Why it's called the Worm Moon
March's full moon is the Worm Moon. The classic explanation: as the ground thaws, earthworms surface and the robins return to feed on them — the first working sign of spring. An older reading, from the 1760s journals of explorer Jonathan Carver, points instead to beetle larvae emerging from thawing tree bark.
Other traditional March names tell the same story from different angles: the Crow Moon (crows calling the end of winter) and the Sap Moon (maple tapping season).
The Worm Moon in the sky
The Worm Moon is the last full moon of the northern winter — the one closest before the March equinox. In many years that also makes it the Paschal Moon, the full moon that sets the date of Easter.
What the Worm Moon means
Its meaning is exactly what the soil is doing: things that were dormant start to move. In moon practice this is the thaw moon — for restarting what winter paused, gently and underground before anything shows on the surface.
When is the next Worm Moon?
22 March 2027 at 10:45 UTC.
Why is it called the Worm Moon?
Traditionally because thawing ground brings earthworms — and the robins that eat them — back to the surface. An older account ties the name to beetle larvae emerging from winter bark.
What is the Paschal Moon?
The first full moon on or after the March equinox. Easter falls on the following Sunday, and in many years the Worm Moon is that moon.