full worm moon {march 19, 2022}

This morning a little after 7:00, I woke up to see the third and final full moon of winter, The Worm Moon.

March’s full Moon goes by the name Worm Moon. This name refers to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. This invites robins and other birds to feed - a true sign of spring!

There are quite a few names for the March Moon that speak to the transition from winter to spring. Some refer to the appearance (or reappearance) of certain animals, such as the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon (Algonquin, Cree), or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), while others refer to signs of the season:

• The Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) marks the time of year when the sap of sugar maples starts to flow.
• The Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo) refers to the strong windy days that come at this time of year. 
• The Sore Eyes Moon (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine) highlights the blinding rays of sunlight that reflect off the melting snow of late winter. 

March’s full Moon often plays a role in religion, too. Specifically, in Christianity, this Moon is known as the Lenten Moon if it is the last full Moon of the winter season (it occurs before the spring equinox) or as the Paschal Full Moon if it is the first full Moon of spring (it occurs after the spring equinox).

This year, March’s full Moon (March 18, 2022) occurs before the spring equinox (March 20, 2022), making it the Lenten Moon. April’s full Moon (April 16, 2022) will be the first full Moon to occur after the spring equinox and will therefore determine the date of Easter this year. After all these years, it still confuses me how Easter's date is determined. 

We are back in Cleveland for the weekend, dog sitting and painting a couple more rooms for my son and daughter-in-law (they're having a baby in June!). Bernie wanted to come outside with me as I took some early morning photos. As I snapped my pics, I tried to notice other things.This morning was lovely.

 1.The birds were chirping their early morning wake up songs and as the sun got brighter, the birds got louder.

2. It had rained overnight and the air was so fresh and clean. 

3. Airplanes were taking off from Cleveland Hopkins International. 

4. The moon was setting in the west as the sun was rising in the east. 

5. The ground was squishy from the rain. 

6. It was very pleasant outside...50ish.

7. Clouds rolled in. The forecasters were right; it's going to rain today.

8. There is something about early morning scents for a dog. Bernie was very sniffy. The neighborhood deer had walked through the yard.

9. Raindrops sparkled on the trees and grasses.

10. Buds and new leaves are on the trees and a few flowers are beginning to push through the earth.

Blessed to start my day this way.