Looking for the Magic✨: A Nature Almanac

March 2026 / The Bears 🐻 & The Blood Worm Moon

Welcome to Looking for the Magic✨: A Nature Almanac

It is March – the month in which the cold begins to subside, and people begin to dream of spring. Where I live in Southern California, we have been oscillating between torrential rains and weather that feels like a summer day.

I find myself so fascinated by how other creatures are wired to survive in the wild. How their very DNA affords them what feels like supernatural abilities to thrive in dire elements. If we had to live in a cave for four months, we might stumble out a bit broken, if at all. But not the bears. The bears have magical powers. ✨

Things included this month:

• Creature Feature: The Bears

• The Blood Worm Moon: March 3rd (A must-see total lunar eclipse!)

• Creative Prompts: Plant seeds for spring

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When I first found out that frogs freeze solid in the winter, then wake up in the spring, it sent me on a road of discovery. What other magical powers do animals have? It made me wonder about the bears. The whole hibernation thing is quite fascinating. Bears typically hibernate for 3 to 7 months, depending on species, age, and climate. This means no food, water, or bathroom breaks. How?

Here are the most wonder-filled facts about bears as they transition from the sleepy bears to the lumbering giants of the forest.

Their magical alchemy
Bears recycle their own waste. While humans would suffer from kidney failure within days if they didn’t go, bears can hold it for months. Their system breaks down urea into nitrogen and uses it to rebuild protein. They literally turn waste into muscle while they sleep. Might we turn this into a pill for humans?

Bears hold the secret to help treat osteoporosis in humans
A bear emerges in March with its bone density and muscle mass almost entirely intact. Bears have a unique biological signaling system that prevents bone reabsorption. Scientists are still trying to unlock this secret formula to help treat osteoporosis in humans.

Bears stumble around in walking hibernation
When a bear leaves the den in March, they walk around in a bit of a daze for two to three weeks. They have deemed it “walking hibernation.” They are super groggy as their metabolism slowly speeds back up. They wander around eating very little until their systems fully awaken.

Mother bears for the win
Mother bears are called sows, and they do not get the most restful sleep. They give birth in the dead of winter (usually January) while in a state of semi-consciousness. Newborns only weigh about 1 pound - smaller than a can of soda. The blind, hairless cubs rest in their mother’s fur and nurse on super-rich milk as she sleeps. They gain up to two pounds a week and emerge as furry little bear toddlers.

They may be asleep, but they are alert
During the deepest cold of winter, a bear’s heart rate can drop to as low as 8 to 19 beats per minute. A human heart beats 60 -100 times per minute at rest. Yet, if a predator approaches the den, they can spring into action. Bears have the amazing ability to rapidly increase their heart rate and defend themselves at a moment’s notice.

So there you have it, bears are magic. Have you ever watched a bear cam on YouTube? When they wake up, they go to the river to catch salmon. Sometimes you see a huge bear stroll in, and it is mesmerizing. It is a little early for those cams, but here is a link to a little video of past footage. Be aware. Sometimes you stumble into a rabbit hole of delight and lose an hour - but it is the good kind of scroll.

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☽✶ The full moon names featured each month are rooted in a mix of Native American, Colonial American, and European traditions. In earlier times, these names described the entire lunar month, not only the night when the moon appeared full.☽✶

This Tuesday is a big deal. Not only is it a Full Moon, but a total lunar eclipse. When these happen on the same night, it’s known as a Blood Worm Moon. The eclipse will be fully visible across the United States (and many other parts of the world), so it’s worth checking the timing in your area.

Here in California, totality happens at 3:33 a.m. You can bet I’ll be setting my alarm and stumbling outside in my pajamas. I hope you do too.

In astrology, an eclipse is like a supercharged full moon. Full moons are traditionally a time for releasing, while eclipses are said to bring fated shifts. Historically, the red moon has been seen as a threshold – a clearing of old energy to make room for growth. It invites us to shed old patterns and step into what’s next.

