Full Moon in Capricorn: Owning the Power of Your Shadows

The summer solstice initiates movement towards the darker half of the year. Even though it may be in the heat of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the Capricorn full moon brings an essence of the dark of winter to remind you of the power of your shadows.

While some may view shadow work (the intentional practice of noticing and tending to your unconscious, unhelpful habits, and repressed emotions) as something negative, it holds great power. When you know your shadows well and are aware of how they present, it enables you to move through the world with self-aware, grounded strength. 

As a cardinal earth sign, Capricorn signifies a time of deeply rooted action. Capricorn energy paired with a full moon, brings an opportunity to recognize and tend to your shadows and release unhelpful habits around how you relate to them, enabling you to move through the world with an understanding of how your unconscious realms affect your waking life.

The Capricorn full moon encourages you to own the full spectrum of your humanity, even the parts of yourself you might prefer to diminish or disown. Your unconscious realms are endless. There will always be something ready to surface. Each time something new surfaces, you have the opportunity to either avoid it or welcome it into your being and create a more rooted and empowered foundation. 

For this full moon ritual support, you’ll be guided to become aware of something in your unconscious that’s ready to be witnessed, own it fully, and identify anything that needs to be released around your relationship to this part of yourself. 

Full Moon in Capricorn Themes

Themes: Shadow work, unconscious realms, tending to your foundation, power, owning your imperfections and learning from them

Planetary correspondence: Saturn

Element correspondence: Earth

Corresponding tarot cards: The Devil and the Knight of Pentacles

Modality: Cardinal 

Quote: “Before you can slip off the chains you must become conscious of them.” - Rachel Pollack, on The Devil card from Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom

Ritual Support for the Capricorn Full Moon

For this ritual support, you'll be guided to bring to light something from your unconscious realms that desires witnessing.You'll be invited to work with the Devil card from the tarot. You don't need the card to explore this moon. Look up images of it if you don't have it handy. 

As always, change and modify this ritual suggestion to make it work for you. It is ideal to work this ritual over 2-3 days. Be intuitive with it and notice when you feel pulled to move to different steps. 

You'll need: 

• Something to write with

• The devil card from the tarot (any deck) or images of it to look at

• Optional: An outside space to bury paper, books or readings about the tarot and any additional items that make you feel supported, like candles, crystals, herbs, etc. 

1. To begin this ritual, spend time with the devil card from the tarot. Notice what you like about it and what you don't. If anything makes you feel uncomfortable about the card, what stands out to you? 

2. Take a moment to journal about your feelings regarding this card. 

3. Over the next 24hrs, revisit this card. Consider placing it near your bed or under your pillow around the time of the full moon, meditating on it, or reading about the card from tarot authors you enjoy. 

4. Notice what comes up for you as you spend time with this card and what it represents to you. 

5. Journal about anything that's coming up for you on your own or with the prompts provided below. 

6. Identify one theme that is arising for you this lunation as you sit with this card and what it represents to you. 

7. Once you've identified a theme that wants witnessing, create space to be in ritual with this theme. 

8. Allow yourself 15-60 minutes to engage with this theme in a way that feels good to you, such as journaling, moving your body, dancing, making art, or expressing your emotions. Open your ritual space in a way that aligns with your practice. 

9. As you sit with what's arising, ask what this part of yourself wants you to know and how it could be more fully incorporated into your waking life. 

10. Ask if there's anything about this part of yourself that needs to be shed or released. 

11. Bring this ritual to a close in a way that feels good to you. Consider journaling again about this experience. 

12. If you feel guided to release something about this theme or the experience, find time to write down what you'd like to release and bury it on the waning side of the moon. 

Prompts for the Capricorn Full Moon

Use these prompts as a way to reflect on this full moon. They can be used as journaling prompts or as questions for tarot or oracle cards. 

1. What emotion(s) do you avoid feeling? (keep in mind this could be positive feelings)

2. What does this avoidance stem from?

3. How could spending more intentional time with these emotions empower you? 

4. What is a habit you would like to change? 

5. What might this habit have to teach you?

6. Identify a person, place, or activity that you avoid because it makes you feel uncomfortable.

7. What could be at the root of this discomfort?

8. How would it change your life to be more comfortable with the person, place, or activity you identified?

May this full moon inspire you to be with the neglected and wounded parts of yourself that desire witnessing so that you may incorporate or release what's ready to go and walk with more rootedness and power.