Buck Moon Zodiac 2026: July Full Moon Date, Sign, and Planning Calendar

July’s full Buck Moon peaks on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 10:36 a.m. Eastern Time. The Sun sits squarely in Leo and the full Moon lands directly opposite in Aquarius, so the buck moon zodiac story for 2026 is built on the Leo to Aquarius polarity: the bright stage of personal expression on one side, the long view of community and shared systems on the other. This Buck Moon report is curated for Farmers’ Almanac with attribution to astrologer Kyle Thomas, whose zodiac-by-sign overviews informed prior Buck Moon coverage on this site. The per-sign notes below are written as a planning calendar, not a fortune.

Jump to Buck Moon Zodiac Calendar by Sign

Buck Moon 2026 in Aquarius: Date and Sign

Full Buck Moon July 2026: Wednesday, July 29
Peak Illumination: 10:36 a.m. Eastern Time (14:36 UTC)
Moon Sign: Aquarius 
Sun Sign: Leo
Best viewing window: July 27 to August 2, 2026

The Moon reaches full phase at the same instant for every reader on Earth, but the clock shifts by time zone: 10:36 a.m. Eastern, 9:36 a.m. Central, 8:36 a.m. Mountain, 7:36 a.m. Pacific, and 14:36 UTC for readers across the Atlantic. Peak falls during daylight across North America, so the Moon will already be below the horizon at the moment of true full phase. Plan on a viewing window the night of Wednesday, July 29, looking southeast after sunset, and again Thursday night, July 30. The disc reads as full to the naked eye for about a day on either side of peak. Confirmed against the U.S. Naval Observatory’s 2026 lunar phase tables, which list every full Moon, new Moon, and quarter for the year to the minute. For the full list of 2026 Full Moon names, dates, and times, see our calendar.

Astrologically, this full Moon falls in Aquarius at the late degrees of the sign (about 6 degrees), opposite a Leo Sun. Aquarius is a Fixed Air sign ruled by Saturn (and by Uranus in the modern attribution), the wheel’s reminder to step back and look at the whole group: the community, the long horizon, the systems we share. The Leo to Aquarius axis pulls attention between the bright stage of the self and the quieter work of belonging to a larger circle. See if you recognize a development now along the same lines as a conversation, plan, or commitment that surfaced after the new Moon in Aquarius on February 17, 2026: threads you started six months ago tend to come back for one more pass at the Aquarius full Moon.

The 2024 Buck Moon, the original subject of this report, fell on July 21, 2024, at 6:17 a.m. Eastern in Capricorn (29 degrees), the second of two back-to-back Capricorn full Moons that year (an astrological “Blue Moon” pattern that recurs roughly every 2.7 years, on the same cadence as an official Blue Moon). That same back-to-back pattern is set to return in 2027 with two sequential full Moons in Scorpio: April 20, 2027 (0 degrees) and May 20, 2027 (29 degrees). The 2026 Buck Moon stands on its own in Aquarius and does not repeat the prior month’s sign.

Why The July Full Moon Is The Buck Moon

By the second half of July, male whitetail deer are carrying the fastest-growing antlers of the year. The bone is still soft, wrapped in the fuzzy skin called velvet, and the rack will not harden until late summer. Early American hunters and almanac keepers tied the July full Moon to that growth, and the name “Buck Moon” stuck. It is one of several traditional names for July’s full Moon: the Thunder Moon (for the season’s afternoon storms), the Hay Moon (for the cutting and curing season across the northern fields), and the Salmon Moon (used by some Pacific Northwest nations) all show up in older almanac entries. The Buck Moon is the most common name in modern American usage, and it is the one this site has carried for decades.

Use the Buck Moon the way the brand has always used the full Moon: as a calendar marker, not a fortune. Each sign below carries a planning prompt anchored in the Leo to Aquarius axis, which describes where your attention is likely to land that week, not what the universe has decided about you.

3 Aspects To Consider

1) Mars supports momentum. The Buck Moon sits in a workable angle to Mars, the planet of drive and action. The 2024 Buck Moon report described a “Mars trine bringing passion, courage, and a desire for action,” and the 2026 chart carries a quieter version of that current: steady effort and follow-through rather than impulsive bursts. Personal relationships, work projects, and outdoor plans all benefit from this current if you carry it past the full Moon itself.

