Ready, steady, focus. The 2020 Capricorn full moon and lunar eclipse on Sunday, July 5 (late July 4 in some places), helps us regain our footing in the face of uncertainty.

The year’s only Capricorn full moon—also a potent lunar eclipse—ignites the star sign of long-term goals and lends structure to our ambitions. The 2020 Capricorn full moon occurs at 12:44 AM EDT on July 5.

Remember those New Year’s resolutions you started mapping out late last year—and, well, do they even make sense anymore? Maybe, maybe not. This July Fourth weekend, you may liberate yourself from the tyranny of certain ambitions, reclaiming your long, lost freedom in the process. But don’t be surprised if you feel a surge of momentum. Deferred dreams COULD come back into focus under the light of this motivating lunar eclipse.

Look back to December 26, 2019, the date of the corresponding Capricorn new moon, which was a potent solar eclipse. Any seeds planted then could come be ready to harvest. And since both are borne out of the mystical energy of eclipses, there could be a surprising bonus yield to this crop, especially if you’ve put in “sweat equity” and hustle.

As the USA observes Independence Day, expansive Jupiter, transformational Pluto and structural Saturn will all be in Capricorn at close proximity to the USA’s natal Pluto (27 degrees Capricorn). This is close to the point that Pluto was at in the sky on July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was ratified.

For more on this, watch our Starstruck 2020 episode with fellow astrologer Sam Reynolds “America’s Pluto Return: Riding the Starmap of a Historic Year.”

While these powerful planets make an ultra-rare convergence, the skies reveal—in the full light of a lunar eclipse—where the ideals of “liberty and justice for all” have yet to transform and evolve. With radical changemaker Uranus forming a trine (90-degree angle) to the eclipse, an awakening is upon us.

Under the star sign symbolized by the persistent and steady Sea Goat, the Capricorn full moon shines its inspector’s high beams on your life. This full moon can be humbling as it reveals where you’ve cut corners or skipped steps. If you got distracted from your mission, you could snap back to attention. Pick up the ball and run with it again. It’s never too late to start over!

The 2020 Capricorn full moon is also a “Buck Moon”

July’s full moon is called the Buck Moon, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac. Each year in July, the male deer (buck) begin to regrow their antlers. This month‘s lunation is also called the Thunder Moon, so get ready for more wake-up calls.

This is also the final eclipse in a two-year series that’s been striking the Cancer-Capricorn axis since July 12, 2018. Turbulence surrounding your career or work/home life balance could sort itself out after this full moon passes. Since Capricorn governs our public image and professional goals, clarity around “what’s next” could finally stream in after a couple long years of deliberation.

Capricorn rules authority figures, governments, institutions and hierarchies, and this ground-shaking eclipse will impact these areas. Power dynamics and structures could be up for major questioning.

Below are 6 ways to activate your ambitions at the 2020 Capricorn full moon and lunar eclipse

Don’t forget to celebrate what HAS been accomplished. Despite 2020’s disruptive circumstances, it’s also been a groundbreaking and transformational year. If you look back over the past two years, you’re sure to see your own personal evolution, even if it’s come with a painful lesson or two.

1. Design your dreams

Check in: Are your goals manifesting in a way that brings you joy, or could they use a full-on course correction? Maybe a peak has turned into a valley or a distracting detour; perhaps you just reached the finish line and are not sure where to turn next. Pause to plug in new GPS coordinates and get yourself back on track.

Remember: Strong structures begin with a blueprint. If you haven’t mapped out your vision, this lunar lift sends you back to your creative drafting board. Start by identifying milestones to mark your progress. What would the halfway point look like, phase one, or the beta test? This single-focused full moon might inspire you to do LESS, but to give your all to one important benchmark that you want to accomplish by the end of 2020.

After you have the desired endpoint in your crosshairs, sketch out a list of actionable items. If you’re serious about developing a venture, you’ll probably need support, especially in moments when you hit a roadblock. Tap a wise and experienced person to formally show you the way. One session with a consultant might be all that’s needed to get a stuck mission in motion.

