Blood Worm Moon - March 3 2026
The world is thawing and spring will soon be sprung. Dust off your garden tools and get ready for the Worm Moon!
The Worm Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of March in the Northern Hemisphere. Most sources claim this name is taken from the renewed visible presence of vermicast (worm droppings) and earthworms themselves, as the spring thaw allows them to emerge from the soil.
There is a possible alternative explanation, involving a colonial explorer’s notes about the Naudowessie (Dakota) observation of emerging worm-like beetle larvae from the bark of trees. “Every month has with them a name expressive of its season; for instance, they call the month of March (in which their year generally begins at the first New Moon after the vernal Equinox) the Worm Month or Moon; because at this time the worms quit their retreats in the bark of the trees, wood, &c. where they have sheltered themselves during the winter.” (It’s entirely possible that this “worm” in this instance is a mistranslation of an indigenous word for “larva,” since it refers to the larval state of certain beetles. Without knowing whether the language in question makes a distinction between larval worms and earthworms, it’s impossible to tell, and I was unable to find further sources.)
Other North American Indigenous names for this moon include Goose Moon (Algonquin and Cree) and Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), in reference to the reappearance of migratory birds, and Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) and Sap Moon (Shawnee), in reference to the season in which the maple sap begins to run and can be tapped for the production of maple syrup.
Fun Fact: The term “Worm Moon” only occurs in southerly indigenous nations. The March moon is commonly named for trees or birds in more northerly areas of North America because in those places, the native species of earthworms went extinct during the period when glaciers covered that portion of the continent. About 12,000 years ago when the glaciers receded, the forest grew back without earthworms. The species which now inhabit those areas are invasive or introduced specimens originating from Europe and Asia.
The March moon, if it occurs prior to the spring equinox, is also the Lenten Moon, named for the Christian holiday of Lent. If it occurs after the equinox, it is called the Paschal Full Moon, corresponding with the Christian holiday of Easter, or Paschal Sunday (This year’s Worm Moon will occur the week before the equinox and Easter Sunday will be in April.)
This year’s Worm Moon also featured a lunar eclipse, causing the full moon to briefly turn a deep red as it passes through the Earth's shadow. The peak of the full moon occurred in the early daylight hours, around 9:23am EST on March 3rd, but the moon will appear to be full tonight and the energy of the eclipse will linger. Photos are available online. (The next total lunar eclipse we'll see over North America isn't until 2028!)
What Does It Mean For Witches? 🌱
Full moons are both the beginning and end of the lunar cycle. With the Worm Moon, we can look forward to the beginning of spring and the yearly harvest cycle. So now is the perfect time for seasonal divination, plans for the coming months, and the setting of goals for the future, both short-term and long-term. You can also check in with goals you may have set back in January and record your progress. (Remember - even a little progress is still progress!)
Consider also how you can change or begin new routines and habits to improve your life, make better choices, streamline your schedule, or just give yourself a much-needed break. If there’s something hanging around that no longer serves you, now is the time to consider bidding it adieu and moving forward to a new path.
What Witchy Things Can We Do? 🌱
The Worm Moon heralds the imminent start of the planting season. If you’ve got green fingers, now is the time to begin planning your garden for the season. Prepare your sprouting trays and browse your favorite seed catalog for inspiration.
It’s also time for that all-important spring cleaning, so open up those windows on a warm day and air out all the staleness from winter. As you scrub and dust and declutter, you can also magically cleanse your space of stagnant, disruptive, or unwanted things, replacing them with your own energy and your good wishes and goals for the upcoming season.
This is also an excellent time for spells focused on fertility, optimism, and new growth. It’s important to remember that fertility spells don’t just have to focus on procreation. They can also be geared toward planting, creating, opportunity, inspiration, motivation, prosperity, abundance, and anything that requires nurturing and productivity.
As the land begins to turn toward springtime, even if the weather is still cold, take note of the changes in the flora and fauna in your area. What species can you identify? How are the animals acting? Is there anything new that you notice since last year? Tracking these changes can help you connect with your local biome and identify patterns that can help you draw forecasts for the weather, the coming crop cycle, and any personal omens you have which are connected to nature. Try this knowledge-building exercise as part of your study - Dig Through The Ditches.
Since there is a lunar eclipse set to occur, this is also an optimal time for not only the usual fulfillment and abundance magic associated with the full moon, but for any magic meant to yeet something into the all-devouring void with all your might. Contrary to certain schools of belief, eclipses do not automatically negate magical workings done on the date they occur and there are ways of employing that energy to useful purpose. Picture the earth’s shadow moving over the moon like a giant cosmic disposal bin which carries away anything thrown into it to be released into the void of space.
As always, for best results, make sure you are focused and specific with your intentions and close loopholes in your wording. Remember that YOU are the most important component in your spell, since you’re the one providing the impetus and the energy and telling the magic what to do. Don’t be afraid to clear and emphatic!
Recall also that in any environment, there comes a time when progress cannot occur until harmful elements are removed, stagnation is released, and detritus is returned to a state where it can decay and benefit new growth. Do with this what you will.
The season of greening and renewal is upon us, so it’s time to Ready, Set, GROW!
Happy Worm Moon, witches! 🌕🌱
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:
Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series
Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series
The Worm “Blood” Moon: March’s Full Moon in 2026, The Older Farmer's Almanac.
Full Moon March 2026: Change Is Worming Its Way Into Reality, The Peculiar Brunette.
Totality is over — Feast your eyes on the 1st photos of the blood moon total lunar eclipse 2026, Space.com.
Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches, Bree NicGarran.
Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America, in the Years 1766, 1767 and 1768, Capt. Jonathan Carver, London, 1781. (Text available on Project Gutenberg)
Easter and the Paschal Full Moon: Determining the Date of Easter, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.
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