July 2022

Full Buck Moon

July 13, 2022

This full Moon in July is the largest supermoon of the year because the moon will arrive at its closest point to the Earth in all of 2022 at 3:00 am MT on July 13.

A mixture of Native American, Colonial American, and European influences, it’s 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. This full moon urges us, in a stern but beneficial manner, to be in our masculine energy and logically shed what no longer serves us in order to grow something even bigger – much like the buck and his antlers.

There are several other names for this month’s full moon. They often reference animals, including Feather Moulting Moon (Cree) and Salmon Moon, a Tlingit term indicating when fish returned to the area and were ready to be harvested. English translations of full moon names date back a few hundred years to Native Americans living in what is now the northern and eastern United States. Names differed as per tribe customs and held a deep significance for each tribe. Here are a few more names for this full moon:

• Berry Moon

• Halfway Summer Moon

• Month of the Ripe Corn Moon

• Moon When the Chokecherries are Ripe

• Raspberry Moon

• Thunder Moon

Whether you need to let go of a habit, a relationship, or even the past, the energy is there to help you during this full moon. It is a fruitful time of year with boundless opportunities if you can shed past obstructions!

Sara’s Recommendations

Summer is the most Yang time of year!

This is the time of year we should be at our peak health and wellness- enjoying the most outside and daylight; therefore, it is the time to focus on storing our health and wellness for the winter months. Yes, much like animals prepare for hibernation!

Summer relates to the element Fire, color red, taste bitter, climate heat, stage of development growth, utmost yang, animals, birds, grain, beans, yin organ heart, yang organ small intestine, sense organ tongue, tissues vessels, emotions joy, sounds laughter. Basically, it’s a great time! But here are some systems to pay attention to during this bountiful time:

• Functions of the heart: Governs blood, controls blood vessels, manifests in complexion, houses the mind, related to joy, opens in the tongue, controls sweat.

• Small Intestine: Separating clear from turbid, clear judgment relies on mental capacity and clarity, and depends on the heart.

• Foods that nourish the heart: Red foods; cherries, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, watermelon, kidney beans, red beets, organ meats, lean red meats, plus dark leafy greens.

During these hot summer months, we should be “harvesting our crops” to save for winter – and even if you don’t have literal crops to harvest, you can still be nourishing yourself for the coming winter. Make sure you are eating all of the best and freshest foods, drinking the most water, and strengthening your body so you feel your best all winter. Also, getting acupuncture now will prep you for the changing seasons.