July brings a shift to the summer air. The heat deepens,  the lush green darkens, and then, quietly, the Buck Moon rises high, this year arriving on July 10.

This isn’t a delicate moon. This is a moon of antlers and instinct, a moon that speaks to the wild parts of you that are ready to rise up, claim space, and protect what matters.

The Buck Moon is the traditional name for the July Moon, and originates from the Native American lands. Ir rises when young male deer begin to grow their antlers, bone pushing through velvet as strength takes shape. It’s a symbol of becoming – of coming into your power, and of reclaiming your inner authority.

So let’s meet this hot and punchy moon, not with hesitation, but with clarity, courage, and a little ritual….

Energy of the Buck Moon: Growth, Strength & Protection

Every full moon carries its own kind of magick, and July’s is rooted, primal, and potent.

The Buck Moon isn’t here to be soft – it’s here to help you stand tall, defend your energy, and grow into the best, most wildly aligned version of yourself.

Where the Strawberry Moon in June was about sweetness and healing, the Buck Moon is directional. It’s a moon of boundaries, bold decisions, and transformation through action (yeah, you may feel like lounging by the pool, but a little action is being called for!)

Traditionally, July is a time to tend what you have planted earlier in the year, nurture your pending bounty, and start thinking about what will carry you through the rest of the year.

Spiritually, it’s a moment to ask: What do I need to protect, in order to thrive? What am I growing, and what must I defend to let it grow fully?

This moon calls to your inner guardian, your inner wild one – the part of you that knows when to pause, when to push forward, and when to draw the line.

5 Rituals to Try Under the Buck Moon

These rituals are designed to help you connect, ground, and harness the Buck Moon’s fierce and focused energy. Choose one—or let your intuition pick for you.

1. Antler Crown Visualization
2. Salt & Ash Boundary Circle
3. Oak Leaf Protection Charm 
4. Mirror Spell 
5. Grounding Flame Offering

1. Antler Crown Visualisation

For Embodying Personal Power and Reclaiming the Self

This is a beautiful ritual, and a potent psychic act of crowning. It’s a way to embody your sovereignty, your intuition, and the version of you that’s no longer afraid to take up space!

The Buck Moon is named for the time when deer begin growing their antlers, their signal of stepping into maturity and strength. This visualization mirrors that process, helping you awaken your own “antlers” – symbols of spiritual perception, sacred defence, and personal authority.

• To begin, sit somewhere quiet, preferably under the moon and/or by candlelight.
• Close your eyes.
• Imagine glowing antlers growing from your crown: wide, strong, branching.
• As they emerge, visualize your spine becoming straighter, you becoming taller, and more rooted, and steady.
• Repeat aloud or silently: “I rise into my power. I see clearly. I protect what is sacred.”
• Let the crown settle, and feel its weight. Silently feel the inner expansion into power.
• When you feel complete, open your eyes and spend a moment integrating, gazing at the Moon (or the candle).

2. Salt & Ash Boundary Circle

For Protection, Energetic Sovereignty, and Clarifying What You Allow

The Buck Moon is a guardian moon. It helps you claim and hold your space – not just physically, but emotionally and energetically.

This ritual creates a tangible circle of protection, helping you identify what is yours to carry… and what must be kept out.

• Mix equal parts sea salt and ritual ash – gather from a previous fire (if you don’t have ash, crushed herbs like rosemary or sage will do)
• Cast a circle around yourself on the ground or floor, moving clockwise. Step into it and sit comfortably.
• Speak aloud: “Within this ring, I am safe. What is not mine cannot pass. What is not true cannot stay.”
• List what you will no longer tolerate – from toxic thoughts to relationships or energetic drains. Say them clearly. Release them to the circle’s edge.
• To close, sweep the circle outward, visualizing your boundary remaining, now sealed and invisible.

3. Oak Leaf Charm of Protection

For Guarding Energy, Home, and Inner Stability

The oak is sacred to many traditions, it’s as a tree of strength, wisdom, and endurance. Under the Buck Moon, when themes of defence and personal resilience are high, working with oak energy anchors us into deep-rooted strength.

This lunar charm acts like a protective sigil, handcrafted and infused with intention.

• Find a fallen oak leaf if you can (if unavailable, draw one on thick paper or use another strong-leafed tree, local to your land).
• On one side, write a word or symbol of protection, such as a rune, your name, or a phrase such as “Not Welcome Here.”
• Anoint it with a few drops of protective oil (mugwort, rosemary, cedar, or even olive oil). Hold it in your palms and speak: “Guard me with grounded strength. Let only good cross this threshold.”
• Place the charm above your door, inside your bag, or beneath your pillow, wherever protection is most needed.

4. Mirror Spell for Bold Becoming

For Confidence, Self-Acceptance, and Stepping Into Your Power

The Buck Moon calls us to stop hiding! 

Just as the young deer can’t shrink its antlers back once they grow, this full Moon calls us to step UP and become more visible, more confident, more real with ourselves and the people we share our lives with.

This mirror spell is a ritual of becoming: claiming the version of yourself you are ready to fully live!

• Stand before a mirror, ideally by candlelight and under the glow of the moon.
• Look into your eyes and feel deeply into the present moment.
• Begin to speak, aloud and clearly: “I am growing. I am no longer small. I am not afraid to be seen.”
• Name (aloud) the things you are proud of. The parts of you that were once hidden, but have emerged with strength.
• Anoint the mirror with a dab of moon water or oil. Know that your reflection now contains an imprint of who you are becoming, not just who you’ve been.

5. The Grounding Flame Offering

For Rooting Intentions and Releasing Fear

The Buck Moon holds a dual nature: it’s about strength, yes, but also about clarity. You can’t grow strong antlers while carrying too much weight. This fire ritual helps you release fear and ground yourself in the intentions you do want to carry forward.

• Write down fears, doubts, or limiting beliefs on dried bay leaves (or scraps of paper),  one per leaf.
• Speak each one aloud as you burn it safely in a fireproof bowl or dish.
• As the smoke rises, say: “I release this to the flame. I root into what is real.”
• Once cooled, bury the ashes near the base of a tree, plant, or even a houseplant. Let your fears become compost – food for the future.

You don’t need to be a bona fide witch, a moon expert, or a master of ceremonies to do any of these rituals and spells… just give it a go.

The Buck Moon doesn’t ask you to be quiet or gentle. It asks you to be real, honest, and brave enough to grow your antlers (and to use them wisely!)

If the Strawberry Moon was your soft heart speaking, this one is your backbone rising.

So stand beneath the full Moon this month. Speak to her. Ask it to help you remember the wild, sacred animal in you, the part of you that knows how to move through this world with courage, grace, and edge.

This is your moon. Use it well.