Good Thursday Afternoon, Earth Spirits,

It’s not often that you get a second email offering from me in one month and it’s rarer still to get one focusing on a Full Moon, but that is exactly what I have for you today. If you know me well,you know that writing is one of the ways I process things in my life. It’s a way for me to work through life’s obstacles and figure things out. You may also know that one of my core tenants is that I be willing to put myself out there, as awkward as I may be, in the hopes that whatever I am going through, my words may bring comfort or, at the very least, a sense of camaraderie to others. To let you know that you aren’t alone. If I’m feeling it, perhaps someone else out there is too and we can take solace in knowing it’s not just us against the world. This brings me to tonight’s Full Moon. You know how the universe just sometimes puts a lot of signs in front of you when you need them? Like so many that they’re impossible to ignore? The universe has been sending me all the signs and I’ve been doing a lot of reading up on tonight’s Capricorn Moon and what that means for me (as a Capricorn Sun) and how the astrology of right now is playing out in my life and all our lives.

A little about the Buck Moon: this moon is about shedding. Just as the bucks are shedding the velvet from their antlers, we are called, sometimes unwillingly so, to shed the things in life we are clinging to that we really don’t need anymore. Things that are becoming an impediment to our growth. Things that keep us from truly expanding past our comfort zones and fully into our potential. These things have kept us from embracing what we are working so hard to achieve and it’s time to remove them. The process of shedding antler velvet is not a quick and easy process. It involves vigorously rubbing away the soft, protective coating to reveal the majestic, powerful antlers that have been growing under the surface. This process is painful and bloody and can often be destructive to the environment around them as the animals use the trees in their vicinity to shear off the velvet. (Picture of deer shedding velvet on antlers is coming up—it’s graphic, so if that bothers you, quickly scroll past.)

When we feel the pull to shed whatever it is in our lives that is keeping us stagnant and to step fully into our most authentic self, it is not a painless process. It is raw and messy and not pleasant to work through or to watch. It requires fortitude and a willingness to allow it to happen. Because of this, it can often be a very lonely process. The Hermit Card comes to mind as it appears in the Wild Unknown Tarot deck. It is a turtle hiding inside its shell with a candle mounted to its shell. He is still a beacon lighting the way, but he needs the comfort and safety of his own shell to figure out which way to go. Sometimes humans need time and space to process things and when that is not available, it can be harder to figure things out. It is far easier to preserve the status quo and just set aside our own boundaries.

But no matter what path we choose, there is always a price. Even if we do finally speak up and hold a boundary in order to move ourselves forward, sometimes the price we pay for shedding our old selves feels like a deep loss. Old mindsets and ingrained patterns are hard to give up. Old thought processes that we used as coping mechanisms feel comfortable and safe. They are how we have guarded our hearts and spirits. Stepping away from them is a scary, uncomfortable prospect. The Full Buck Moon is illuminating those old ways and calling us to cast them off which can mean letting go of or losing things that we held dear.

Almost always, with loss comes grief—grief that rises up like a stone in our throats, choking us on what was, what used to be, what was comfortable, until we finally cough it up and begin to fully embody the person we have been working so hard to become. The destruction, pain, and discomfort of change is not without purpose, and working towards that purpose, as painful as it may be, leads to a stronger and more heart-centered life. Tonight’s Buck Moon in Capricorn pushes us to finish peeling away what we know has been holding us back. Because of the astrology of the past seven years, we have been building the foundations, constructing new patterns, and working towards the embodiment of our full potential. Tonight we can peel off the final layers, standing boldly in the moonlight and say:

I am enough.

I am allowed to feel deeply.

I am worthy of everything I’ve been working towards.

I am allowed to speak my truth.

I choose my own peace over the comfort of others.

I no longer need _______________ that has been holding me back.

I choose myself and my own path forward.

I walk in strength and with confidence that the universe has my back.

I hope this writing resonates with you as we enter this Full Moon cycle. I hope you take from this writing what you need, and let anything you don’t need pass you by. I hope you are able to stand boldly under the moonlight and choose yourself.

Love,

Rin

Full Buck Moon in Capricorn: Shedding, Grief and Still Moving Forward with Intention and Vision...