Welcome to your July 2026 sky. This is the deep of winter here in Australia, the longest nights of the year only just beginning to soften now that the winter solstice has passed, and it is the perfect season to turn inward, light a candle and pay attention to what the moon and planets are doing overhead. Here is everything worth knowing this month: every moon phase and its date, the Buck Moon, Mercury finally turning direct, the shift from Cancer season into Leo season, and the rituals and tarot spreads that suit this particular stretch of sky.
Bookmark this page and check back through the month. You can always see tonight's exact moon phase in the Almanac.
July 2026 moon phases (AEST)
All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time. The moon moves through a full turn of her cycle this month, carrying us from release to a fresh new moon and on to a bright full moon at the very end.
- Last quarter, Wednesday 8 July. The waning half moon: a time to let go, forgive and clear a little space.
- New moon in Cancer, Tuesday 14 July, 7:44 pm. The dark moon and the month's fresh start, tender and home focused. The night to set your intentions.
- First quarter, Tuesday 21 July, 9:06 pm. The waxing half moon: a checkpoint that asks you to act on what you began.
- Full moon in Aquarius, the Buck Moon, Thursday 30 July, 12:36 am. The month's emotional high tide. More on this just below.
New to the phases? Our guide to the eight moon phases explains what each one is for.
The Buck Moon: July's full moon
July's full moon is traditionally called the Buck Moon, named by old North American and European almanac traditions for the season when a young stag's antlers are in full growth. You may also see it called the Thunder Moon, for July's summer storms in the northern hemisphere. Here in the southern half of the world it rises instead over frosty winter nights, which lends it a still, clear beauty.
In 2026 the Buck Moon reaches fullness on Thursday 30 July at 12:36 am AEST, in the sign of Aquarius, directly opposite the Sun in Leo. A full moon is always a moment of culmination and release, and an Aquarius full moon tilts that toward honesty, independence and your place among your people: where are you dimming yourself to fit in, and what would it feel like to be fully, unusually you? For how to work with it, see our guide to what to do on a full moon, or read the full story of the Buck Moon.
The new moon in Cancer
Two weeks earlier, on Tuesday 14 July, the new moon rises in Cancer, the sign of home, family and feeling. New moons are for beginnings and quiet intention setting, and a Cancer new moon is an especially gentle, nurturing one: turn your thoughts to your home, your closest people and your own need for comfort and safety. It is a beautiful night to write down what you want to grow. Our beginner's guide to new moon rituals and our piece on setting new moon intentions will walk you through it.
Planets on the move in July
This is a busy month overhead, with one planet turning forward and two turning back.
- Neptune turns retrograde in Aries, Tuesday 7 July. The planet of dreams and intuition begins its long annual retrograde, a slow, inward season for the imagination. Read more on Neptune in astrology.
- Venus enters Virgo, Friday 10 July. Love and beauty move from bold Leo into careful Virgo, softening the way we show affection into small, practical acts of care. See Venus in astrology.
- The Sun enters Leo, Thursday 23 July. Leo season begins, more on that below.
- Mercury turns direct in Cancer, Friday 24 July. The headline for many: Mercury ends its retrograde and begins moving forward again, and the fog around plans, messages and technology starts to lift. You can always check the live status with our Mercury retrograde tracker.
- Saturn turns retrograde in Aries, Monday 27 July. The planet of structure and discipline turns inward, inviting you to review the commitments and boundaries you have been building. See Saturn in astrology.
Distant Pluto stays retrograde in Aquarius all month, as it is for roughly half of every year, so there is nothing to read into that one.
Cancer season into Leo season
July carries us across a real shift in the zodiac. Until 23 July we are still in Cancer season, tender, protective and feeling led, a time for home and rest that suits the Australian winter perfectly. Then the Sun strides into Leo, and Leo season begins: warmer, braver and more expressive, a nudge to let yourself be seen and to make something. It is a lovely arc, from the quiet of the shell to the courage of the heart. Explore all twelve signs in our zodiac and astrology hub.
Your July 2026 horoscope, sign by sign
Here is a short horoscope for the month for every sign, grounded in the actual movements above. For the fullest picture, read three: your sun sign for the overall month, your moon sign for your emotional world, and your rising sign, or ascendant, for how the month plays out day to day. Not sure of your moon and rising? Our free birth chart calculator reveals all three in a moment, or find your moon sign and rising sign directly.
Aries
The Cancer new moon on the 14th lights up your home and family sector, a tender reset for your roots, and Mercury turning direct on the 24th clears the air under your own roof. When Leo season begins on the 23rd, your playful, creative fifth house wakes up. Note that both Neptune and Saturn turn retrograde in your own sign this month, a quiet invitation to slow down and check in with yourself.
