Worm Moon Total Eclipse

Total Lunar Eclipse- Tuesday, March 3, 2026 

Our area experienced a full blood moon lunar eclipse just before dawn on March 3, 2026. I went outdoors at 5:30 AM when it was a cold minus 18 °C to watch the already well-progressed event. We have far more cloudy days than clear days, and it was fortuitous that the skies were clear enough to see the moon as it set.

Approximately 6:30 AM, just before moonset and totality

I was able to capture one last photo just before totality. By then, the moon was setting into a bank of clouds on the horizon, and it was not possible to watch the second half of the eclipse. 

The March full moon is called the Worm Moon, signifying the return of spring and the warming of the soil, allowing worms and beetle larvae to emerge. Looking at the thermometer and the high snow banks while we watched the eclipse, spring warming did not seem imminent. But March is very unpredictable. Four days later, the temperature soared to 15 °C, with rain, and the snow began to melt quickly.

Local Woodlot, March 7, 2026

Yesterday morning, I ventured to the local woodland trail. A thick ground fog rose as warm air met the deep snow cover. It was far too icy to get out of my car safely for a walk. I could hear the American Robins, Finches and Red-winged Blackbirds singing their spring songs. (I saw my first Robin the day of the lunar eclipse.)

Psalm 22 is a psalm of lament that speaks directly about the sufferings of Christ. It begins with the words Jesus spoke on the cross,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Verses 6-8 go on to say,

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”

To the psalmist, a worm is the lowliest creature that could be imagined. Christ, in his humanity, accepted this humble position and did not demand deliverance from his suffering and pain.

I enjoy the poetry of a young contemporary British writer, Gideon Heugh. His poems remind me of Mary Oliver's with their spiritual and nature themes. He posted the poem below for the Worm Moon.

I like the image of God quietly making and remaking the ground beneath our feet, creating soil in which we can flourish and grow.

We have had a very long winter, but the days have lengthened, the birds are returning, and spring is well underway. The changes we desire may be long in coming, but faith sees them happening in due season.