Full Buck Moon in Capricorn

Today the full moon was at 4:38 in the afternoon. It’s been several months since I’ve made time to do a full moon ritual. With all the changes I’ve been trying to enact in my life, especially in the front of making more time for myself, I remembered how centering full moon rituals have been in the past for me.

About this Full Moon

What the Buck?

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, this full moon is called the buck moon, as its timing coincides with full antler growth across the cervidae family. With a little research, I found that antler growth is heavily influenced by seasonal changes and rainfall, which enable them to consume enough forage to sustain their protein needs. Coincidentally, due to the uptick in thunderstorms in most places throughout this time of the year (aka hurricane season), this is also referred to as the full thunder moon.

As a gardener, I’ve been drawn to the practical, grounded-in-nature definitions of the moon cycles as provided by The Old Farmer’s Almanac. They are observational, correlate to naturally occurring events, and teach one about the cycles of the world around them.

Astronomical Occurrences

This full moon also coincides with a partial lunar eclipse, also referred to as a half-blood moon, for the majority of the eastern hemisphere.

Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Chiron (a planetoid orbiting Saturn and Jupiter), Neptune, and Pluto are all retrograde. Retrograde is when these planets and planetoids appear to be moving backwards in orbit when viewed relatively from planet Earth. The celestial bodies do not actually change direction.

Comparative Mythology & Alchemical Associations

This information is sourced from a post made by @awitchalone on Instagram. When asked, she told me the source of her moon correspondences come from various sources through her own research, but most importantly, the book Moon Magick by the late D.J. Conway, who passed in February of this year.

D.J. Conway was an author who wrote non-fiction compendiums on topics ranging from magic, Wicca, Druidism, shamanism, metaphysics, and the occult, as well as a few fantasy novels. In Moon Magick, she pulls from a wide variety of mythological sources to compile a list of cultural and alchemical symbols that correspond to each full moon.

• Herbs: honeysuckle, agrimony, lemon balm, hyssop
• Colors: silver, blue-grey
• Flowers: lotus, water lily, jasmine
• Scents: orris, frankincense
• Crystals: pearl, moonstone, white agate
• Trees: oak, acacia, ash
• Animals: crab, turtle, dolphin, whale
• Birds: starling, ibis, swallow
• Nature spirits: hobgoblins, faeries of harvested crops
• Deities: Khepera, Athene, Juno, Hel, Holda, Certidwen, Nephthys, Venus
• Power flow: relaxed, preparing, succeeding, dream-work, divination, meditation for (spiritual) goals and plans

My Full Moon Ritual

Theme for this Cycle: Unfolding

One word kept coming into mind as I was thinking about where I am at currently in my life, what I am doing, and what I am trying to manifest. That word was “unfolding,” usually associated in my mind with a lotus flower blooming from the mud.

Within the past couple of months, I’ve begun work into dismantling my psyche, work ethic, life views, and belief systems through a mixture of therapy, selected readings, and this blog. This deep-dive into the self is something I have lightly pondered throughout my years, but haven’t yet (until recently) worked on putting into words or fully opening up and evaluating. I am hoping that this unfolding of my self will allow for a better understanding of my emotional cycles, triggers, and how I can overcome some of my more toxic behaviors.

Cleansing: A Sensory Stim Bath

My bathtub was in desperate need of a cleaning, so I cleaned it. By itself alone, the act of cleaning out my bath helped my mental health because I don’t have to think about how disgusting and unclean I am every time I go to the restroom or take a shower. I could see how doing this monthly would have long term benefits.

Once the tub was clean, I gathered up all of my dusty ass crystals and placed them around the tub. First, I lit a candle and rinsed each of my non-metal stones under the faucet to get rid of the dust. Then, I filled the tub, adding some rosemary and tea tree oil epsom salts which smelled really nice and was good for my muscle soreness from working out in the morning. I burned some palo santo to add some more nice smells to the sensory experience.

I soaked in the tub for a good 2o minutes, at least, did some breathing exercises, and meditated on what I wanted to release and manifest in the upcoming month.

Stimming (or sensory experiences) are beneficial to calm and center neurodivergent people. As someone with ADHD and anxiety, I’ve always loved a relaxing bath, but this was the first time I had made a focus on making it a full sensory experience. It left me feeling calm, clean, soft, and refreshed.

Visualizing: Manifesting and Releasing

Calm and centered after my bath, I wrote on three pieces of paper my opening mantra, a list of actions and emotions I wanted to manifest, and a list of limiting beliefs and toxic behaviors I wanted to release.

I moved all my crystals out to my altar space, bringing with them a few candles, nag champa incense, sage bundle, a palo santo stick, a totem stick my father carved, a jar of moon water, and my tarot deck. I also readied a tall vase with water that I could drop my papers into as they burned.

I opened my private ritual by ringing my altar space with salt, anointing myself with amber oil, doing a sage cleansing of the area and myself, burning some incense and palo santo, and lighting some candles while reciting my mantra to open the circle. I read aloud the manifesting and releasing papers I had prepared, burned them each over a candle individually, and dropped them into the water to keep my fingers from burning.

