Lunar Reflections: Full Moon in Capricorn

Defining success on our own terms

Hello Dear Readers,

Today, July 10th, 2025, we experience a Full Moon at 18 degrees of Capricorn, exact at 4:37pm EST. Also know as the Buck Moon as this is the time of year that bucks shed and regrow their antlers.

Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign: grounded, ambitious, practical and resilient. This sign is known for its capacity for success — The sea goat can swim up from the depths of the ocean and reach the peaks of the tallest mountains.

What does that word mean though? Success? Conventional notions of success uphold systems of domination predicated on exploitation. I’m not interested in climbing the corporate ladder. I won’t find fulfillment accumulating material possessions or external achievements. I’d like to live a life that feels rich: in love, magic, community and purpose.

This lunations asks us to define success on our own terms and to live our lives in pursuit of it.

Ivy is associated with the sign of Capricorn because of its tenacity and resilience

What is my personal definition of success then? I’ll take a cue from Earthy Capricorn and look to the natural world. I’d like to be like a tree and grow stable, strong and resilient. I’d like to be part of a larger network rooted in reciprocity: a forest of friends and family members. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer writes “what happens to one happens to all. We can starve together or feast together. All flourishing is mutual.”

The sign of Capricorn corresponds to the tarot’s Devil card. The Devil card tends to frighten those who pull it and that’s understandable — the images on the card are usually daunting. I find that I’m grateful though, each time I pull this card. This card invites us to notice where we might feel powerless and reminds us that, even within constraining systems, we can access autonomy and self-reclamation.

Sometimes I’m hard on myself for not having mastered the work-life balance and then I remember it is not only improbable but impossible to achieve this kind of balance living under capitalism. In remembering that the balance is impossible, I am freed from the illusion that I’m doing it wrong. I’m not the problem, the system is the problem! I don’t need to live trapped in a state of insecurity that otherwise pushes me to buy things, trying to make up for an imagined lack. The Devil card doesn’t keep us trapped as much as it sets us free. As capitalism and empire crumble, we are being asked to dream up new worlds that guarantee freedom and care for all beings, where flourishing is mutual.

This moon takes place during Cancer season — a time for nurturing ourselves, our loved ones, and our intuition. Along the Cancer–Capricorn axis, we learn that our private lives are just as important as our public roles. I am deeply inspired by Tricia Hersey’s work and rest manifesto. In a podcast interview for NPR’s Life Kit, Hersey talks about why rest is an act of resistance. In the interview she says,

“it's a paradigm shift. It's mind-altering. It's culture-shifting. It's a full-on politics of refusal. We have been brainwashed by this system to believe these things about rest, about our bodies, about our worth - this violent culture that wants to see us working 24 hours a day, that doesn't view us as a human being, but instead views our divine bodies as a machine.”

Our ambition does not to be at odds with our mental, spiritual and physical capacities — they inform each other.

The windowsill next to my bed

In preparation for this full moon, I’ve been sipping on cooling and comforting peppermint tea. This drink reminds me of my childhood, when I’d stir in a sugar cube and a big splash of milk. I’ve also been drinking nettle tea, known for reducing joint pain and improving mobility, as Capricorn traditionally rules the skeletal system.

I’ve been listening to this album by Laura Misch which feels equal parts soothing and enchanting. I’ve been eating breakfast out on the fire escape when I can. l bring my new bubble machine out there with me and set it on it’s rotating setting as I eat. I bite into my toast and watch the birds and the bubbles soar overhead, the trees rocking in the breeze. That moment — where I feel present and alive — feels like success to me.

Mornings on the fire escape

If you’re interested in booking a tarot reading, or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out or visit my website. I offer in-person and virtual tarot readings that take a gentle and playful, gender-inclusive approach, centering the wisdom of the Inner Child. Each session is personalized to your needs and may incorporate elements of the expressive arts, including visual arts, somatic movement, and creative writing.

Until the next full moon (in Aquarius!) I hope you take good care and experience a magic moment or two.

Love,

Lee