So often in the western world we view bodily functions and matters of health through a purely physical or mental health lens. Rarely do we understand or incorporate the spirit aspect of well being and health.
But we should. Because everything makes more sense when we deeply understand it. When we aren’t dismissive or assuming.
Women have learned to dread their moon cycle – they don’t even like to talk about it. Coded language like, Aunt Flo is visiting was common when I was growing up. It can be painful and nauseating. Uncomfortable and annoying. Messy. Many women avoid it all together by using their birth control pills to over ride the hormones that trigger the body to go into menstruation. This may sound weird but I would hate to not get mine. I feel sad for those women who don’t have the experience and especially for those who don’t understand the experience when it’s happening.
In ancient times women went off to a tent or place of isolation with other women during their moon cycles. This meant that their normal chores and duties were carried out by others. They rested and we’re tended to. Food was brought to them. Their blood was collected and ceremoniously returned to the earth or used in other ceremonious ways.
It’s been said that this time for women was considered unclean back in the day. In biblical times. And if that’s what a man needs to think in order for the women to sit together or alone during this time of deep connection to the spiritual realm – then so be it. I think these interpretations are more recent. They are assumptions made by anthropologists and modern day men. Women know this time is powerful. Not only for procreation but for our deep connection to our bodies, our intuition and the cycles of our own inner clock.
When my cycle arrives I notice first a day or two before that a hormone release is triggered. This thins the veil or filter between my human experience of reality and the unseen spiritual realm. I perceive negative energy as a headache and usually – I get a migraine when the veil thins. Especially if my space isn’t clear. Then my dreams become more vivid. Answers to my waking day questions can be heard more clearly in my twighlight sleep. Lucid dreaming is available to me without effort. I remember my dreams. I experience more connection in meditation. I get messages from other living beings around me. I even had an argument with lord Krishna once. Because we were communicating across the universe. I told him, he couldn’t keep me here – exciled to earth. I warned him, that I would remember who I was. Like we came from the same place but while he was still in the spiritual realm – I was walking the earth knowing myself only as Jen and wondering who I really am. A goddess with amnesia living an ordinary life as a human, on her period.
This may all sound far out but truly our soul is more available to us. The experiences of our soul are more available to us. The power we are connected to at our source is more available to us. And when we gather together several women all in their power – the conversations, knowing and intuition can be profound. Magic can happen. It’s a time for gaining spiritual insight and for manifesting for our family.
On the first day of blood this month, several days after my first forewarning headache – anger came over me. I was mad. I felt myself drop into it. Like the filter that was keeping me blissfully unaware of the spiritual world suddenly turned off like central air. Exposing me to the hot sticky awareness of the high temperature around me. It took me some time to breathe through it. To sit with it. To understand where when and how it was arising. I was angry. Mad. What were these emotions from? I realized that I was subtly out of alignment with my self. Out of alignment with my soul. Someone or several people actually had been taking advantage of me and not carrying their own weight. I was powering through and not noticing when my filters were on. Or noticing but not realizing how eroded my boundaries had become. That morning of first blood emotions didn’t stop until that night. Finally I had sorted them out and I was able to make some very big decisions in order to right myself. I had decided to leave my home and spend some time alone at our condo. I was able to verbalize the experience I was having and shore up my boundaries. I said some affirmations to my husband that helped him to see it was time for him to rise up – time for him to step into a new role in our relationship. Time to stop shrinking back from responsibility and over burdening me with the lions share of our family business and lifestyle management which includes parenting two daughters. I never ended up at the condo. He was able to create a safe space for me in our home and I’ve been enjoying more support and feeling able to align with my purpose again. It’s been two days since I came into this awareness. The anger has left.
If I hadn’t had the opportunity this week to feel the spiritual world screaming at me that I was off course – I would have stayed in an off centered place, mildly unhappy but not conscious of why. Maybe over time illness would have crept in – this is what happens when we can’t hear or feel the message of our emotions, the warnings of our spirit guides. We get pinched and communicated to through our physical being. Our vitality suffers in our state of mis-alignment. Dis-ease sets in.
Many women have these experiences during their moon cycle. “Moodiness” is a label given to women at this time which is very dismissive of the actual experience. It’s not an emotion that isn’t real. It’s a sudden awareness of an emotion we couldn’t feel before the veil or filter was removed. It’s like the band aid is ripped off and our wounds are more exposed, more visible. And we would never say the wound isn’t real since we couldn’t see it when the band aid was on. It was always there. We were just less aware of it. And our friends, family and partners also may not have been aware unless they are particularly nurturing and aware people.
With our attention on the wound we can heal it more quickly. Our moon cycle is a blessing. An opportunity every month to listen deeply. To communicate with our soul and hear the messages of our spirit guides.
However we perceive spiritual energy. Especially negative spiritual energy – we will perceive it more intensely during our moon cycle. For some like me – it’s a migraine. For others nausea or it can come in the form of confusion. Brain fog. To help strengthen my energetic immune system when my filters are off – I diffuse Frankincense, Sage and Palo Santo near my bed at night. I eat more ginger. Beeswax candles help, no one in my space is allowed to yell or have harsh words. I turn down extra activities to the extent possible. Like a wounded warrior with my bandages off – I rest. Stay in. Food is important at this time. Not too much sugar which is disastrous when the filters are off. Chocolate maybe. 😉 wine – not so much. Green juice – yes!! Meditation, affirmations, lots of sleep and time to dream – yes! Yes!! Yes !!!
Women have a superpower. And only some really understand and use it. I know a woman who collects her menstrual blood and burries it in her garden with intention and power. She manifests during her cycle. When several women live together their cycles will align – their power is exponential. If it’s not wasted. If it can be understood through a spiritual lens as the superpower it is. And we each have to decide whether to use our power for good or evil. Our daughters have to be shown. It’s a gift but like a loaded weapon – special handling and care can make a big difference. Aim too.
I’ll close with one last thought. As we age into the crone phase of our lives and stare down menopause – just know that learning to live without the filter all the time is an adjustment. It’s a time of feeling the central air turn off. Hot flashes are real. All the self care and safe spaces we learn to create for our selves in our younger experience of menstruation are needed now all the time. If we haven’t done the work we may suffer more in this phase of our life. But if we are supported we can sustain until an old age. We enter a new more powerful phase of life living in our wisdom daily. Magical. Discerning. Returning to our soul. Walking out of the center of our labyrinth cloaked in our raiment superwoman cape ( you may observe it as an old lady sweater) with flecks of silver in our hair we carry an invisible and sharp sword, our words become fewer as they become more honed and we heal with our touch and very presence.
