Women and the Moon: Understanding the Female Cycle
A woman’s body and the female cycle are connected to the Moon and the Earth. A woman, through her menstrual cycle, goes through the different lunar energies (new moon, first quarter, full moon, third quarter). These in turn are connected to the different seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter).
Formerly, this link between women and nature was a part of culture and customs. Rites were performed and stories told explaining this relationship. So, girls had this understanding of themselves, their bodies and menstruation. They understood it as “sacred,” not as dirty or annoying or shameful.
Currently, in Western countries, women tend not to pay attention to the changes in emotions and energy they experience during their cycles. Usually, they try to live as if they weren’t affected by their phases, and this implies a loss of well-being and a waste of all the potential in these phases.
The Moon and its influence
The phases of the moon coincide with the phases of the menstrual cycle. Mental and hormonal states are under the influence of the Moon. Just as the Moon takes about 28 days to circle around to Earth, a woman’s menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days. That’s how our cycles are connected, as well as the four lunar phases: new moon, crescent moon, full moon and fourth quarter.
In ancient times, the natural rhythm of every woman was to menstruate under a new moon and ovulate under a full moon. We know this thanks to our ancestors, who could only mark time by observing lunar phases.
Nowadays, with so much artificial light, constant computer usage, and street lights … it’s almost impossible to live under natural light. Artificial light affects the natural female rhythm and confuses their sensibility and biological rhythm. In other words, there are irregular cycles and blood under a full moon and other moons besides a new moon.
“Luna and Mujer are the same. Both are feminine, cyclical and life-giving “
The four phases of the cycle, the moons and the seasons of the year
Menstruation. New Moon. Winter.
This is the reflective phase, the darkest phase, the phase of silence, introspection, solitude. A woman in this phase wants to be calm, so interaction with the outside world can even be annoying. Your body is much more sensitive, so you’re able now to connect in a special way with it and its messages. In this phase, a woman can rely more on her instinct and intuition.
It is an auspicious moment to keep quiet, be calm and meditate. This means taking the time to menstruate, if possible. This is where the female body naturally recycles energy. That is, it looks for rest to recover and start the next phase of the crescent moon with vitality.
Pre-ovulation. Crescent moon. Spring.
The week after a woman has her period corresponds with spring, renewal, and an increase in physical energy. It is a transition phase between menstruation (darkness, winter) and ovulation (light, summer). Therefore, they are ideal days to start projects that will materialize during the next phase (ovulation).
Now is when women have enhanced analytical capacities, concentration and planning skills. Mental strength reigns and thoughts are clearer. Emotions are more stable and life energy is at its peak. During the Crescent Moon, a woman needs less rest and is more sure of herself. There is a penchant for being social, for going out and having fun.
“The traditional, linear view of a period of time — say a year — could be described as a series of jobs or projects, each of which will be carried through with times of high input and low input until they are completed. If you view the year as a series of repeating cycles, it should be possible to arrange the tasks so that each receives the most appropriate attention and energy at each phase in your cycle”.
-Miranda Gray-
Ovulation. Full moon. Summer.
Ovulation is the expressive, friendly, empathetic, radiant phase. We are more able now to surrender to what we love. It is a time when a woman is more fertile, so it’s a phase full of energy and vitality. It is a fertile phase in all aspects of life: work, personal life, family projects…
During this period of time, self-confidence and self-esteem increase along with sex drive.
“Each month a woman’s body undergoes a series of changes, many of which occur without her being consciously aware of them.”
-Miranda Gray-
Pre-menstruation. Waning moon. Autumn.
In this phase, physical energy begins to decrease. A woman feels the need to clean and let go of anything that does not benefit her, much like how trees shed their leaves in the fall. Many women in this phase experience the infamous premenstrual syndrome.
These are days where a woman turns inward again. Memory and ability to concentrate also go down. It is an ideal time to look into our desires, needs, fears… This phase is ideal for healing and moving forward in the process of personal growth. Sexual desire can also become more intense these days.
What happens in menopause?
Although there is no menstruation, the cycles continue to exist and exert their influence. It looks different since it’s a different stage, but from the hormonal perspective, the female cycle remains.
A woman in menopause is not subject to her reproductive cycle; she has transcended it. When she no longer bleeds, she retains more energy. All that energy, which was renewed month by month by flowing outwards, now initiates an internal circuit that feeds back and sustains the natural feminine rhythm.
Why learn about the Moon and the female cycle?
This path of knowledge and understanding of the female cycle is enhancing self-knowledge, femininity and happiness in women of all ages. Thus, part of the personal development process of every woman should be devoted to reconnecting with the menstrual cycle, its phases, energies, and power.
When a woman becomes aware of her cycle, she can manage her activity and her life in harmony with her own natural processes.
