Full moon of March 2023, the last full moon of winter

The full Moon of March has arrived this year on the 7th, a Tuesday, and it has been the third of the 13 full moons that 2023 will have. It has also been the last full Moon of winter in the northern hemisphere and of summer in the northern hemisphere. south. In 2024, the full Moon of March will take place on the 25th, inaugurating spring.

This full moon in March is traditionally known as worm moon. Other widespread names are Raven Moon or Strong Wind Moon. In India it is the Moon that marks the time when the popular festival of Holi is celebrated.

When is the full moon in March?

As you can see in the 2023 lunar calendar, the full Moon of March 2023 took place on Tuesday day 7. From an astronomical point of view, it occurred at 1:42 p.m. Spanish peninsular time,

For optical purposes, the Moon was already full on Monday night and continued to be fully illuminated all Tuesday night.

How was the full moon of March in 2023

When the full Moon occurs in the early afternoon, it has risen over the horizon already fully illuminated. In fact, on Tuesday the 7th the moon began to rise above the horizon around 7:00 p.m.reached its highest point in the sky at about 2 a.m. and went back into hiding shortly after 8 a.m.

Although it’s no longer considered a micromoon, like the February Moon or Snow Moon was, the full Moon in March this year didn’t look especially big. On Tuesday our satellite was just over 400,073 km away from Earth and only 4 days after its apogee took place, the moment in its orbit in which it is furthest from Earth. Logically, the closer the Moon is to Earth on a full Moon night, the larger it appears to our eyes.

Regarding its position in the sky, we can verify that this full Moon in March has been placed in Virgo. She came from being in Leo, shining next to the Regulus star, to be in Virgo, so near the star Spica could be seenthe brightest of this constellation.

How the full moon influences Virgo

According to Marga Roldán, an expert in evolutionary astrology, the full Moon in Virgo creates a good time to start new projects and invites us to connect with our most intuitive part, the one that allows us to choose the best strategies so that projects come to fruition.

This makes these days good for connect with our dreamsand also to become aware of what makes us disconnect from them.

Meditate or find ways to relax to find the time and space to do it can help in this way, avoiding the interference of stress.

When will the March full moon be in 2024?

The full Moon of March 2024 will be on March 25 at 8 in the morning, so that this year the full Moon of March will not be the last of winter, but the first of spring.

Why is it called Worm Moon?

During centuries different cultures of the planet have named each full moon of the year depending on what was happening around them in nature, their customs at that time or the symbolism they gave them.

Some of those names have become especially popular, such as those collected by the North American Almanac

, which includes the denominations given to it by the different native tribes in each area. However, it is also interesting to know the names given to it by other cultures, such as Celtic or Asian cultures.

“Worm Moon” It is the main name that the North American Almanac collects for the full moon in March, since it is the one that the colonists in North America adopted and popularized upon their arrival.

exist various theories about the origin of this name. The full moon in March usually arrives close to the spring equinox, when the snow begins to melt in some areas. For a long time it was believed that the name Worm Moon alluded to the proliferation of earthworms at this time of year due to the increase in temperatures, some worms that in turn invited the birds to come closer to get food.

However, according to the same Almanac, it was later discovered that some tribes associated the name with another type of worm: beetle larvae emerging from tree bark and from other hiding places when the thaw begins.

Be that as it may, this name, like others, is closely linked to the observation of nature and its cycles. From a detail we are located at a specific time of the year, the transition from winter to spring, in which life is transformed in a certain way.

Other names for the full moon in March

Other of the names that this Moon receives also allude to the transition from winter to spring. They do it, for example, alluding to animals that appear with the approach of spring, and from there Raven Moon, Eagle Moon either Hare Moon.

It is also known as sap moonstrong wind moon

by the bleeding of the maples, or

in Celtic culture, as gales were frequent at this time. Curiously, the Cherokee Indians in North America also called it Wind Moon.

According to Sandra Kynes, an expert in Celtic culture, the March Moon symbolism associated with the wind goes beyond meteorological connotations. The March wind cleanses the air of the imprint of winter, encouraging us to let go of what weighs us down and prevents us from moving forward. It is a Moon that brings associated air of renewal and just as the house is prepared with a spring cleaning, we may also need breathe new life into our emotional and spiritual lives.

This invites you to do cleansing rituals at this time, coinciding with or around the full moon. In Celtic culture, the period between March 1 and 17 is also governed by the ash tree, a tree associated with strength.

Holi Festival, a celebration of love on the full moon

The famous Holi festival is celebrated in India on the last month of the Indian lunisolar calendar, coinciding with the full Moon. Although some years this can happen in February, most years it coincides with the full moon in March. It is the case this year.

This year’s full Moon occurs in India also on March 8, but it can already be seen full in different parts of India, such as Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi, at 18:10 (IST, India Standard Time). ) on day 7.

Therefore, that same day 7when the Moon is already full, a ritual is first celebrated that is known Holika Dahan symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. Giant pyres are built and people sing and dance around the fire all night long.

The next day, with the full Moon phase, the streets are filled with color to enjoy the Holi festival, a day in which the intention is set in motion. forget past grievances and celebrate love and friendship. It is a party that invites us to turn the page and forgive, but it also celebrates the arrival of spring, the possibility of being reborn and starting over. It is known by many other names, such as the festival of color, the festival of spring or the festival of love.

In other Asian countries, celebrations are held with each full moon. An emblematic example is thailand.

On some beaches in Thailand, in the Koh Phangan Island, the full moon is celebrated every month with a massive party. The March full moon party will take place on Tuesday the 7th, in the middle of the high tourist season.