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Two cactus in front of full moon at night
Be Well | July 11 2022

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Facing Reality & Fostering Kindness

By Araxe Hajian

Full Moon in Capricorn

A full moon in Capricorn orbits closer to Earth than any other full moon this year, making it the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2022.

This lunation (also known as the Thunder Moon) rises during Arizona’s dramatic monsoon season, bathing us in light and the sweet relief of spectacular thunderstorms on hot summer nights.

Two cactus in front of desert sunset a monsoon cloudburst

A monsoon cloudburst cuts loose on the Santa Catalina mountains during sunset.

 

Both the sun and moon make good aspects to Neptune, which touches on our imagination—but doesn’t compel us to imagine illusory things. Capricorn’s energy of responsibility and structure steers us to make plans that manifest our highest visions.

“Neptune is never about the physical world as it is,” says Miraval Austin Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera. “It’s about the cosmic realm nudging up against our own—and it’s a welcome thing in this full moon. Thanks to Capricorn, realism is in strong supply here; this is no moon of delusions. Instead, it’s a moon of opportunity.”

Think about how things can be different. Use this time of stargazing to start strategizing about assessing what you like in your life and taking practical steps to expand that.

Take a Reality Check

“The big thing happening here is that the moon is really close to Pluto,” notes Lynn, “making us aware of impending change or emotional unrest.”

Trying to find a sense of security will be important. We might feel pulled in different directions, but Capricorn’s earthy element can keep us grounded.

zodiac sign capricorn gold graphic

Lynn sees an echo of the full moon and total lunar eclipse in Scorpio we had on May 15, “because Pluto rules Scorpio, and here we are at Pluto again. It’s about ending old cycles, and some kind of emotional letting go. Capricorn, however, is not about purging but planning and figuring things out so we can move through change with some sense of control or a plan. It’s about maturity, ambition, and structure.”

Pluto represents a deep change in evolution and is not so much about personal wants and needs. “It’s a planet of consciousness that brings transformative awakenings,” warns Lynn, “but because of its association with the underworld, it also brings forth shadows.”

The fear-oriented aspect of a Pluto conjunction can tempt us to doom-scroll or act out of dread. Lynn suggests that we ditch reactionary responses and make plans with this lunation’s proactive Neptune dose of aspiration and creativity. “It’s also,” she reminds us, “a time to reach past our frustrations and judgments to find ways to be kind.”

Read our July Insider Tips for Miraval’s Celestial Summer

Pluto Return

This year, the United States is having its Pluto return. “The last time Pluto was in this place in the sky in relation to us was in 1776,” explains Lynn. “On July 11 (and earlier this year in February), Pluto was at the degree and sign it was in during the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It will touch this point again in December. Pluto takes 240 years or more to return to the position it was in during a notable event. That means you and I will never experience our personal Pluto returns.”

Why is this a big deal? Because Pluto is known for shaking things up, for disruption—but not random destruction. Things get dismantled so we can put them back together in restorative and progressive ways.

“You can think of it,” Lynn says, “as a cosmic reality check.”

The fact that we have a full moon with Pluto energy illuminates serious issues for us as a collective. It’s a time of upheaval and looking at the light and shadow of the American Dream. It’s a time to ask questions. What are our dreams of freedom, opportunity, equality, and democracy? How have we served or squandered them? How can we elevate them?

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Light It Up & Let it Go

“Pluto presents shadow material but brings it into the light of the brightest full moon,” explains Lynn. “We can illuminate our wounds, unconscious guilt, and shame to be conscious of the past. It’s not about overcoming, hiding, or denying our foundations; we can’t solve anything by banishing our history. But we can bring awareness to it and take it out of the shadow realm where it controls us unconsciously. We can reshape our vision to meet a new standard of sustainability and stability.”

Upheaval and turmoil often go hand-in-hand with a Pluto return. Cycles are like that. The Roman Empire’s second Pluto return arrived just eight years before its official fall in 235 A.D. Great Britain, Spain, France, and Russia all saw dramatic rises and descents of power, and drastic paradigm shifts during their Pluto returns throughout history, as well.

Pluto is often associated with the transformative properties of the unknown and endings followed by a subsequent renewal and rebirth. It gives us, as a collective, the opportunity to learn from the past. It asks us to use our skills of observation, awareness, acceptance, and acknowledgment to let go of outdated systems and imagine a plan for something new.

Planet Pluto
Pluto’s Beating Heart

A 2015 space mission revealed stunning pictures of Pluto that showed a space called the Tombaugh Region—shaped like a heart. This vast, nitrogen-ice-covered plain rules Pluto’s atmospheric circulation and causes the planet’s winds to blow in a cycle akin to a heartbeat.

Astronomers might classify Pluto as a “dwarf” planet, but astrologers understand its unmatched power to help us grow with evolutionary views and an unabashed display of love. Pluto wears its heart on its surface, posing for our cosmic cameras. It reminds us that even this iciest planet, once deemed geologically dead, holds a beating heart.

Pluto’s proximity to this full moon in Capricorn asks us to think mindfully about our responsibilities in public and professional life. When we are practical about our roles and rules, we can bring a view and vision to our communities for sane, responsible, and sustainable structures. We can begin to create a balance between facing reality and fostering kindness.

“Pluto is not showing up with this full moon to harm or destroy us,” asserts Lynn, “but to bring us to greater evolution, which is ultimately greater love.”

*Source material provided by Miraval Austin Astrologer Lynn Carroll-Rivera 

Portrait of Senior Writer Araxe Hajian
About the Author

Araxe Hajian

Araxe Hajian is a senior writer who covers wellness stories and specialist offerings at Miraval Resorts & Spas. She was associate editor and writer at Life in Balance Magazine, storyteller at the social platform MindMeet, and author of numerous articles and Miraval Resorts’ coffee-table book Miraval Mindful by Design.