July 25 - July 31 | Full Moon in Aquarius, Saturn Retrograde begins, Nodes shift
- Sarah Brynteson
- 2 hours ago
- 11 min read
Good morning, friends! 🌙
Did you know that in astrology if you have no planets — or only one planet — in an element or mode it is considered missing? In your birth chart this means it is something you may be working toward bringing into your body in this lifetime. If you are missing two, it may mean that in a previous lifetime you figured one of those elements or modes out and are now working on the other.
Why do I bring this up?
Well, in Leo Season we are missing both Earth and Water. This means it may feel harder to feel grounded or centered, and emotions may feel a little harder to access. Hard does not mean absent — it just means you may need to do a little extra work to get there. 🌿
With 4 planets in Fire and 4 in Air we have so much passion and so many ways to think about things accessible to us right now. Being grounded and feeling our way through things? Not so much. My Aquarius Full Moon guide — part of my Between the Moons membership and paid Substack — helps you access exactly that. I have also included a ritual to help you identify what rings true for you to let go of, along with a 5 card spread and crystals to work with this energy. 🌕
And remember — the paid Substack is 50% off your first three months when you join before August 6th! All the information — including my upcoming Book Signing event — can be found in my Link to All Things. 🌟
Either way — let's get going with the week, shall we? 🌙
Cosmic Weather for the Week - July 25 - July 31 | Full Moon in Aquarius, Saturn Retrograde begins, Nodes shift
A quick note on timing: all times listed are in Central Time (CT), since that's where I live. Please convert them to your local time zone as needed.
This is the full week in one place — something my Between the Moons Community and Paid Substack receive every week. Why is everyone getting it this way this week? We have a very long Void of Course window on Saturday and I wanted to be sure you had that heads up.
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✨ July 25, 2026 | Sagittarius Moon ➡ 22 Hour 46 minute Void of Course moon
I wonder what insightful dreams we may wake from as we open our eyes on Saturday. Pluto — the planet of transformation — and Neptune — the great dissolver — have a beautiful moment that peaks at 12:25 am CT Saturday morning. If you wake to revelations you have been searching for, write them down or use your voice memos before they float away. 🌙
Why?
At 9:58 am CT we will enter a 22 hour, 46 minute Void of Course window that carries us through until Sunday morning. If you have a lot of plans on Saturday, making a list may help you keep them straight. Likewise, this is the perfect day to wrap up projects you have been working on at home, rest as needed, or simply hang with the people you love to have conversations with. 🌿
As for me personally — we are celebrating the life of a dear friend in a way that she would have absolutely loved, surrounded by friends in her home, and then heading to a graduation party featuring foods from Bangladesh. My friend was one of the kindest people I ever worked with when I taught and became very much like a mother to me. I wrote about her on my Substack this week — if you have a moment I would love for you to read it. 🤍
With this Void of Course window happening under a Sagittarius Moon — I cannot think of a better way to spend it. 🏹🌙
✨ July 26–27, 2026 | Capricorn Moon, Saturn Retrograde & Nodes Shift
I find it rather helpful that as Saturn stations retrograde and the North Node shifts into Aquarius, the Moon will be in Capricorn.
Why?
In traditional astrology Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius — which can lend a greater sense of stability to Sunday and Monday that might not otherwise feel so steady with all of these shifts happening at once. So let's break it down. 🌙
Under a Capricorn Moon it is normal to feel seen in the public eye — and with this happening in Leo Season, acknowledged at the same time for the work you do. If you are trying to focus on something, these two days are great for laser-sharp insights. Should things get hard, going outside and connecting with the Earth may help. 🌿
Saturn Stations Retrograde
Saturn stations retrograde at 2:56 pm CT at 14° Aries. Everything we have been working toward and building with Saturn's framework in mind gets to have another look. Retrogrades, after all, are just that — opportunities to revisit, realign, and reimagine. What do you want to do with this Aries Fire now through December 11, 2026? Saturn is one of the social planets in astrology, which means if he is not directly talking with one of your personal planets you may see this more in the headlines than in your personal life. Saturn loves structures and strong foundations — so this is a great time for refining and fine-tuning projects you may have started earlier this year or even last year when Saturn was visiting Aries before. It is also a good time to make sure those foundations are solid. You may find yourself reexamining your boundaries — and with Mercury just coming out of retrograde in Cancer, those boundaries may have already been shown to you there. 🪐
The Nodes Shift
Last but certainly not least — on Sunday at 7:46 pm CT the Nodes shift. The North Node moves into Aquarius and the South Node into Leo. Unlike planets, Nodes move backwards. These are the points the eclipses are attached to — and in modern astrology it is a choice whether we want to move toward them or not. The North Node represents the future path while the South Node represents the past and even past life themes that are ready to be released.
With the Aquarius North Node there may be a highlight on collective purpose, rising above personal perspective, and collaboration. There can be a feeling of wanting to step back from personal pride to embrace objectivity and work toward humanitarian goals — to share your uniqueness in service of something bigger. 🌟
The Leo South Node is helping us move away from ego-driven validation and self-centeredness. The theory is that in past lives — or even in your younger self in this lifetime — you have already mastered self-expression, creativity, and leadership. Now it is time to use those gifts in service of the collective rather than just for yourself.
