While I am hopefully fast asleep at 3 a.m. on Monday, March 25, that is when the Full Moon of 2024 officially will occur. It will look very “full” to us observing tonight.
Often referred to as the Worm Moon in certain cultural and folklore traditions, particularly in North America, that may be an accurate name for your part of the world. March, particularly when the Full Moon is in late March, is typically the time when the ground begins to thaw, and earthworms emerge. Yet, another nature signal of the true start of spring.
The Chaste Moon originates from the idea that early spring is a time of purity, new beginnings, and the renewal of life. It is an Old English name for the March full moon. It is also used in neo-Pagan circles to describe the season’s purity as life renews after winter.
Sap Moon is a name that comes from the tapping of maple trees for sap, which typically begins in March in certain regions, signaling the start of spring sugaring season.
In some Native American traditions, the name Crow Moon refers to the cawing of crows, which becomes more prominent as spring approaches.
The Lenten Moon name is derived from the Christian observance of Lent, which often falls during March. The Moon’s phases were used to determine the timing of religious observances in traditional Christian calendars. It was given this name by earlier English speakers.
“Chaste” came into Middle English from Old French and earlier from Latin castus. The word more commonly is used to mean abstaining from extramarital, or from all, sexual intercourse; virginal. It can also mean without unnecessary ornamentation; simple or restrained.
I only learned recently that in the late Middle Ages, as sermons began to be given in the vernacular English instead of Latin, the English word lent was adopted. This word initially simply meant spring and lent was the name for the season. That compares to the German language lenz and Dutch lente from the Germanic root for “long” because in the spring the days visibly became longer.
Weekends in Paradelle 