2) Neptune adds imagination, with realism alongside. The 2024 Buck Moon kissed Neptune for an imaginative, spiritual, and emotional charge. In 2026, Neptune’s influence reads more like a soft filter than a fog: a craving for connection, sensitivity, and creative work that does not lose touch with the practical side. Pair the imaginative pull with one concrete step, and the week reads as productive rather than dreamy.

3) Pluto and the transformation theme persist. The 2024 Buck Moon was exactly united with Pluto, the planet of transformation, bringing intense experiences, desires, and feelings to face. Pluto has since moved into Aquarius, which keeps that transformation theme tied to the very sign of this Buck Moon. Be brave and look at the heart of matters. If you avoid the conversation or the decision, you may miss a chance to release what is no longer serving you as you step into the next chapter.

The planets are all in motion at this time, so if hurdles arrive, take a graceful step back, pivot, and refocus. Use the Buck Moon week to plan one steady move toward a long-term goal.

Mars Supports Momentum

The Buck Moon sits in a workable angle to Mars in 2026. Use the week to channel steady effort, courage, and follow-through, not bursts of impulse. The same energy that powered the 2024 Buck Moon (a positive Mars current that lifted confidence and the appetite for action) returns in 2026 as quieter momentum: less sprint, more sustained pace. Outdoor plans, work projects, and one-to-one conversations all benefit from this current if you carry it through past the full Moon itself.

Saturn Brings Common Sense

Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius, anchors the 2026 Buck Moon week. Expect a stronger pull toward good changes for the long term than toward dramatic gestures, even with Leo season in full swing. Saturn’s working relationships with Uranus, Pluto, and Neptune through 2026 keep that theme intact: transformation through patience, imagination paired with realism, and one practical decision at a time. Saturn squaring Jupiter still asks you to pivot on long-term goals; staying practical in the pursuit tends to invite the kind of luck the brand has been describing since 1818.

Great society changes, as well as profound ones in our lives, may surface near this lunation. Most show up as small, dated choices, not headlines.

Full Buck Moon Zodiac Calendar by Sign

Here is a planning guide for how the buck moon zodiac week of July 27 to August 2, 2026 may land on each sign, written as suggested activities and Best Days framing rather than fortune-telling. Find your birthday in the date ranges below to read your sign.

Planning note: Look back to the situations, plans, and conversations that came after the new Moon in Aquarius on February 17, 2026. Threads you started six months ago may come back for one more pass.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19)

The Buck Moon lights up your friend circle and the wider community you belong to, Aries. Good week to host the cookout, finalize the group trip, or back the cause you have been quietly supporting. A long-term goal you set in February returns for a second look. If a friendship needs an honest conversation, the energy is there to start it.

The original 2024 Buck Moon report flagged the professional spotlight for Aries (promotions, recognition, climbing the ladder). That career thread is still on the table in 2026, especially through the wider network of mentors and friends who can open a door.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)

Career and public life take center stage for you, Taurus. A project, title, or recognition that has been simmering can come to a head the week of July 29. Use the Buck Moon to wrap up a piece of work, send the proposal, or accept the offer you have already decided is right. Keep one eye on home and family while the spotlight is on the office.

The 2024 Buck Moon framing also nudged Taurus toward travel, expansion, and legalities tipping in your favor. If you have a paperwork item, a contract, or a long trip on the calendar, the Buck Moon week is a good window to move it forward.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)

The Buck Moon opens up travel, learning, and the bigger picture, Gemini. Good week to book the trip, sign up for the class, or publish the piece of writing you have been polishing. A long-distance contact may surface with news. If you have been weighing a move or a new course of study, this lunation gives you a clearer view of the long horizon.

The original 2024 read also pointed Gemini toward large money matters (assets, investments, an inheritance, or payout). Both threads can sit on the same week; pair the exploration with one concrete financial decision and the energy compounds.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

Wealth, shared resources, and quiet financial decisions move to the front for you, Cancer. Use the Buck Moon week to finalize a loan, settle a bill, sign the estate paperwork, or close out a joint account. A bonus, settlement, or unexpected refund is possible. Intimacy and trust in your closest relationship also benefit from one honest conversation, the kind you have been postponing.

The 2024 Buck Moon highlighted relationship turning points for Cancer (engagements, moves, long-term promises). Those one-to-one decisions still echo in 2026, just held alongside the financial conversation. If you are looking for the right professional to bring in (accountant, financial planner, contractor), keep your eyes open through the week.