2. Watch the clock

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, AKA Kronos, the god of time. Quarantining and work-from-home life has thrown many people’s schedules for a loop in 2020. It’s fair to say that we aren’t dominated by timelines in quite the same way we’ve been in years past. Simultaneously, the coronavirus has made time feel more precious than ever as we confront the pandemic’s looming threat to mortality.

Under this lunar eclipse, examine your relationship to the clock. Open up your calendar and have a look. If you stopped scheduling back in March, maybe it’s time to start plugging appointments back into your daily grid. Set reminder alarms so you don’t have to rely on memory, which takes up more psychic space than most of us realize.

On the flipside, have you overscheduled yourself with Zoom calls, family duties and community action projects? Yes, 2020 IS the year to be involved but leave room for spontaneity too. While it’s not as easy as it once was to just drop into farmers’ markets or happen upon concerts in the park, lunar eclipses reveal surprises. Leave space in your life for magic!

3. Change the symptoms, not the systems

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. But sometimes the issue cuts deeper than that. To truly evoke change, you have to work beyond the surface or symptoms, transforming the system itself. As the Law of Attraction states, “The roots create the fruits.”

Capricorn is the zodiac sign that rules structures—including the government, corporations and the economy. Authority figures of all stripes fall under the Sea Goat’s domain. With sweeping social reforms underway, along with an upcoming U.S. Presidential election, this full moon seems perfectly poised to help us assess leadership structures.

If you want to make a lasting difference, lean in to that Capricorn tenacity. Research laws and policies, address city council, set up an appointment with the HR director. Following protocol can be frustrating, but it’s part of the slow and steady methodology that a Capricorn-fueled victory requires. Persist!

4. Ground yourself with structure

Yeah, it may sound like the boring stuff, but remember, without structure, there really can’t be any creativity or freedom for the long haul. It’s one of those universal paradoxes: Without teeth-gritting discipline, the pyramids would never have been built. The Grammy-nominated album would never drop. The best-selling manuscript would languish half-finished because you couldn’t figure out how to resolve a plot contradiction.

Those moments when you feel stuck or need to break things down into action steps to get through an impasse? That’s when Capricorn’s systematic flow makes all the difference. Open up your calendar app and plug in tasks for the next week, or month. Bite sized is still the right size if it gets you one step closer to your goal every day.

5. Let your resistance guide you

This brings us to the next piece of your Capricorn full moon transformation work. Ask yourself: “What am I resisting?” Be brave, and brutally honest here. Capricorn is a stubborn Goat, after all! It’s the flip side of being tenacious and loyal—you’ve gotta be able to dig your heels in and stick to a position—which is fine up to a point.

There comes a juncture where we become our own worst enemies, and stubbornness turns into self-sabotage. But instead of seeing resistance as “bad,” let’s view it as energy and acknowledge it. There’s probably some innate wisdom underneath the surface. As human beings, we are a species trying to survive, stay safe and avoid pain. So what’s the embedded emotion hiding behind your refusal to embrace what’s right for you—or to take that next brave step?

A lot of the time, it’s just fear. When we’re scared, we go into a self-protective fight-or-flight mode. Ask yourself: What am I protecting myself from by not taking action? How can I help myself feel safe and get back into action?

6. Start again

So you stopped doing cardio every morning. You were overwhelmed by the state of the world. Hung over. You meant to and swore you’d go tomorrow. You didn’t. A week passed. Then why bother? It was too late, right? Well, the Capricorn full moon doesn’t think so. It says, forgive yourself—and set a new goal. Begin again, right where you left off. Or, go back two spaces on the metaphorical Monopoly board if you must.

Capricorn energy is also about taking careful steps up the rocky trail. If you focus on the top of the mountain it seems daunting. But if you just take the first step, and the one after that, soon enough, you’ll look up and you’re halfway to the summit.