2018 is the year of celestial happenings.
From Super Blue Blood Moons to astronomical alignments, there’s a lot going on up there. Depending on how astrological you want to get, that also likely means there can be a lot going on in you—your heart, your relationships, where you set your feet.
I used to ignore the patterns of the moon as I went about my daily life, but tapping into lunar energy has proved essential to my felt sense of being a woman.
Our cycles magically mirror the moon’s own monthly transformation, and certain moon phases have been known to instigate dreams and subconscious desires.
I’m not running about naked under the next eclipse, but I’ve learned to respect every month’s full (and new) moon and honor its energies. On July 27th, a “Full Buck Moon” will rise, named so to acknowledge the fully-grown antlers many bucks display at this time.
The Full Buck Moon is also known as the Blessing Moon, Ripe Corn Moon, and Thunder Moon—all to symbolize peak summer harvests and midsummer thunderstorms.
While it won’t be visible from the U.S. or Canada, a total lunar eclipse will also occur as the Full Buck Moon rises.
This moon comes with powerful positive energy at the height of summer. Here’s what you can do to channel this vibrant, blessings-full energy into your life.
Start a July gratitude practice
The July full moon is a moon of blessings, so herald its rays with your own gratitude practice. This can be somewhat casual if you wish, but to truly channel the Full Buck Moon’s energy, commit to being thankful.
In fact, try committing to a daily gratitude practice in the July days leading up to the Full Buck Moon to truly honor its namesake as the Blessing Moon.
Begin each day with a list of your blessings. Identify these mentally or put pen to paper.
Be honest rather than cursory. What do you have that fills you? What have you been given (besides breath) that enables you to live the way you want to live? Think large and small, tangible and abstract.
You may even wish to turn your gratitude practice into a blessings meditation. Meditate on a single blessing every day, sinking into a state of abundance and receiving.
States of deep gratitude have been known to ignite the frontal cortex, stimulate high-frequency brain waves, and trigger the release of the body’s healing hormones and enzymes.
Honor your growth
As bucks prance around with their newly grown antlers, honor your own growth under the light of the Full Buck Moon.
It’s easy to stare at the stars and feel our own insignificance. This July, change that pattern by celebrating your own abundant potential and achievements.
As the Buck Moon rises, consider where you were a year ago. What were your hopes? What dreams were pulsing out of reach? Most importantly, where are you now?
Think about the things that make you proud. Get exhilarated. Write down your achievements, take a power stance, create a self-portrait of success.
Resist the impulse to mentally limit these observations of your own powerful growth. Challenge that self-talk and rewrite it, even if you do so for one lunar day.
Acknowledge the “winter” in your days
The Full Buck Moon marks approximately five months until the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. It will also prelude a Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse, visible in some countries.
The poignancy of this moon lies in the fact that its rising marks the approach (rather than the retreat) of the colder, darker months. Its “bloody” appearance is reminiscent of vitality as well as death.
While July’s moon vibrates with the positive, it’s also important to pay homage to its proximity to ice, snow, blood, fertility, and inner reflection.
During this part of July’s lunar cycle, take some time to acknowledge the “winter” in your own days and nights. If you are currently grieving a toxic relationship, show your grief respect. If you’ve lost a loved one, a pet, a job, or a dream, honor your emotions by letting them speak.
To truly harness the power of the July moon’s positivity, also allow yourself to see the bigger picture of your grief, pain, or general “winter.” Notice how the darker threads make the lighter ones all the more vibrant, for example.
If you aren’t currently navigating a winter landscape, reflect on past “winters.” In past Julys, I’ve celebrated the blossoming and freedom I experienced after leaving an abusive relationship, for example—blossoming I couldn’t see at the time but that now has become apparent.
Bow to the positives in relationships
Harvest time and summer days are all about relationships, romantic and platonic. Longer days and warmer nights bring us closer to those around us, and summer is often the time of expression, the release of inhibition, and discovery.
In anticipation of July’s full moon, bow to all that is positive in your relationships. Do what you can to celebrate what is keeping all of these connections afloat.
Shower your lover with a new kind of affection. Tell your mom how you really feel about your meaningful conversations. Give your brother a hug. Give better hugs in general.
Better yet, reach out and forgive the crunchier parts of these relationships—the emphasis should be to nurture here, rather than to neglect.
Don’t forget about celebrating the work you’ve done to create this positivity of connection, either. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve done well.
Make space for you
Full moons can be incredibly earthy times when we as humans feel the true cosmic pull and light of the planets.
Because July’s moon heralds growth, blessings, and fullness, take this part of the planetary cycle to make room for you.
Revel in who you are, where you have been, and where you will go. Set aside a morning, evening, or full day to devote entirely to your own personal, wild whims. Now is a good time to embark on a self-imposed vision quest, if you’re feeling bold.
It is also a ripe time for starting a new meditation practice, exploring an oft-neglected passion or hobby, and savoring something only you can savor—food, an afternoon jaunt, some really great beats.
Preparing for seasonal harvests is a lot like the giving we do in our daily lives. Planting seeds and tilling soil mirrors our constant efforts to nurture our relationships, careers, and private joys.
Harvest time, however, is when it’s okay to reap the benefits of your hard work, to revel in bounty and feel a tiny bit selfish. Put yourself in the circle of glowing, positive light this full moon will reveal.
Hold a moon ritual
If you like rituals and ceremonies, the Full Buck Moon invites all lunar lovers to formally salute its rising (and falling). Hold a moon ritual to honor its passing during this poignant, bountiful time of year.
Your moon ritual can be self-directed, or you can call on friends and family members to create a celebration. Invite your best girlfriends over for a lunar gathering and potluck.
Travel to a mountaintop or remote place and honor the moon’s rising by singing songs, dancing, lighting incense, or whatever else you feel like doing. If you really want to go for it, wear all white when the Full Buck Moon appears to truly channel its positive, blessings-full energy.
Explore past lives in this freedom of blessings
Harvest time is plentiful and brimming with joy. The energy of the Full Buck Moon is potent, celebratory, and exultant.
There’s no better time to take a dive into your own spiritual past. If you believe in the notion of past lives, you may wish to safely explore your earlier existences in the light of the Full Buck Moon’s freedom and playfulness.
You don’t have to sign up for past life regression therapy (although now is as good a time as any to do so).
But you can try out past life meditations, body movement, and exploration, and journal work to find out who you were prior to this moment in time.
Find a garden (or make one)
Did I mention that the Full Buck Moon is all about upcoming harvests and bounty? To chase down this moon’s positive vibes, find an actual garden. Walk around in it with your bare feet.
Offer your services to a community garden group or cooperative. When harvest time emerges, help bring those bright, shining vegetables and fruits indoors.
If a garden is not available, why not make your own? Bring some green into your apartment or home via succulents or indoor herb gardens. Drop by a garden center and touch some vines, inhaling the scent of vital earth.
Or, find a tree and hug it. Breathe in the bark. Better yet—nuzzle up to a tree when the Full Buck Moon rises. Nature will notice, and your heart will thrum in response. 
