The Menstrual Cycle
PERSONAL GROWTH
Choosing to incarnate on Earth means choosing to experience and embrace Gaia's cycles, which, in temperate climates, revolve around four seasons. But it also means accepting influence from other celestial bodies, such as our Moon, which undergoes four major phases continuously.
The purpose of this article is to elaborate on what I've shared on Instagram regarding the menstrual cycle, aiming to help us better understand the different phases that traverse our bodies and emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually influence us. Everyone is affected, but those with uteruses will notice it more concretely since the signs are much more tangible.
This exploration of the menstrual cycle stems from a gradual process I embarked on several years ago, accompanying my personal journey and particularly the evolution of my relationship with my body.
Most of the time, talking about periods is taboo, plain and simple. We're taught to manage them discreetly, to feel a bit ashamed, and to find them gross.
But no, that's just the result of centuries of censorship and a misplaced patriarchy constantly fearing for its power and absolute control. Embracing and understanding the menstrual cycle and the wisdom it imparts is actually something beautiful, a real asset that allows us to reconnect with this precious body that enables us to experience material life, as well as channel the energies and impulses provided by each phase of the cycle to benefit from them daily.
lFor me, it all began one evening in Cambodia, as I wandered alone in Siem Reap before returning to my hostel. An impressive Full Moon had risen, and I was exchanging messages with my friend Acilia, who was traveling in Ecuador at the time. We were probably talking about the fact that we both had our periods at the same time (taboos have never really been my thing), and she explained to me that, for a long time, people bleeding during the Full Moon were considered evil witches, aligned with the Red Moon; whereas those ovulating at this time and having their periods on the New Moon followed the path of the White Moon and were celebrated in many fertility rites, as they were seen as loving women and mothers, the only acceptable role in a patriarchal society.
Well, all I remembered that night was that I was a rebellious witch, and that suited me just fine.
Years later, as I settled in Valencia, Spain, I bought Miranda Gray's book Red Moon to deepen my research on the matter and better understand the energies coursing through me. By the way, that day too, I had my period.
So here is my interpretation of what is explained in it, and what I have experienced by analysing my own cycles over the years that followed.
Here, I take up the archetypes presented by the author, but that's all they are: archetypes, allegories of the described energies. The fact that they are all women is not representative of current reality; anyone with a menstrual cycle is included here.
Phase 1: The Maiden
This is the phase between menstruation and ovulation. The energy is spring-like, it's that of rebirth, renewal, enthusiasm, and lightness.
Like spring on Earth, we are then virgins to the ability to create life, not yet fertile, making our energy exclusively ours. This is what allows for this innocence, this desire to experience everything intensely; there is not yet a need to create, only experimentation and joy matter.
This corresponds to the Waxing Moon. Following the New Moon, it gradually gains energy and rounds out. Determined and sociable, we turn outward, guided by curiosity and the desire to discover the world and its wonders.
It's also the energy that characterises children who haven't yet had their periods.
Keywords: Spring; New Moon — Waxing Moon; joy; innocence; optimism; vitality; inspiration; curiosity; ambition; determination
Phase 2: The Mother
After spring comes summer. The flowers have been pollinated, and the fruits begin to appear. It's a warmer, more settled energy.
It's the ovulation period. We become fertile and gain creative energy. We tend to less prioritise our own desires and show altruism, radiating love and harmony. We prioritise meaningful relationships and sharing.
This is the ideal time to birth projects and express creativity. Indeed, the phase of the mother carries the energy of creation that allows giving life to flesh babies, but also to baby ideas.
Channelling this energy can be an excellent way to thrive quickly and effectively.
This vibration corresponds to that of the Full Moon, charged with light and heightened power. We become magnetic and tend to take care of ourselves and our loved ones with gentleness.
Keywords: Summer; Full Moon; gentleness; ingenuity; care; community; altruism; creation; accomplishment
Phase 3: The Enchantress
Autumn shows up, with its mystical and bewitching colours that announce the falling leaves.
We our now between ovulation and menstruation, gradually succumbing to darkness. This can be frightening, but it actually harbours many gifts, many keys to understanding, allowing us to better know ourselves, and even to uncover the secrets of the Universe.
We become aware of our potential, of this raw power that we carry. Like nuclear fission, this can be a powerful source of energy, giving life to countless bright creations, as well as fuelling an atomic bomb.
It's all about choices.
This is the energy of the Waning Moon. Like the Moon losing light, we turn inward, towards ourselves. Emotions intensify, which can make unwanted worldly interactions more difficult. Intuition and imagination are heightened, the veil separating from the invisible thins, magic is palpable.
Keywords: Autumn; Waning Moon; intensity; emotions; sensuality; control; intuition; power; transmutation; enchantment
Phase 4: The Hag
Then, winter sets in. Nights lengthen, and Nature falls asleep, giving way to silence.
It's the menstruation period, the evacuation of all that has been transmuted during the cycle, purification.
By welcoming the indispensable Night, we can then access long-forgotten ancestral knowledge and tap into the cosmic resources nestled within ourselves. We become a bridge between worlds, a conduit for the invisible.
But to do so, it's necessary to let all the experiences lived during the ending cycle steep and rid ourselves of what no longer serves. We must make room for the mysterious opportunities that the next cycle will bring.
We align with the vibrations of the Black Moon, which, too, has emptied of its light and withdrawn from the world. We too should be able to disappear and to immerse ourselves in introspection and the exploration of our spirituality; to grant ourselves the rest our bodies need to regenerate.
This is the vibration that settles after menopause; a wisdom gained through experience, a sharpened and strengthened natural instinct and connection to one's soul honed over time.
Keywords: Winter; Black Moon; introspection; mysticism; wisdom; assimilation; visions; purification
The purpose of this article has several dimensions.
First, understanding our bodies and honouring their different phases is an act of empowerment. It allows us to reclaim it, to appreciate it, and to embody it as it should be. For too long, we've been deprived of our own bodies, which were only valued if they were pleasing to look at and fit to procreate. For too long, we've been led to develop complexes because of a hair out of place, blood on our pants, a bloated stomach, or "mood swings" (spoiler alert: yes, emotions are more intense during the pre-menstrual period, but they don't come out of nowhere; expressing them is simply much healthier than being beautiful and silent).
Understanding what happens every month within ourselves allows us to break free from this ostracising past, regain self-confidence, and learn to love ourselves in our entirety.
Then, recognising that we are cyclical beings, akin to Earth and the Moon, is a spiritual act connecting us to the divinities of Nature and the energies they infuse. That's why it would for instance be wiser to invest body and soul in a project during the ovulation period, and then rest during menstruation; same as favouring intense activities during summer and going to bed early in winter will be much more coherent than struggling to maintain an even rhythm constantly.
Finally, understanding what unfolds throughout the cycle allows us to harness the energies of each phase and adapt our schedules accordingly (as much as possible), promoting smooth, natural, and fulfilling productivity.
So I hope this article (which was close to my heart) has shed some light for you and that you'll draw resources from it to enrich your own personal development process.
❂ Thank you for reading ❂
