In July, Summer is at its peak in the Northern Hemisphere. The Summer Solstice has passed and we are celebrating the bounty the earth has to offer. Flowers are blooming everywhere and fruit is growing on the trees. In addition to the energy of Summer and the blazing Sun, we also experience energy shifts and transformations on the Full Buck Moon. Learn the Buck Moon meaning and magick here, plus how it will affect you and what rituals and spells are appropriate and powerful on this esbat.
The Full BUCK Meaning: Its Name and Origin
The Full Buck Moon meaning is simple. It’s exactly what its name suggests – a Full Moon that rises in July (in 2024, the date is July 21st) under which the Bucks run wild. The name of the moon was given to it by Native Americans who noticed the male deer growing antlers at this time. And obviously paying attention to the local wildlife was a matter of survival as well as part of their natural spirituality.
The name for the Buck Moon comes from an old system of naming moons according to the climate, wildlife, and harvest. For Native Americans, many went by a lunar calendar, and so naming each moon was helpful in keeping time. July was the peak time for fertility in the forest and fields, and Native peoples lived off the land and off the hunt. Interestingly, many tribes in North America called it the Buck Moon, while some called it the Thunder Moon or Hay Moon. These names are obvious enough.
Energy Report: The Buck Moon Spiritual Meaning
July is typically hot in temperature for many folks in the Northern Hemisphere. The earth is awake and in full growth mode: the trees, plants, and animals teeming with life. Litha, a sacred Germanic solstice sabbat, has passed by in June. We feel the heat of the Sun on our backs and take to the water to cool off. Sometimes we get to experience the power of a Summer storm and revel in the glory that is the season. All of this energy lends to and intertwines with the Buck Moon.
If you live a seasonal lifestyle or live by the Wheel of the Year, you might feel the Full Buck Moon meaning deeply. If you are a magical individual, or just a human in general, this full moon will likely effect you either spiritually or emotionally. Sometimes both. And sometimes it even affects us in our bodies.
I don’t know about you, but as soon as there’s a Full Moon rising in my community, I can tell immediately. All I need to do is leave my neighborhood to see its effects. On a Full Buck Moon, the energy is intense. Some folks can’t handle the energy shift and lose their cool…either on the road or out in public. This coupled with the fact that Summer is often a “party time” or “vacation time” for many people may add to the chaos on the roads and in public venues. So be careful when you’re driving, especially at night on a Buck Moon. And also be aware if you decide to “go out” on the town on a Full Moon night such as this, you may deal with chaotic energy.
You’ll also want to consider what sign the Full Buck Moon is in when it rises. What sign the moon is in has a lot to do with how it affects us, both witches and non-magical folk alike. For instance, if you’re an water sign like Cancer or Pisces, you might find Full Moons in earth signs don’t affect you as harshly as others. Or you might feel energized by a Full Moon in Scorpio, conversely. For me, as a fire sign (Sag), I feel the effects of the Full Moon in water signs the hardest. These affect my emotions the most. I typically do well with Full Moons in fire signs like Sag, Leo, and Aries, though. Make a note of which Full Moons seem to effect you the most and how.
If you’re a witch, here’s what you can expect on the Buck Moon…
Once again, I think you can expect that the folks around you might act off or strangely. The Full Buck Moon will cause changes in your immediate environment, both at home and in public. So you may see emotions running high, unexpected incidents, and things of this sort. Bumping up your protective wards while driving on the road, especially if you live in a vacation or party town, is a boon on the Full Buck Moon. I like to charge my car charms and pray to my ancestors before leaving my house.
Magically speaking, the Full Buck Moon is a great time to manifest energy in alignment with the Summer season and with the deer spirit. Including prosperity, fertility, creativity, primality, family, and regeneration. Any ritual focused on these intentions will be amplified on a Full Buck Moon including candle spells, Summer simmer pots, natural ritual baths in local bodies of water, and fire spells.
One of my favorite things to do on a Full Buck Moon is simply enjoying nature. Whatever that means to you. As a witch, my body and soul are healed and refreshed by being outside and communing with the elements. Since Summer is a hot season, for me personally, this typically means something to do with water. We like to go fishing, lobstering, and swimming at this time and will either visit the beach or enjoy our pool. On this full moon you get the best (and most intense experience) of the fire and water elements.
