If You Hate Confrontation, The March Full Blue Moon Is Going To Make You Feel Uncomfortable

Over the course of history, our ancestors have assigned clever names to the various full moons that rise throughout the year, and most (if not all) of them seem to set us up for disappointment. A blue moon? Yeah, it's not blue. A blood moon? Similarly not consistent aesthetically with its nickname. While there may be small variations in color between one full moon and the next, they generally look the same no matter what we call them... and March's full pink moon is no exception. While it's name sounds rosy, the moon itself is decidedly not — but that doesn't mean it's not super cool in other ways. So before you chalk this full moon up as a total letdown, check out these March 2018 full pink moon spiritual meanings. They might even help you forget that there's not really a pink moon about to rise in the sky. (Bummer!)

The situation with the full pink moon in 2018 is actually unique. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the name is typically assigned to the full moon that rises in April, since both Native Americans and colonial Americans associated the fourth month of the year with the appearance of one of spring's first flowers: a pink moss commonly known as wild ground phlox. Because, per Space.com, there happen to be two full moons in March of 2018 — the second of which will rise on Mar. 31 — the late March full moon is also eligible for the pink moon designation. Time and Date notes that the Mar. 31 full moon is also a blue moon, since it's the relatively rare second full moon to rise in the span of a single month (the norm, of course, is one per month).

The Mar. 31 full moon is scheduled to rise on the very last day of March, so it might as well be the April full moon... but regardless of when exactly the pink moon falls, it has some notable spiritual meanings.

Growth And New Beginnings

The phrase "pink moon" is in itself rooted (get it?) in the idea that this particular full moon marks the start of a period of growth for plants and vegetation. Similarly, the pink moon is a time for people to start fresh and experience personal growth. Further proving this point, several important historical firsts took place on the day of the pink moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac — notably, Apollo XVI's landing on the moon in 1972.

Finding Peace In The In-Between Moments

Tangled Roots Herbal notes that the pink moon is a great time to acknowledge that some moments are "full moon moments," while others are just part of the cycle that happens in between. Learning to celebrate the day-to-day happiness that takes place between your bright and shiny accomplishments is important!

Eliminating What's Not Working

With the arrival of flowers like wild phlox came a time for early Americans to start pruning. Per Farmer's Almanac, the period of the pink moon is considered one of the best times to kill weeds and thin out dead or unnecessary plants. Applying this principle to life means that the pink moon might be an optimal — and meaningful — time to start eliminating the people and commitments that no longer serve you.

Sleep And Rest

Sleep is golden no matter where we are in the moon cycle, but down time can be especially key around the full pink moon, according to Tangled Roots Herbal. Take time in March and April to really soak in the quiet time you have (especially at night) to rest and rejuvenate. Gaining a better understanding of how critical that rest is will help you become more aware of how you might be able to feel rejuvenated in your waking hours as well.