Photo: Charles T. Peden (Shutterstock)
Moon fans and casual lunar observers: If everything goes according to plan, the full moon in March will rise on Friday, March 18. Known as the Worm Moon, it will be brightest at around 3:20 a.m. ET. This is the last full moon before spring begins on March 22, and thus it marks the end of an interminable winter.
Check out this handy moonrise and moonset calculator for moon info specific to your location.
Why is March’s full moon called the Worm Moon?
The March moon’s “Worm” moniker comes from Native American moon-namers. It refers to the softening soil that brings worms to the surface so birds and other animals can eat them. In other words, it’s a time where we celebrate the return to life that spring represents.
Other indigenous groups called March’s moon “The Sugar Moon,” “The Sap Moon,” “Crow Comes Back Moon,” and “Sore Eyes Moon,” a reference to the blinding effect from reflected sunlight on melting snow.
In the Christian world, March’s moon is known as the Lenten Moon, as long as it happens before the spring equinox. It’s call the Paschal Full Moon if it comes after. “Lent” is Middle English for “spring,” and gives its name to the period of sacrifice before Big Baby J rises again on Easter.
My favorite name for March comes from the old Japanese lunar calendar. During the Yayoi period that began around 300 BC, they called March “Yayoi,” which means, roughly, “finally,” as in: “This freakin’ winter is finally over.”
What does March’s moon mean in astrological terms?
According to Bustle, March’s full moon will be in Libra and is “a great lunation for examining the dynamics within your closest relationships and communicating openly about your interpersonal issues,” so once the moon rises, some people are going to get told.
Astrologer Jordane says that March’s moon tells us: “Your light is needed. Your unique energy is needed. Your passions are needed. Your perspectives are needed.” Way to put demands on my time, March’s full moon!
A random, awesome moon fact
Moon dust smells like gunpowder, and some people are allergic to it. Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison “Jack” Schmitt found this out the hard way. After walking on the lunar surface in 1972, Schmitt trailed some dust into the lunar capsule and suffered red eyes, sneezing, and other allergy symptoms that lasted two hours.