Jan Spiller wrote a beautiful book called Astrology for the Soul that shares what the Nodes mean in greater detail. I highly recommend checking it out with your own personal North Node by sign and house. For example — I have a Scorpio North Node in the 7th house, so I would read the chapters on Scorpio for the sign and Libra for the house. I also love reading the chapters on whichever signs the Nodes are currently shifting into so I can feel into those energies. 📚
We will have a Solar Eclipse in Leo on August 12th and a Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on August 27th. The Nodes have been shifting back and forth since the beginning of this year — and these times feel karmic in nature. 🌑
And all of that was just Sunday! 😄
Monday
On Monday the Sun joins the Basket that formed last week. You may find yourself with sudden breakthroughs, inspired ideas — and possibly some power struggles too. All of this is building toward the Full Moon on the 29th. There is a lot of changeable energy in the air, so remember — lean into the element the Moon is in if things get rough. Earth. How can you feel grounded in your body? Do that. It may help. 🌿
✨ July 28, 2026 | Capricorn Moon →Aquarius Moon
At 1:11 am CT the Moon slips into a 19 hour, 35 minute Void of Course window until 8:46 pm CT. With this happening in the early hours of Tuesday morning, most of us will sleep right through the start of it — but the foggy, go-with-the-flow energy may still be felt throughout the day. If you have a lot going on, making a list ahead of time may help make sure everything gets taken care of — similar to what worked on Saturday. 🌙
✨July 29, 2026 | Aquarius Full Moon + 13 hour VOC
Today is the day. The Aquarius Full Moon rises at 9:35 am CT at 6° Aquarius — and she has something important to ask you. 🌕
What have you been holding your breath on?
Aquarius is Fixed Air — the element of the mind held in place. Think of it like the hold in Box Breathing. We breathe in, we hold, we breathe out, we hold. This Full Moon is sitting in that hold — and she is asking what words, what thoughts, what stories you have been gripping so tightly that they are blurring your path forward. Full Moons invite release, and this one is no different. 🌬️
The Barbault Basket — which has been building since July 19th — peaks with this Full Moon. Jupiter and the Sun face the Moon and Pluto across from each other in a powerful opposition. French astrologer André Barbault described the Saturn-Neptune conjunction of 2026 as one of the most beneficial configurations of the century. We are living inside that prediction right now. And this Full Moon sits right at the center of it all — asking you to strip away what is no longer authentic and step boldly into who you are becoming. 🌟
Venus square Mars may also stir up some tension in relationships or conversations today. Words may fly — be mindful of what you say, as sometimes you cannot take things back. If tension surfaces, ask yourself: do I need a push to talk about something I have been avoiding? That push may be exactly what today is offering. 💬
With no Earth energy in this chart outside of the Moon herself, grounding yourself today is especially important. Go outside. Put your feet on the ground. Move your body. Drink your water. Let the Earth hold you while you do the releasing. 🌿
Carry this with you today:
I release what I have been holding onto and trust the path that is opening before me. 🌕
Want to go deeper with this Full Moon? The complete Aquarius Full Moon guide is available for Between the Moons members and Substack paid subscribers. Inside you will find:
The full astrology breakdown
3 mantras to work with this energy
3 reflection questions
A grounding ritual with a bell to help you identify and release what no longer serves you
A deeply intentional 5 card spread
Crystal recommendations
You can join Between the Moons on Patreon for $25 a month or subscribe to my Substack for just $6.50 a month for your first 3 months — on sale through August 6, 2026. Both can be found in the Link to All Things. I would love to have you inside! 🌕🌙
✨July 30, 2026 | Aquarius Moon + Almost 15 Hour Void of Course
Thursday may feel like a day you just want to chill and hang with your friends — and that would be totally okay. Think of it as recovering from a Full Moon hangover. 😄
We will have a 14 hour, 47 minute Void of Course period from 4:26 pm CT to 7:13 am CT Friday — which could make your dream space that much more interesting. If you have a lot going on Thursday evening, making a list to make sure everything is taken care of is a great idea. 📝
✨July 31, 2026 | Pisces Moon
At 7:13 am CT the Moon shifts into Pisces — and this combination of a Pisces Moon in Leo Season is so creative and dreamy. ✨ If you have kids who love to pretend play, this weekend would be a great time to let them dive into that. 🌟
Under all Pisces Moons I always recommend knowing your healthy escapes — because should you become overwhelmed, they become really helpful to have in your back pocket. Whether that is setting timers to make sure you wake from a nap, being mindful of how long you are scrolling on social, or being aware of your intake of caffeine and other things that can alter your mood. It is completely normal to feel more tender and even see tears flow under a Pisces Moon. Just remember to turn to the element the Moon is in should things get too hard — Water. Drink it, play in it, bathe in it, go with the flow, or even lose yourself in music. All of it helps. 💧
More about this energy next week as the Pisces Moon carries us through until Sunday at 3:36 pm CT. 🌙
✨In closing
What a week to be paying attention. We opened under the dreamy inspiration of a Sagittarius Moon, moved through Saturn stationing retrograde and the Nodes shifting — marking a significant karmic turning point for all of us — and then the Aquarius Full Moon arrived asking us to release what we have been holding and show up more authentically than ever before. Through it all the invitation has been the same — get grounded, feel your way through it, and trust that the structure beneath the surface is holding you even when you cannot feel it. 🌕
As we close out July and step into August, know that the energy is only going to build from here. The Total Solar Eclipse in Leo is on August 12th — and we will be talking about it a lot in the weeks ahead. If you have not yet grabbed your spot for the Leo Solar Eclipse New Moon Circle or joined us inside Between the Moons or on Substack, now is a beautiful time to do so. The Venus Return discount on Substack — 50% off your first three months — expires on August 6th when Venus moves into Libra. Do not wait on that one! 🌟
Until next week — dream well, release what is ready, and trust that August has something extraordinary in store for all of us. ☀️🌕🌙
love and stardust,
Sarah
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*Note If using Apple Products subscribe from a web browser for either vs the app to save 40% in fees that Apple iOS will charge. This is true for either option