The Moon at 6 Aquarius will reach its full phase with the Sun at 6 Leo on Wednesday, July 29 at 7:36 a.m. Pacific time. The Full Moon in July is traditionally called the Buck Moon because it’s at the peak of summer when male deer grow new antlers.
And this year, the Buck Moon occurs just a few days before August 1, a time of celebration in the northern hemisphere called Lammas, marking the grain harvest. We are at the mid-point between the summer solstice and the coming fall equinox.
Aquarius is our fixed air sign, with a style that is mental, analytical, even tending toward aloofness. The Moon in Aquarius is enigmatic because the Moon, archetypally, is soft, watery, and emotionally engaged while Aquarius brings a touch of detachment. When the Moon is in Aquarius, one might feel like stepping back from fraught situations, taking time to rationally analyze what’s going on. All the moreso when the Moon is in its full phase, maximally lit up, reflecting the light of the Sun.
This lunation highlights the polarity between the Leo Sun and the Aquarius Moon. Fire sign Leo is the Sun’s home sign. A Leonine personality is warm, loyal, romantic, loving to bask in the glow of fully exposing their creative talents. Fire signs tend to be headstrong and enthusiastic.
By contrast, Aquarius is more like “when cooler heads prevail.” Aquarius is ruled by the stern planetary force of Saturn and is one of the “fixed” or stable signs. An Aquarian personality wants to get a job done without a lot of fanfare—but with set ideas about how to do things—and for the sake of groups and humanity at large.
Leo can be said to be about Me, while Aquarius is more about All of Us. Both styles are oriented toward making a contribution beyond the narrow self.
What’s extraordinary about the year’s Aquarius Full Moon is that both of the lights (Sun and Moon) will be conjoined by powerful planets, facing each other. This is a transit of Jupiter and Pluto, opposed.
The Moon on July 29 will be just past a conjunction with dwarf planet Pluto, symbolic of subterranean power. This Moon/Pluto conjunction may have one excavating shadowy emotional tales about oneself, or navigating power struggles with loved ones.
Meanwhile, at the Full Moon, expansive planet Jupiter will be just about at an exact conjunction with the Sun. This is a time in a planet’s cycle called cazimi, when the planet is said to enter into “the heart of the Sun,” to be infused with solar fire, energized for maximal expression of its symbolism.
What is Jupiter, archetypally? It is thought of as being benefic and fortunate. More broadly, Jupiter is like a magnifying glass. It is grandiose.
Jupiter correlates with the archetype of the Queen or King. In the Greek pantheon, Jupiter’s predecessor is Zeus, the King of the Gods. And there is no more royal a sign for a planet to be traveling through than Leo, ruled by the Sun and with the Lion as its totem. While Jupiter is in the heart of the Sun, one might contemplate the dimensions of one’s being where one is sovereign, confident, and also generous.
At this Full Moon, with Jupiter and the Sun burning bright in Leo and illuminating the Moon/Pluto conjunction, to say that this is a powerful Full Moon would be an understatement.
Whatever is going on in one’s life, whether it be an emotionally laden power dynamic (Moon/Pluto) or a loud burst of creativity (Sun/Jupiter) this Full Moon is an optimal time for paying attention and proceeding with a healthy dose of Aquarian perspective and reserve.
Blessings for the Aquarius Full Moon!
~ Sara
Sara R. Diamond, an astrologer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a life-long student and practitioner in several esoteric paths. Her style of astrology combines modern-psychological astrology with insights from traditional astrology. Sara is also an estate planning attorney. In addition, she has published four books on right-wing movements in the United States and earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. You are invited to contact Sara via her website at www.SaraDiamondAstrology.com.
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