Ready, steady, build! On July 16, 2019, the year’s only Capricorn full moon—also a potent lunar eclipse—lends some structure to our ambitions, as it ignites the star sign of long-term goals and plans and rises in the skies at 5:38pm EST.
Remember those New Year’s resolutions you started mapping out in late December of last year? Maybe…and then again maybe not! But this Tuesday, July 16, you may hit a few of those milestones under the light of Capricorn full moon. Look back particularly to January 5, 2019, the date of the Capricorn new moon solar eclipse. Any seeds planted then could come together now—or be up for a midyear review. Have you put in the sweat equity to reap the rewards for your hard work?
As the star sign symbolized by the persistent and steady Sea Goat, the Capricorn full moon shines its inspector’s high beams on your life, revealing where you may have cut corners or skipped steps. If you got distracted from your mission, these Capricorn moonbeams may motivate you to pick up the ball and run with it again. It’s never too late to start over!
The full moon in July is called the Buck Moon, according to 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.
This year’s Capricorn full moon will travel in close proximity to alchemical Pluto, sounding the call for transformation. With the intensified eclipse beams lighting the shadows of Pluto, prepare for a potentially shocking look under the hood of your own psyche and motivations. Power dynamics and structures could be up for major questioning. Capricorn rules authority figures, governments, institutions and hierarchies. A ground-shaking eclipse here will impact these areas.
And don’t forget to celebrate what HAS been accomplished since the year began! If you look back over the past six-plus months, you’re sure to see your own personal evolution, even if it’s come with a painful lesson or two.
Below are 8 star-powered tips to help you activate your ambitions at the Capricorn full moon.
1. Design your dreams.
Be honest: Do your biggest desires fall in the “pipe dream” realm, or are you taking concrete steps to actualize them? You don’t need to have everything planned out to the smallest detail, but all strong structures begin with a blueprint. Go back to your creative drafting board and sketch out some actionable items. Identify milestones to mark progress. If you’re serious about starting or expanding a venture, you might invest in working with a financial planner or developing a quarterly plan for your projects. If you want true love, reverse engineer the steps you’ll need to take to truly be ready to meet that soulmate or become an awesome partner yourself.
You can also ask yourself this: 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. If you’re coasting along happily, the ambitious Capricorn full moon lays down the gauntlet: What’s the next challenging milestone you want to tackle? Humans can only settle in stasis for so long before that urge to grow kicks in.
We’re all for creative visualization and the Law of Attraction. However, the fine art of “manifesting” pairs well with personal responsibility. Or, as the saying goes: Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet. The Capricorn full moon reminds you to do the work and you’ll reap the rewards in due time.
2. Adopt modesty as your best policy.
Earthy, stoic Capricorn is no flashy show pony. This sign lets its accomplishments speak for themselves. At the Capricorn full moon, practice the forgotten art of self-restraint. Yes, we live in an era of self-promotion, where barely anything is left to the imagination—from your colleague’s kale salad to the flower crown-filtered weekend of the century that (yep) you missed out on. Skip the high-pitched bunny voices or vocal fry, and keep it real today. In business negotiations, the less you say, the more you gain. At the Capricorn full moon, be more discerning about what you share.
3. Honor your father figures.
Capricorn rules the zodiac’s fatherhood house. Father’s Day might have come and gone, but it’s not too late to pay tribute to your dad. If that’s a complicated relationship, perhaps you just want to get some illumination on the thornier dynamics that might still haunt you. Get in touch with your own “yang” energy, too. We are all a balance of the feminine and masculine energetic polarities, regardless of sex and gender identity. How can you express this—or bring it into harmony—within yourself?
4. Embrace 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. (Or, as our Team Astrostyle member Gemini Jess says, “Structure for flow.”) It’s one of those universal paradoxes we wish wasn’t so. Without teeth-gritting discipline and persistence—two hallmarks of the Capricorn realm—the Sistine Chapel would never have been painted. The award-winning 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 blocked or need to break things down into action steps to get through an impasse? That’s when Capricorn hustle and muscle makes all the difference.
5. Start again.
So you stopped doing yoga every morning. You were tired. Hung over. You meant to go, 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. One of our favorite quotes by Capricorn Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
6. 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 eat your vegetables, get the mammogram, stop giving your dad the silent treatment, or quit your abusive job?
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?
7. Personify your resistance.
At the Capricorn full moon, you might try free-writing about your resistance. Identify it: What color is it? What’s its name? What does it look like? How do you feel when you think about it? That may sound corny, but it can help you view your resistance more objectively. Since Capricorn is the sign of repression, and in order to “misbehave” (read: be less than perfect), this sign can sometimes create a second persona. Many Capricorns are even famous for their alter egos—like David “Ziggy Stardust” Bowie and Marilyn Manson. Sometimes, it takes creating one of those to bust through a block.
8. Seek mentorship and guidance.
Capricorn is the sign of mentors and guides. To help further combat your resistance, sometimes you need to hear from someone who’s “been there, done that.” This Capricorn full moon is an excellent time to tap a wise and experienced person to formally show you the way. They can reassure you that everything will be okay if and when you freak out. And they can act as valuable sounding boards as you navigate tough decisions. Reach out to a person you admire and see if they’d be willing to share their experiences and insights. You never know unless you ask!
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