Ancient, Earth-Based Practices to Help You Let Go of Winter, Plant New Intentions, and Align with the Energy of Early Spring
Each year, as winter loosens its grip and the ground begins to soften, March’s Worm Moon rises as one of the most quietly powerful turning points of the entire lunar cycle.
This isn’t a glamorous moon.
It doesn’t blaze like the Harvest Moon or shimmer like the Snow Moon.
Instead, it signals something far more intimate: The moment life begins to move underground.
The name “Worm Moon” comes from traditional seasonal naming systems that tracked natural changes in the land.
As temperatures warmed, earthworms reappeared, tunneling through soil and restoring oxygen to the earth after winter’s long stillness.
This activity, in turn, supported plant growth, bird migration, and the reawakening of entire ecosystems (National Audubon Society, 2023).
In other words: The Worm Moon marks the return of circulation (both in the soil and symbolically, in the psyche).
Across cultures, the late-winter full moon has long been associated with purification, preparation, and emergence. It occupies a liminal threshold. Winter isn’t fully gone, but spring has undeniably begun (Hutton, 1996).
This makes it an especially potent time for rituals focused on:
- Release
- Renewal
- Re-grounding
- Emotional integration
- Conscious preparation for growth
Modern psychological research also supports the power of intentional ritual.
Studies have shown that ritualized actions can help regulate emotional states, increase feelings of control during transition, and support meaning-making during times of change (Norton & Gino, 2014).
In other words: Ritual may help the nervous system cross thresholds.
These five potent Worm Moon rituals can help you work more consciously with this seasonal turning point.
Explore the Worm Moon’s Spiritual Meaning: What the March Full Moon Symbolizes for Renewal and Awakening
1. Create an Earth Altar to Anchor Your Emerging Self
The Worm Moon is fundamentally about returning to earth. Not escaping upward, but rooting downward.
Building an earth altar may help you to consciously reconnect and realign with physical reality after winter’s long internal phase.
Altars have been used across cultures for thousands of years as focal points for attention, intention, and symbolic communication (Eliade, 1959). They may function as external mirrors of internal transformation.
How to Create Your Worm Moon Earth Altar
Gather objects that represent:
The Element of Earth (Learn more about the Meaning of the Element of Earth here.)
- Stones
- Soil
- Clay objects
- Salt
Emerging life
- Seeds
- Bulbs
- Dried herbs
- Twigs
Transition
- Naturally shed bark
- Fallen leaves
- Feathers
Light returning
- Candle
- Gold or yellow cloth
Arrange them intuitively. There’s no correct layout. The act of choosing is the ritual.
Closing Reflection
Sit quietly in front of your altar and ask: What’s beginning to move in my life now?
Don’t force an answer. Just sit quietly and listen.
2. Barefoot Grounding Ritual (If Weather Allows)
One of the defining features of the Worm Moon is the physical thawing of the earth.
This may make physical contact with the ground especially symbolically meaningful.
Direct contact between skin and earth (sometimes called “grounding” or “earthing”) has been studied for potential effects on stress regulation and nervous system function, though research is still emerging (Oschman, 2007).
Regardless of physiological effects, the symbolic significance can be pretty profound.
This ritual says: I’m part of the living earth, not separate from it.
Go deeper on Earthing: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Healing
How to Do It
If conditions allow you to (safely):
Stand barefoot outside. Grass, soil, sand, or stone are ideal.
Close your eyes.
Feel the temperature. Feel gravity. Feel your weight.
Stay in place for 2–10 minutes.
Whisper or think:
“I return to the ground that sustains me.”
This ritual may be especially powerful at night beneath the full moon.
3. Seed-Blessing Ritual for Intentional Growth
Seeds perfectly embody the energy of the Worm Moon.
Think about it: They hold entire futures inside dormant form.
Seed rituals have existed across agricultural societies for millennia, often accompanied by spoken blessings or prayers to encourage healthy crops (Frazer, 1922).
Even today, the act of planting can serve as a powerful psychological anchor for intention.
How to Perform a Seed-Blessing Ritual
Obtain your seeds. These can be:
- Garden seeds
- Flower seeds
- Microgreen seeds (my personal favorite)
- Even symbolic seeds (beans, grains)
Hold them in your hands.
Ask yourself: What are you growing this year? Career changes? Creative projects? Healing? Relationships?
Speak your intention silently or aloud.
Then either plant them or place them on your altar until planting season.
This ritual helps embody long-term trust in unseen growth.
4. Worm Moon Journaling Ritual: Shed the Old Skin
Before growth can occur, there’s often a process of shedding.
The Worm Moon can be an ideal time for emotional release and conscious reflection.
Expressive writing has been shown to help process emotional experiences and improve psychological well-being in some individuals (Pennebaker & Chung, 2011).
Writing helps create distance and clarity. It transforms diffuse feeling into defined form.
Worm Moon Journal Prompts
Write freely. Don’t edit. Don’t censor. Try a few of these prompts:
- What part of my life feels ready to move forward?
- What am I afraid to release?
- What am I still holding onto from winter?
- What version of myself is emerging now?
- Where do I feel resistance?
After writing, close your journal. Place your hand on it. Take a few slow breaths.
5. Shadow Composting Ritual: Transform What You Don’t Wish to Carry Forward
This may be one of the deepest rituals of the Worm Moon. And perhaps also one of the most important.
Composting transforms waste into nourishment.
Nothing is discarded. Everything is integrated.
Psychologist Carl Jung described the “shadow” as the unconscious aspects of the self that are often rejected but remain influential (Jung, 1959).
Consciously acknowledging these parts may help support psychological integration. The Worm Moon provides a symbolic container for this process.
How to Perform Shadow Composting
Write down your:
- Fears
- Resentments
- Old identities
- Outdated beliefs
- Anything you feel ready to release
Then (safely), burn the paper. (Or tear it or bury it outside beneath a tree.)
As you do, reflect on this: This becomes fuel for something new. You’re not destroying it. You’re transforming it.
Why Worm Moon Rituals Matter Today
Modern life often disconnects people from seasonal rhythms. Artificial lighting, indoor living, and digital environments flatten natural cycles (Foster & Kreitzman, 2017).
Seasonal rituals may help restore some awareness of these patterns. They may reconnect psychological experience with environmental reality.
They also help mark transition.
The Worm Moon, in particular, invites conscious participation in the process of emergence.
It reminds us that growth often begins invisibly. Underground. Quietly. Before anyone else sees it.
The Sacred Work of Becoming
The Worm Moon doesn’t demand dramatic change.
It asks only this: Pay attention to what’s beginning.
The earth doesn’t rush. It softens gradually. Warms gradually. Opens gradually.
You’re allowed to do the same. You don’t need to force your becoming. Trust that it’s already underway.
References
Audubon Society. (2023). Full Moon Names and Meanings.
Eliade, M. (1959). The Sacred and the Profane. Harcourt.
Frazer, J. G. (1922). The Golden Bough. Macmillan.
Foster, R. G., & Kreitzman, L. (2017). Circadian Rhythms. Yale University Press.
Hutton, R. (1996). The Stations of the Sun. Oxford University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self.
Norton, M. I., & Gino, F. (2014). Rituals alleviate grieving. Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Oschman, J. L. (2007). Grounding the human body. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.
Pennebaker, J. W., & Chung, C. K. (2011). Expressive writing. American Psychological Association.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It explores historical traditions, cultural practices, and psychological perspectives related to seasonal ritual. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice. Ritual practices are personal, symbolic actions and are not a substitute for licensed medical care, mental health treatment, or professional guidance. Always use fire safely and consult appropriate professionals regarding physical or mental health concerns.
