This month’s full moon will appear tomorrow night — with an odd name. March’s full moon is called the full Worm Moon.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the name Worm Moon was given to the March Moon because of the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in the spring. Another explanation for the name comes from Captain Johnathan Carver, an 18th-century explorer, who wrote that the Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm” — beetle larvae — that begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts this time of year.
There are a number of names for the March Moon that refer to the transition from winter to spring. Some reference the appearance/reappearance of certain animals, such as the Goose Moon, Eagle Moon and Crow Comes Back Moon. Some refer to signs of the season, like the Sugar Moon, Wind Strong Moon, and the Sore Eyes Moon. Apparently that name comes from the blinding rays of sunlight that reflect off the melting snow of late winter.
The March full Moon plays a role in religion, too. If the March Moon is the last full Moon of the winter season, meaning it occurs before the spring equinox, it is known as the Lenten Moon. This year, because it is the first full Moon occurring after the spring equinox, it will be the Paschal Full Moon. This means that it’s date determines the date of Easter — this year on April 4.
So get out and enjoy the full Moon tomorrow night — and think about what Buddha said, “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
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