing happens by chance. Every event, every encounter, has a purpose, even if that purpose isn’t immediately apparent.
This idea that "life is a circle" resonates deeply with me. It reminds me that while we might not always grasp the reasons behind certain events as they happen, there’s often a greater design at work. Sometimes, it takes time—days, months, even years—before the reason for something becomes clear. And in those moments of uncertainty, all we can do is keep moving forward, trusting that one day, the connections will reveal themselves.
Ending
In the book, the characters find themselves facing situations that seem random or even cruel, but as their stories intertwine, we see how their fates are linked. A seemingly insignificant meeting or a casual conversation turns out to be a crucial turning point, leading to outcomes none of them could have predicted. It’s a powerful reminder that our lives are similarly connected. The people we meet, the choices we make, the paths we cross—all these moments are part of a larger, circular journey. We may not understand the significance of each step at the time, but eventually, everything comes full circle.
Thank you for listening to this episode. This episode was written by me, Cordelia. I'll speak to you soon in our next episode.
Reference:
Writer/Host/Technician/Translator: Cordelia
Work: 満月珈琲店の星詠み (The Full Moon Coffee Shop) by 望月麻衣 (Mai Mochizuki) Book in Japanese: https://amzn.asia/d/i4MXHk0 Book in English: https://a.co/d/7yLZjLK
Background music:
フリーBGM「月と海」by Heitaro Ashibe
https://dova-s.jp/bgm/play20998.html
フリーBGM「蒼の月夜のバルカローレ」by 秦暁
https://dova-s.jp/bgm/play20820.html