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LEO (July 23 to August 22)

This is your full Moon, Leo. The Buck Moon falls opposite your Sun and turns the light squarely on your closest one-to-one relationships, personal and professional. Good week to renew vows, sign a partnership contract, finalize a business deal, or have the conversation you have been circling for months. What you decide here often shapes the rest of your year.

The 2024 Buck Moon framing for Leo emphasized juggling routines, projects, and health. That practical thread still applies. Wrap one project that has been sitting open, schedule the long-overdue appointment, and use the Buck Moon week to set the partnership boundaries you need for the rest of the year.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)

Daily routines, work, and health take the spotlight for you, Virgo. Use the Buck Moon to finish the project, wrap the work cycle, schedule the long-overdue appointment, or reset the daily habit. A workplace shift is possible: a new role, a new colleague, or a project ending. Small adjustments to your routine in this week tend to hold all the way to fall.

The 2024 Buck Moon read also flagged the heart and the creative life for Virgo (romance, dating, fertility, children, creativity, sports, hobbies). Singles ready to put themselves out there can still treat the Buck Moon week as a good mingling window, especially when paired with the practical reset above.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)

The Buck Moon turns up your creative life, your love life, and your time with children, Libra. Good week to host the dinner, take the date out, share the art project you have been hiding, or play with your kids without a schedule. If you are single and ready, this lunation is one of the better mingling windows of the year. If you have been working on a creative piece, ship it.

The 2024 Buck Moon also brought a nostalgic, foundation-focused pull for Libra (family, home, real estate, renovations). That undercurrent still runs in 2026. If a move, renovation, or family conversation has been waiting, the Buck Moon week is a good time to address it without losing the lighter creative momentum above.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21)

Home, family, and your living space anchor the week for you, Scorpio. Good time to host loved ones, finish a renovation, list the house, or commit to the move you have been mulling. A family conversation that has been hanging in the air may finally come to a head. The work you do on the home base this week tends to settle the next several months.

The 2024 Buck Moon framing for Scorpio leaned into curiosity, travel, and communication-focused work. Pair the home anchor with one outward move, a class signed up for, a trip booked, a long phone call with a friend at a distance, and the Buck Moon week balances inward and outward in equal measure.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21)

Communications, short trips, and neighborhood matters move to the front for you, Sagittarius. Good week to ship the piece of writing, finalize a contract, sit down with a sibling, or finish a local errand list you have been carrying for weeks. A conversation that started in February may come back for one more round.

The 2024 Buck Moon framing for Sagittarius zeroed in on money, budgets, income, and expenses. That practical thread holds. If you are looking for a new job or fine-tuning a budget, the Buck Moon week is a steady window to act on it.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19)

Income, possessions, and personal values come into focus for you, Capricorn. Use the Buck Moon to ask for the raise, list the side project for sale, close out a money habit, or recommit to the budget. An expense or income stream may end near this week; treat it as a planning prompt, not a setback. Important relationships often pull alongside this work; honor the people who have been steady with you.

The 2024 Buck Moon was the second of two back-to-back Capricorn full Moons, and it gave Capricorn an unusual run of authority and visibility. The 2026 chart hands that spotlight to Aquarius next door; for Capricorn, the work this year is the quieter base layer of income and self-worth that lets that authority hold.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18)

The Buck Moon is in your sign, Aquarius, and the spotlight is on you. Good week to step into a personal goal, declare a new direction, change the look, or finally launch the thing you have been quietly building. A significant personal or professional milestone is in reach. The choices you make this week often define how the rest of your year reads.

The 2024 Buck Moon urged Aquarius to lie low and recharge while developing projects behind the scenes. In 2026, those quietly developed projects come into the light. The work you did off-stage in the spring is the work that launches this week.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20)

Embrace a slower pace, Pisces. The Buck Moon falls in your quiet, reflective zone, and this is a favorable week to step back, rest, sort old paperwork, journal, or close out a long chapter. Use the time to clear the stage of anything that has just been creating clutter. An old friend or a thread from spring may resurface, sometimes as a gift, sometimes as a door closing. Either way, the rest you take now sets up the next active stretch.

