The next full Moon is upon us, with July's Buck Moon taking place in a matter of days.
July's Buck Moon is one of 12 lunar phases - such as May's Retrograde - throughout the year. And it promises to steal the scene with it's close orbit making it the biggest and brightest of 2022. Inbaal Honigman, Celebrity Psychic and Astrologer explains: "July's Buck Moon is an inspiration to each individual person to break free from the box, and become our true, fully grown selves. Some signs, like Sagittarius and Aries, are naturally individualistic and bold, so this call to live fully as their authentic selves is a relief, and they feel full of purpose.
"More timid signs, such as Taurus and Cancer, who prefer to be part of a family or a society, might find this time challenging, as they have no desire to break free and be alone," she adds. "Whilst water signs, like Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio, are strongly linked to the moon, because the moon is associated with the element of water." Read on to find your star sign and what the Buck Moon means to you during Leo season 2022 - plus when can you see it in the sky.
When is the next full Moon?
The next full Moon will be on July 13, 2022, at 19.37PM GMT. July's full moon is the third of four monthly supermoons in a row. And it's an extra-special one too as this month's Buck Moon orbits closer to Earth than any other full Moon this year.
According to Almanac, at its nearest point, July's Buck Moon will be 222,089.3 miles from Earth, meaning it will be closer than June’s Strawberry Moon by 200km. This officially makes it the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2022.
The July 2022 Buck Moon also appears slightly further south - lower in the sky - than June's full moon, meaning it can appear larger.
Interestingly, the word ‘month’ actually takes its root from the moon. A month was originally defined to be either 29 or 30 days, roughly equal to the 29.5-day cycle of the lunar phases. But some of our calendar months were later padded out with extra days so that 12 months would make up one complete 365-day solar year.
What is the Buck Moon?
The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by.
There are several alternate names for this month’s full moon too. Native American tribes call it Salmon Moon, Raspberry Moon, and Thunder Moon - because of the frequent thunderstorms in the summer.
In Celtic, July's Moon was known as the Claiming Moon, Wyrt Moon, Herb Moon, and Mead Moon, indicating that July is the time to gather herbs (or wyrts) to dry and use as spices and remedies.
Meanwhile, the Anglo-Saxons called it the Hay Moon, after the hay harvest in July.
There are a total of 12 full moon phases during the annual lunar cycle, plus the occasional Blue Moon, and each full moon has a unique name tied to the changing seasons, behaviour of the plants, animals, or weather during that month and reflects the landscape around us.
It's unclear exactly when the Buck Moon began, but over time, different cultures have given different names to full moons across the lunar calendar.
The number of Moon names differs slightly from tribe to tribe, but many assign either 12 or 13 full moons to the year. These names were then adopted by the Colonial Americans and have entered popular culture.
Astrologer Inbaal Honigman tells Goodto: "In the past decade, the proliferation of Social Media has blurred geographical lines, and Native American names which have been used across the pond for generations, have hit our shores with gorgeous names such as the Wolf Moon in January, the Strawberry Moon in June, and indeed the Buck Moon in July."
Buck Moon: Spiritual meaning
With the ripeness of summer in full swing during July's full Moon, the spiritual meaning of the Buck Moon is all about taking positive steps towards our hopes and personal development.
The strong Buck energy brings spiritual themes of strength and ambition into this season of abundance, making it a great time to manifest whatever you desire and taking steps to become a better version of yourself.
This year, July's Buck Moon also marks the full Moon for Capricorn. And astrologer Lisa-Marie Kiss of Be Mindful Studio, has said: "The full moon in Capricorn is opposite the sun and Mercury in Cancer. This is the axis that describes our home lives, career, family, nurturing environments, and structures."
Essentially, the July Buck Moon is all about self growth and is a sign that good things are about to happen in your life.
Capricorn in full moon - July 2022
This year's Buck Moon is in the star sign of Capricorn. Astrologer Inbaal Honigman explains: "Invariably, each sign's full moon will occur around six months from the person's birthday (and once a year the new moon in your sign will be right next to your birthday), and this gives us pause to think about all that we've achieved since the previous birthday, and what we will conquer before the next."
She adds that when a star sign experiences their full moon (once a year) that it's usually a great time "to take stock and make decisions" regarding the six months that follow.
"Full Moons are a time in the month that our energy is at a peak, ripe and ready to take action," Honigman continues. "It's a good time to manifest, to write down our wishes and visualise the outcomes, creating change in our lives. Whether it's a mindset change or whether we're creating real-life miracles, the distinction is unimportant. The full moon energy carries the intent forward."
So what does this mean for Capricorn? Inbaal explains:
"Capricorn is a practical, material sign, and the full moon in Capricorn therefore lends itself to pushing us to move forward towards independence. What's interesting is that the meaning of the Capricorn full moon and the traditional meaning of the Buck Moon are one and the same."
She adds: "The full moon in your sign fills you with optimism. Make a decision to reach a goal, and just go for it!"
What does the full moon mean for other zodiac signs?
Taurus
Astrologer Inbaal Honigman says: "A very active July can be expected, with passionate planet Mars is your sign most of the month. You'll be getting all your steps in."
Aries
"July is a passionate and exciting month for you, especially in the beginning, with generous planet Jupiter in your sign," Inbaal explains.
Pisces
Inbaal explains: "You're feeling dreamy in July, what else is new? Try to reach out and meet some real-life friends, to snap out of the dreamlike state."
Scorpio
According to Inbaal, it's a quiet month for Scorpios. "Springtime was busy for you, so in July you finally get to rest up. Mars, your ruling planet, enters Taurus, a very calm and elegant sign, which gives you a chance to relax."
Sagittarius
"A confident month for you," Inbaal explains. "Fiery energies fill you up, astrologically speaking, and you push yourself hard to succeed and achieve.
Cancer
Inball says: "You love keeping in touch with others, and with Mercury, planet of communication in your sign this month, you'll be catching up with cousins far and wide."
Aquarius
"This July, when the state of the world is challenging, and others are struggling, your chilled nature carries you well, and you surround yourself with your best people," Inbaal reveals.
Gemini
According to Inbaal, Geminis are in for a romantic month. "Love planet Venus is in your sign for half of the month," she says. "So you'll find lots of time for romance, especially around the full moon."
Leo
It's all about career for Leos this month. Inbaal says: "The final week of the month, when the Sun enters your sign, you'll be busy beyond measure, with a possible job offer on the cards."
Libra
Inbaal explains: "Your partner tries to drag you into some gossip or an argument this month, which proves unsuccessful. You choose to be the peacemaker."
Virgo
Virgos are in for an exciting month, as Inbaal explains: "You strike a good balance in July, with work, family and personal achievements all reaching success, each at different times."
When was the last full moon?
The last full moon took place on June 14, 2022. This was another supermoon, appearing brighter and larger than a regular full moon and was the second supermoon of 2022.
June's full Moon is known as the Strawberry Moon. Named after the Algonquin Native American tribe in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, it alludes to the region's strawberry harvesting season when the berries begin to bloom.
However, in Europe, strawberries did not grow hundreds of years ago. So the June full moon was typically referred to as the Rose Moon, in celebration of rose bushes blooming this time of year.
Many think that it is named the Strawberry Moon thanks to the Moon's reddish hue, but this is not true. A Moon usually appears to have a red tinge when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of atmosphere.
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