Find a really comfortable position.
Preferably seated with your back straight but you can lie down if that feels better for you.
And gently allow your body to settle.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And a long breath out through your mouth.
Allow your shoulders to drop.
Unclench your jaw.
And let your body feel supported by the surface beneath you.
In this guided practice.
We are going to connect to the energy of July's Buck Moon.
A full moon in Aquarius.
Full moons tend to illuminate what may have been hidden,
Ignored.
Or maybe easier not to look at.
They help bring things into sharper focus.
And often show us what is no longer working,
What no longer fits.
Or what can no longer be avoided.
This particular full moon is all about truth,
Freedom,
And authenticity.
Aquarius asks us to step back.
And look at our lives with honesty.
To notice where we may have outgrown old ways of being.
Old identities.
Old Rose or old stories about who we are.
It asks us to consider where we may still be holding ourselves back.
Shrinking ourselves,
Or staying loyal to versions of ourselves that no longer feel true.
The Buck Moon also carries really beautiful symbolism.
It gets its name from the time of year when bucks are growing their antlers at their fastest rate.
Antlers are shed and regrown.
Old growth falls away to make space for new growth.
And I think there is something really wise in that.
Growth is not always about becoming more or doing more.
Sometimes growth asks us to release what has become too heavy.
Too restrictive.
Or simply no longer aligned with who we are becoming.
And this practice is an invitation to reflect on exactly that.
What feels heavy.
What feels outdated.
What part of you is ready to be outgrown?
And maybe most importantly,
What truth do you already know but may not yet be fully honouring?
Bring your awareness into your body.
Just notice the surface beneath you supporting your weight Notice the points of contact between your body and whatever is holding you right now.
Bring gentle awareness to your face.
And notice whether there is any unnecessary tension around your jaw.
Your forehead.
Or your eyes.
Just see if you can soften those areas even slightly.
Allow your chest to soften and your belly to relax.
As your body settles.
Move your awareness inwards.
Away from the noise of the outside world.
And towards the quieter part of you.
The deeper part of you.
The part that exists underneath all the roles you play.
And all the expectations you carry.
Imagine that you are standing beneath the light of the full moon.
Visualize yourself somewhere outside.
That brings you peace.
Maybe it is a beach or a garden.
It could be a paw.
Maybe a balcony.
Somewhere familiar that makes you feel at home.
Connect all of your senses here,
Really put yourself here.
The moon above you is bright and clear,
Illuminating everything around you.
Its light is steady and calm,
It's not harsh,
It's not critical.
It simply helps you see clearly.
As this moonlight falls over you.
Begin to bring to mind the version of yourself you have been carrying recently.
Notice the roles you have been playing.
The expectations you have been trying to meet.
And the responsibilities,
Pressures,
And identities you have been holding.
Maybe there are parts of yourself that once served you well.
Ways of being that helped you feel safe,
Accepted,
Needed or successful.
But over time,
Some of these ways of being may have become heavy.
They may no longer fit as comfortably as they once did.
I'm going to ask you to imagine these old identities and expectations.
As a great set of antlers resting above you.
Each branch represents something you have been carrying that may no longer belong in this next chapter of your life.
Perhaps one branch represents people-pleasing?
Another is perfectionism.
Another is the need to prove yourself.
The habit of making yourself smaller.
Maybe one is the fear of disappointing others.
Another,
The need for external validation.
One might be financial fears or blockages.
Just notice what comes up for you,
What is feeling heavy,
What feels restrictive.
What part of you is ready to be outgrown?
And you don't need to force an answer just notice what arises often.
The deepest truths are not things we need to discover.
They are things we already know,
But have not fully allowed ourselves to acknowledge.
Now imagine the moonlight above becoming brighter,
Illuminating these antlers more clearly.
As the light strengthens,
You notice that the antlers begin to loosen without any force,
Without any struggle,
There's no dramatic tearing away just a very gentle natural release what has truly been outgrown.
Does not always need to be wrestled with forever.
Sometimes it simply needs to be acknowledged and allowed to fall away.
So imagine one branch dropping.
And another and another.
Feel the weight beginning to lift the old expectations falling away,
Old identities softening old stories loosening their grip.
And notice what happens in your body as the weight begins to leave Notice the space that opens,
The lightness that becomes available when you stop carrying what no longer belongs to you.
Just stay with that feeling Feel the relief of no longer needing to hold together a version of yourself.
That is no longer true.
And from this clearer,
Lighter space.
Ask yourself a different question.
What is trying to emerge through me now?
Not what should emerge.
Not what would impress others.
Not what feels safest.
What feels true.
What part of you is asking for more space,
More expression?
And more honesty.
Aquarius reminds us that freedom is not always loud and dramatic.
Sometimes freedom is simply the moment you stop abandoning yourself.
The moment you stop negotiating with what you already know.
The moment you choose truth.
Over comfort.
And bravery can look like making a big change.
But so often bravery is much quieter than that.
Sometimes bravery is simply telling yourself the truth admitting that something no longer works.
Choosing not to betray yourself for one minute longer.
So if it feels comfortable for you,
I'm gonna ask you to bring one hand to your heart now.
And feel the steady rhythm beneath your hand.
This is your centre.
This is your truth.
This is your inner knowing.
And silently or out loud,
If you want to do it out loud,
You can repeat these words to yourself.
I know who I am.
I know what I am ready to release.
I know what is asking to emerge.
In its place.
I trust myself.
Just let those words land.
You don't need to have certainty about every next step.
You can trust the truth is becoming clearer and you can trust your capacity to honour it with courage.
So take a final moment here beneath the buck moon,
Feeling lighter,
Clearer,
More connected to yourself.
Remember that you are allowed to evolve,
You are allowed to change.
You are allowed to outgrow old identities and step into something more aligned with who you are now.
I'm going to leave the visualization now and I'm going to ask you to bring your awareness back to your body.
Back to the space around you.
You can bring some movement back into your body.
You might want to stretch,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
And as you move forward from this full moon,
Keep returning to one simple question.
What do I know?
And will I be brave enough?
To honour it.
I want to thank you very much for being here with me today.
My bravery for listening to myself led me here.
And for that,
I will always be grateful.
I hope you will join me for another lunar cycle meditation.
Very soon.