Taurus
Conversations, short trips and your local world are the theme as the Cancer new moon and a steadying Mercury sharpen your third house, so say the thing and send the message once Mercury is direct on the 24th. From the 23rd, Leo season warms your home life. The Aquarius full moon on the 30th brings a career matter to a head.
Gemini
Money and self worth take focus with the Cancer new moon in your second house, a good moment to reset your budget, especially once Mercury steadies on the 24th. Leo season lights up your words and ideas from the 23rd. With Mars energising your own sign all month, you have the drive to back yourself.
Cancer
It is your season for the first half of the month, and the new moon on the 14th lands in your own sign, a deeply personal new beginning. Mercury turning direct on the 24th helps you finally say what you mean. As Leo season arrives on the 23rd, attention shifts to money and what you truly value, and the Aquarius full moon stirs your intimate, shared world.
Leo
July asks you to rest before you rise. The Cancer new moon fills your twelfth house of retreat, a quiet, reflective start, until Leo season on the 23rd hands you the spotlight and your own fresh beginning. The Aquarius full moon on the 30th brings a relationship to a turning point, so listen to what it shows you.
Virgo
Friendships, community and your hopes for the future glow under the Cancer new moon in your eleventh house. Venus enters your sign on the 10th, softening how you feel in your own skin. As Leo season begins you are gently drawn inward to rest, a wind down before your own season next month.
Libra
Career and your public life take centre stage with the Cancer new moon at the top of your chart, a strong moment to set a professional intention, clarified once Mercury steadies late in the month. Leo season lights up your friendships from the 23rd. With Saturn and Neptune retrograde in your partnership house, close relationships ask for patience.
Scorpio
The Cancer new moon opens your ninth house of travel, study and big ideas, a lovely time to plan an adventure or begin learning something. Leo season then elevates your career from the 23rd. The Aquarius full moon on the 30th brings something at home to a head, so tend to your foundations.
Sagittarius
Shared resources, intimacy and trust are the theme as the Cancer new moon lands in your eighth house. Leo season reawakens your love of travel and meaning from the 23rd. With Mercury steadying, it is a good month to finally have the honest money or closeness conversation you have been putting off.
Capricorn
Partnership is your headline: the Cancer new moon sits in your relationship house, a fresh start with a significant other or a business partner, and Mercury turning direct on the 24th smooths the way you communicate. Leo season deepens your focus on shared resources, and the Aquarius full moon on the 30th brings a money matter to fruition.
Aquarius
Work, health and your daily routine reset with the Cancer new moon in your sixth house, a good time to build a kinder rhythm, especially as Mercury steadies. Then the month's full moon on the 30th, the Buck Moon, lands in your own sign, a bright, emotional culmination and a moment to honour how far you have come. Leo season turns your attention to partnership.
Pisces
Romance, creativity and play light up with the Cancer new moon in your fifth house, a warm, heartfelt start to the month. Leo season shifts the focus to work and wellbeing from the 23rd. With so much water energy in the sky, your intuition is especially clear right now, so trust it.
Rituals for July
The long winter nights make July one of the best months of the year for ritual. A few that suit this particular sky:
- A Cancer new moon intention ritual, around 14 July. Light a candle at home, write down what you want to nurture, and tuck the note somewhere safe. Our rituals hub has more to borrow from.
- A Mercury direct reset, from 24 July. As Mercury turns forward, send the message, make the decision or restart the project you have been sitting on.
- A Buck Moon release, around 30 July. Under the Aquarius full moon, name what you are ready to let go of, especially anything that asks you to shrink or conform, and let the bright moon carry it away.
You can match any night's practice to the exact phase with our moon phase ritual tool.
Tarot spreads for July
Three layouts that fit the month's energy:
- While Mercury is still retrograde, until 24 July, the Mercury retrograde spread is made for review and reflection.
- For the new moon and the month ahead, try the month ahead spread.
- To read any of them interactively, lay your cards in our tarot reading helper, or browse the whole tarot spreads library.
A gentle note
Astrology and moon lore are traditions for reflection, not forecasts of fixed events. The one thing the moon reliably moves is the ocean tides; the meanings we hang on her phases, and on the planets, are old, human and symbolic, meant to help you pause and pay attention rather than to tell you what will happen. Take what feels true this month, and gently leave the rest.
Frequently asked questions
July's full moon, the Buck Moon, is on Thursday 30 July 2026 at 12:36 am AEST, in the sign of Aquarius.
The new moon is on Tuesday 14 July 2026 at 7:44 pm AEST, in Cancer, a gentle time for setting intentions around home and family.
Yes, for the first part of the month. Mercury is retrograde in Cancer until it turns direct on Friday 24 July 2026, after which the fog around plans and communication begins to lift.
July begins in Cancer season and shifts into Leo season when the Sun enters Leo on 23 July 2026.
It is an old almanac name for July's full moon, from the season when a young male deer's antlers are in full growth. It is also known as the Thunder Moon.