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Full Buck Moon Spiritual and Magical Correspondences
Full Buck Moon correspondences will be focused on Summer energy as well as lunar energy. Your practice and how you experience spirituality is up to you. But we do like to offer some magical correspondences for the full moons that you can use in ritual and on the daily:
| Herbs | Crystals | Colors | Divination |
| Basil | Citrine | Yellow | Candle wax scrying |
| Berries | Sunstone | Orange | Water scrying |
| Lavender | Carnelian | Red | Animal omens |
What Intentions to Focus On At This Time
My honest opinion is that you can focus on any intention you need to at any given time. And on any Full Moon. However, if you’re an opportunist in your magick as I am, you might want to consider the themes of a Buck Moon in your magical undertakings. Which include:
- Abundance / Prosperity: the Summer is a time when things are growing on the trees and in the field. Things are coming to “fruition” physically, as well as metaphorically in our lives. This is a great time to focus on prosperity and abundance in our lives.
- Energy and Vitality: many of us save up our energy over the Winter months and feel a burst of it during the Summer. If you need a boost in your health and vitality, focus on this intention on this full moon.
- Fertility and Creativity: the earth is fertile and teeming with life, which means we are feeling the same energy. Being fertile or focusing on fertility doesn’t necessarily mean conceiving babies. It also means fertile with ideas, creativity, success, and the like.
- Fire and Water Elements: Fire is the element that is ever-present during the Summer and when fire is at its most intense (in the Sun), we flock to the water element. Include these 2 elements in your rituals at the Buck Moon for speedy manifestation.
- Primality and “Going Buck Wild”: I love the phrase “going buck wild” and it totally applies to this full moon, doesn’t it? In the Summer, we feel at our prime and most alive. It’s wise to get in touch with your primal, wild self at this time. Go camping, hiking, run naked through the forest with the deer, whatever you gotta do to get in touch with that most ancient of your higher self.
Deer Spirit Energy and Messages at the Buck Moon
There are so many animals present during the Summer season including deer. If you live in an area with a high deer population, I don’t have to be the first to tell you this. It’s May as I write this currently and I’ve already started seeing deer out and about in my suburban area!
At a Buck Moon, you can tap into the energy and magick of the Deer spirit with ease. The Deer spirit brings with it some powerful spiritual messages. According to SpiritHoods, these lessons might include spiritual transformation, being kind and gentle to our “herd”, maintaining peace, survival, and loving others unconditionally.
Conversely, we know that deer grow antlers for protection. So if you are in need of protection and ferocity in your life, calling on the Buck at the Buck Moon might be just the thing for you in this moment.
Simple, Powerful Ritual for the Buck Moon: Natural Bathing for Abundance and Health
Since the Summer is hot, why not beat the heat and make magick all at the same time? This ritual is a simple as taking a dip in your local (safe) body of water. This could be a local lake, creek, ocean, or a pool if you are far from natural bodies of water. When you go, focus on your intentions being an abundance of blessings and health. Picture in your mind what that would look like in your life. See yourself glowing with health, vitality, and content with all you have in this life. Then go to your local body of water and submerge, emerging with a new outlook on life.
Build a Forest Altar for Connection on the Buck Moon
Something I enjoy doing on the Buck Moon (or any time in the Summer) is building a natural altar in the woods. If can’t find a secluded spot at a park or nearby forest or meadow, your own garden or backyard will work too. I’ve even made a natural altar in my driveway before! The point is to gather items that only come from nature and make them into an altar, of sorts, to honor the local land spirits. In doing so, you will build a connection with the land and the earth that you didn’t have before. The Buck Moon makes it all that much more powerful.
Items to include on your natural altar: fallen sticks and branches, stones, pinecones, flowers, seed pods, leaves, sand and shells (if at the beach), acorns, etc. Place them in such a way that they resemble an actual altar, or make art with the items and create a sort of mandala.
Other Ritual Ideas and Activities
The best thing about being on your own spiritual path is that no one can tell you where or how to walk it. It’s your own. The truth is, if you don’t like the rituals posted above or want to try something else, here’s a few more ritual ideas:
- Take a walk or hike in the woods, local park, etc.
- Study faeries and faery folklore since fae energy is strong at the Buck Moon
- Have a bonfire and throw in offerings for the fae and Summer deities
- Study and work with Summer gods and goddesses and honor one on the Buck Moon
- Purification / cleansing rituals of any kind are powerful on this esbat
- Work with the Deer spirit guide in your daily life and spiritual practice
- Prosperity candle spells get a boost at the Full Moon
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