I asked the cards to guide my focus for the upcoming moon cycle. I am usually this vague when I do readings so I can keep my interpretations open and find out what is truly on my mind.

Notes from the Reading

Then: Four of Cups

Key Meanings: hesitation, despondency, dissatisfaction, restlessness, meditation, contemplation, apathy, re-evaluation

Generally, you may be low on energy and motivation, and withdraw into a kind of restless apathy and depression. Bored or dissatisfied with the status quo, there is little that excites you any more. Like the person depicted in the Four of Cups card, you need to re-evaluate your situation and look deep within your psyche to find understanding or meaning. Seek your inner Truth and listen to your heart and mind to gain clarity.

You may feel doubt or even cynicism when offered love or a work opportunity. Again, meditate on it, consider what opportunities you are ignoring or declining, and whether you are closing yourself off because of fear.

Don’t take life for granted. If you are in an established relationship, rekindle the romance. This card suggests that you may be taking relationships for granted, and while there is a lot of love present in your life, you will lose it if you do not continue to nurture it and demonstrate your appreciation for everything you have gained so far. Look at the cup being offered and take note of the abundance present in your life.

Spiritually, this card suggests that you’re engaging in negative outlooks and wallowing in self-pity, forgetting all the positive things you have in life. Each night remind yourself what you are grateful for.

Now: King of Spears

Key Meanings: honor, freedom, openness, inspiration, natural-born leader, vision, entrepreneur

This king is engaging, charismatic, and passionate about what he does. He might be in a business start-up, communication, the arts, or travel industry; whatever his position he holds high standards and follows his passions. This card suggests that you are a goal-oriented visionary, who doesn’t waste time on relationships or activities that lead nowhere.

Lead your life with intent, vision, and long-term view. Though you may be experiencing challenges right now, know that this is part of your journey to something more positive.

This card suggests that you may be inclined to take up a greater leadership role in the future, which will allow for greater success. Applied to a situation, a lightbulb moment offers a way to creative and financial freedom.

Additionally, it leans heavily towards an entrepreneur who reaches success by taking risks and being creative and visionary. This king is often an artist and encourages you to follow your passions.

“Follow your bliss. Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it… Doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn’t be a door for anyone else.”

Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

The King of Spears is a fit, athletic, and attractive older male with red hair and blue eyes, who radiates confidence and positive energy. He is solutions-oriented, highly creative, and a true leader. This card suggests that you have a partner who wants to be your mentor, guide, and teacher in life. He knows he has a lot to share with you and would very much like to be there by your side.

If struggling in a relationship, you’re encouraged to be the “adult” and remain focused on your goals. Keep a constructive mindset and set some goals for each of you to work on. May also signify that there would be benefit in seeing a psychologist or marriage counsellor.

Moving Forward: Queen of Swords

Key Meanings: single-mindedness, strength, intelligence, insight, quick thinker, organized, perceptive, independent

The queen — smart, charismatic, and wise — is an ally up to a point, but she ultimately puts herself first. A quick thinker and highly perceptive, she calls for direct, honest, and unbiased communication, cutting through noise to the truth.

Applied to a situation, she advises you to trust your intelligence and insights. Use fact and logic, thinking with your head and not your heart to make your decisions.

The card often comes up in readings to show strength of character, and it can stand for single parents and single women. This queen is highly independent and has learned to handle her own and take care of herself. Romantic notions about love have been cast aside for a more logical and rational approach.

Your partner may see you as someone who seeks independence while still remaining in a committed relationship. Since the Queen of Swords tends to not be overly affectionate, you might want to explore different ways to express your love for your partner more actively. Although, if you are having issues in your relationship, look at the overall situation from an impartial unbiased perspective and try to leave your emotions out of it.

Feelings and Connections

“Take note of the abundance present in your life.” was almost word-for-word one of my points on my manifestations list.

The whole depression and self-pity aspects of the Four of Cups is very reminiscent of the depressive episode I just had a few weeks ago. In my wallowing, I even said something to the effect of, “I just feel like I never get excited about anything any more.”

Furthermore, I feel like the more introspective aspects point to the general “unfolding” work I have been doing, as of late. I started working through some exercises from the book Designing Your Life, which involve me really evaluating my views on life, work, and purpose and getting real introspective.

Honestly, I can’t decide whether the King of Spears is indicative of myself or my partner. I’m an entrepreneur and artist, but my partner, a red-head, recently started in a leadership role and has done a lot to motivate me and encourage me to take a more positive outlook on life.

Additionally, I’ve had a few conversations lately with friends and started planning out my resources available, because I am getting to a point with my freelance web and design work where I need to start subcontracting out. I feel like this aligns with the King of Spears encouragement to take risks and pursue a greater leadership role.

The last line of the King of Spears seems relevant because I started seeing a therapist a little over a month ago and after my most recent visit she sent me some trust exercises to work through with my partner. Before I went out of town last weekend, I emailed him some information I got from her on reflective listening, holding space, and the trust exercise.

This Queen of Swords I feel like points most towards getting to the source of my own truth and speaking clearly and effectively on my needs. I have a tendency to get tangled up in the emotional minutiae, which tends to get in the way of me truly expressing myself to my partner, my family, my friends…