March is here, and that means spring is officially around the corner. Between the vernal equinox and daylight saving time, March truly feels like the beginning of spring. The weather is turning warmer, making it a good time to get outdoors and shake off the dust of winter. The month of March is named after the Roman god Mars — a preeminent god of war and agriculture. In the ancient Roman calendar, March was the time of year to resume military campaigns that had been interrupted by winter. This is a time many of us feel the urge to move and be active, to really tackle those new year’s resolutions or promises we made to ourselves this winter.
The energy of March is one of growth and of physical action. We have the opportunity to make every day a fresh start. But tuning into the natural rhythms of the Earth and working with the natural flow of energy can make things in our lives easier, while also bringing us into balance with nature.
Early in the month, the March full moon will put on a show, especially while it hangs low in the sky. The March full moon is known as the Worm Moon. It has often been assumed that this name referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms. This invites robins and other birds to feed, which is a true sign of spring. However, further research has revealed another explanation. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm” — beetle larvae — which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time.
There are many names for the full moons each month, and one of the other names for the March full moon is the Crow or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe). With the insects emerging from their winter habitats and smaller animals moving about again, the crows have definitely come back for the action happening in March, if they ever left.
You may have heard the weather proverb, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb,” which means that if the month starts off stormy, it will end with mild weather. There is, however, a different interpretation: The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March and thus the month “comes in like a lion,” while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of the month, and hence, the month “will go out like a lamb,” or perhaps ram.
March is split between the zodiac signs of Pisces and Aries. Pisces is the last zodiac sign in Western astrology and Aries is the first. This reflects the energies of March, with the beginning of the month being the last weeks of winter, while the last part of the month is officially spring. Pisceans are known to be sensitive, creative, and compassionate. All traits that correspond to the energies of winter. Winter is the season that traditionally sends us indoors, where we may think of or plan for the future, catch up on things that we’ve been putting off, and pursue our creative outlets. Aries takes control of March on the spring equinox and changes the energies from isolating and self-focused to being motivated to make changes and working hard. Aries is all about movement, being confident, and taking charge of our lives.
No matter what your zodiac sign, March is a time to really put our boots on the ground and make the changes we’ve been wanting to see. Use the watery energies of Pisces season to rebuild connections that we may have dropped during the winter. Channel the fiery direction of Aries to help you get those household projects you put off all winter done. 2023 can be a great year for us all, if we are willing to form connections, work together, and stay motivated.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.
