The Pueblo tribe named it the Moon When the Leaves Break Forth, while in Shoshone culture it was known as the Warming Moon. One of its other names is the Chaste Moon, symbolizing the purity of early spring. But if it was dry, they called it the Rugged Moon, an indication of a bounteous harvest. They called it the Storm Moon if it was stormy, which was a sign that their crops would fail. The Anglo-Saxons even used the Worm Moon as a way to predict the state of their crops. In general, March’s full moon is known as a herald for the beginning of spring and new agricultural cycles. This is why in Northern American tribes such as the Shawnee tribe, the Worm Moon is called the Sap Moon instead, as a reminder for the tribes that they can begin tapping maple syrup. That’s because while it’s normally harmless everywhere else, earthworms will aggressively destroy the native forest’s duff layer by eating right through it. If you ever visit one of these native forests, you will be asked to clean your shoes and make sure it’s free of earthworm eggs. The growth of these forests became dependent on a layer of duff, which is a compost layer comprised of decomposing leaves and other rotting organic matter. When the deep ice melted 12,000 years ago, the native forests in those areas grew back and adapted to the loss of earthworms. Little did the colonists know that during the last ice age, glaciers had spread so far across Canada and the northern parts of the United States that all earthworms had been completely wiped out. These earthworms were brought over either out of a misguided intent to help fertilize the soil, or as an accident along with transported plants or the soil used for ballast in ships. All the earthworms you see in Northern America today are invasive species brought in by colonists. It would be literally impossible for Northern tribes to see worms popping up in March. In fact, there’s no way the Northern tribes would have ever called it the Worm Moon - and the reason why is fascinating.Įssentially, earthworms did not exist in Northern America. Here’s a little known fact about March’s full moon: it was called the Worm Moon only by Southern Native American tribes. This is because of the earthworms that wriggle out of the ground as the earth begins to thaw in March. March’s full moon is commonly called the Full Worm Moon. The New Moon will happen later in March on Tuesday, March 21st. The Full Moon for this month will occur early in the month on Tuesday, March 7th.
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