The March Full Moon is traditionally called the Worm Moon, marking the time when earthworms begin to reappear in thawing soil, and beetles emerge from tree bark –early signs that spring growth will begin.

A Blood Moon happens during a total lunar eclipse. Instead of disappearing, the Moon turns a deep coppery red as it passes through Earth’s shadow. This phenomenon is called Rayleigh scattering. As Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, our atmosphere filters out blue light while bending red and orange light toward the Moon. In a way, you’re seeing the glow of every sunrise and sunset on Earth projected onto the Moon at once.

It is just the kind of magic we need in our lives right now. Let’s collectively feel a shift in this universe. Let’s invite new beginnings. Let’s clear out the old and make room for the new. Because I truly believe that if we all collectively believe that things will change, we will act in ways that will foster that change.

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🪱 🌕 The Blood Worm Moon Meditation

It is more important than ever to get back to nature and listen to our instincts. I don’t think one’s internal voice will ever mislead them.

Sometimes when you break your routine and step outside in the middle of the night, something shifts. You surprise yourself. You become this wild, instinctive version of yourself – the one that doesn’t need rules. The one that remembers there is a whole universe moving around you.

So here is what you are going to do.

Decide what you want to shift in your life.
On Monday evening, take a little time for yourself. Make a cup of tea, light a candle, and grab a piece of paper. Tear the paper into small strips. On each one, write something you’re ready to release from your life.

Look up the time of peak totality in your area.
This is the moment when the moon turns completely red. I like to go outside about five minutes before it happens – just in time to watch the transformation.

Set out your coat and shoes.
Make it easy on yourself. When the time comes, you can simply wake up, slip them on, and walk outside. Place the folded pieces of paper in a pocket.

Step outside.
The alarm goes off. Now it’s time to stand beneath the Blood Worm Moon.

There is something about the middle of the night – the quiet, the stillness – that makes the world feel different, almost as if you are the only person awake. Let yourself be in that silence. Breathe deeply. Take in every little sound around you.

As the red moon appears above you, imagine it as a kind of portal – an open doorway in the universe. You are invited to release what you no longer want to carry. You are also welcome to ask for what you need.

The small papers.
When you feel ready, take out the folded pieces of paper.

Depending on your surroundings and what feels right:

• bury them in the soil, or

• burn them safely with a candle inside

Either way, they are no longer yours.
You are releasing them back into the universe.

And you are making space for what comes next.

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✦ The Blood Worm Moon Meditation (listed above)
The morning after the Blood Worm Moon, sit down with some new paper. This time, we will fill the paper with what we want to take up space in our lives. We have just cleared the decks for new things to come into our lives. Let’s make a little card full of dreams and doodles. Put it somewhere you can see it daily.

✦ Plant some seeds inside
Time to think about what you would like to plant this spring. While the ground thaws, you can begin to consider what you would like to bloom there. Have you ever gotten some dirt and started seedlings in little cups inside? It kind of makes you feel like a kid again - in a very good way. You can even doodle a map of your spring garden.

✦ A Me Day
Many people plan trips for Spring Break. But what about a day for yourself with no obligations? You can plan a day to do a bunch of little things that delight you. Get a coffee with a book. Bring your sketchbook to the botanical garden. Go to your favorite nursery and buy new plants. It is all those little things that fill us up. Or maybe you just want to stay in your jammies at home. You do you. For an entire day.

Until Next Time✨,
Kim

P.S. If you enjoyed this, please give it a like. It helps others discover it as well. 🤗

Do you ever look up at the night sky and ask, “Where is the moon?” Because it is not in the same spot it was yesterday? Well, the moon is not on the same path nightly. And if you live in a place with mountain ranges, it can get a little tricky knowing when and where to look. Did you know you can download an app that shows you the path of the moon in the sky above where you live? At any hour, it traces its path for you. I downloaded Moon Tracker on my phone. I love to use it during the full moons because I can look at the map and see when the moon is coming over the mountain range - the perfect viewing time. So, for all you moon chasers out there, this may delight you.