The 2024 Buck Moon framing for Pisces celebrated community, events, and friendship. That sociable thread still belongs in your week, just paired with the rest above. Brainstorm one greatest aspiration now and you could find a path is opening to it through the friends already in your circle.

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How to See the Buck Moon in 2026

The Buck Moon is easy to find. Peak phase falls during daylight in North America (10:36 a.m. Eastern), so the best viewing is the night before and the night of: Wednesday, July 29, after sunset, looking southeast for moonrise, and Thursday, July 30, when the Moon still reads as full. No telescope, no binoculars, no app required. A clear southern view of the horizon and a porch or a field will do.

Best Viewing by Region

Region	What to expect
Northeast and Great Lakes	Warm, often humid air. Watch for late-afternoon thunderstorms (the Thunder Moon at work); aim for a clear hour after sunset.
Southeast and Gulf	Sticky nights, frequent cloud cover, and the chance of evening pop-up storms. Check the forecast a day ahead.
Mountain West and Plains	Dry air, open horizons, and clear southern views give some of the best Buck Moon nights in the country.
Pacific Northwest	The driest stretch of the year. Long evenings and clear skies make for steady viewing once moonrise clears the treeline.
Canadian Prairies and North	Late sunsets push moonrise well past 10 p.m. local. Bundle a light jacket; once dark hits, the Moon rides high.

Practical Tips

• Step outside 20 to 30 minutes before sunset on Wednesday, July 29, to watch moonrise low in the east-southeast.
• Let your eyes adjust for 5 to 10 minutes; the Buck Moon often shows a warm amber tint at the horizon before lifting to silver-white.
• For photography, a phone in night mode handles the wide scene; a DSLR at 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 200 will hold detail on the disc itself.
• The Moon looks largest near the horizon, an optical illusion that has fooled people for centuries. Catch it then for the most dramatic photo.
• Check local moonrise and moonset for your zip code in our Moon Phases Calendar before heading out.

FA Zodiac Calendar

Farmers’ Almanac Best Days and Gardening by the Moon calendars are built on the celestial positions of the Sun and Moon. The Zodiac Calendar treats those positions as a planning tool, not a fortune. The Buck Moon notes above follow the same approach: name the lunation, name the sign, and turn it into a date you can plan around.

We hope this buck moon zodiac calendar gives you a useful frame for the week. Happy Buck Moon.

Buck Moon FAQ

When is the Buck Moon in 2026?

The Buck Moon peaks on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 10:36 a.m. Eastern Time (14:36 UTC). Peak falls during daylight across North America, so the best viewing window is Wednesday night, July 29, after sunset, and Thursday night, July 30.

What zodiac sign is the Buck Moon 2026 in?

The 2026 Buck Moon falls in Aquarius. The Sun is in Leo through late July (Leo runs July 23 to August 22), and every full Moon falls in the sign opposite the Sun. That makes the 2026 buck moon zodiac polarity Leo to Aquarius. In 2024, the Buck Moon fell in Capricorn because peak phase landed earlier in the month, while the Sun was still in Cancer.

Why is the July full Moon called the Buck Moon?

By the second half of July, male whitetail deer carry the fastest-growing antlers of the year, still soft and wrapped in velvet. Early American hunters and almanac keepers named the July full Moon after that growth. Other traditional July names include the Thunder Moon, the Hay Moon, and the Salmon Moon.

How should I use the buck moon zodiac calendar?

Treat the per-sign notes as a planning calendar, not a fortune. The Buck Moon week (July 27 to August 2, 2026) tends to highlight a specific life area for each sign. Use that prompt the way you would use the Best Days Calendar or the Gardening by the Moon Calendar: pick the activity that fits, mark the date, and act on it.

Where will the Buck Moon be in the sky?

Look southeast after sunset on Wednesday, July 29. The Moon rises low on the horizon, climbs through the southern sky overnight, and sets in the west near sunrise. No telescope is needed; a clear southern view will do.

What is happening with Mars and Saturn during the Buck Moon week?

Mars is in a workable angle to the Buck Moon, supporting steady drive and follow-through rather than impulsive bursts. Saturn (the traditional ruler of Aquarius) anchors the week, favoring long-term decisions and patient transformation over big gestures.

What full Moon comes after the Buck Moon?

The Sturgeon Moon, August’s full Moon, peaks on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 04:18 UTC (12:18 a.m. Eastern). See our Full Moon Calendar for every 2026 date and time.