April's Pink Moon: Viewing Time and Spiritual Insights

As one of the most prominent celestial events of the year, the Pink Moon is almost here. Despite its name, the lunar marvel - the second full moon of the spring - isn’t actually pink-tinted. The April full moon will rise today, i.e. on Tuesday, and will be visible until Thursday. The overall fourth full moon of the year marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover, lending the event another name - Passover Moon.

This year's first full moon of April is positioned in the Scorpio constellation, a water sign associated with intimacy, self-empowerment, vulnerability, rebirth and sexuality. The April 23 full moon is all about the renewal of energy.

Here's what we know about the Pink Moon.

When is the 2024 Pink Moon?

This year's celestial event isn't merely relegated to the focus on the Moon. Other celestial bodies like Mars, Saturn and Mercury will also be visible.

According to NASA, it will reach peak illumination at 7:49 pm EDT on April 23 but will be visible all through Thursday morning. Other names of the event refer to it as the Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon, the Pesach or Passover Moon, the Hanuman Jayanti Festival Moon, and Bak Poya - depending on one's culture.

Additionally, the Christian ecclesiastical calendar also refers to the first full moon after the spring equinox as the Paschal Moon, which helps determine the date of Easter. This means Easter follows on the Sunday after the Paschal Moon/Easter Moon. While for 2024, Easter already occurred on March 24, sometimes the April full moon also secures that title.

Why is it called the Pink Moon?

NASA notes that in the 1930s, the Maine Farmers' Almanac started publishing Native American names for each month's moon.

Following this almanac's trend, the April full Moon became the Pink Moon because the tribes of the northeastern United States called it that. Their decision was inspired by the wildflower herb moss pink/ creeping phlox/ moss phlox/ mountain phlox - an eastern USA native that is one of the earliest to bloom in spring. It has pink petals.

Pink Moon spiritual meaning

As the Pink Moon is positioned in Scorpio, all previously mentioned energies associated with it get amplified collectively. Representing renewal, it also accentuates a period of self-discovery, making it the perfect time to discard old and redundant habits that serve you nothing positive.

The Scorpio energy is directly entangled with the aspect of maximising everything. Therefore, it becomes the perfect time to let go of old patterns, negativity and qualms about anything. It offers the best period to use everything at your disposal for personal spiritual growth.

Moreover, the Moon's pink colour also supposedly symbolises healing, love, and a time to invest in positivity, intimacy and compassion.

After the Pink Moon sighting, the Aquariids meteor shower is also expected to peak on May 5 in the afternoon. April 29 will serve as the last evening Jupiter will be above the west-northwestern horizon. Other moon positions include the waxing, which will pass by Pollux on May 12, Regulus on May 15 and Spica on May 19.