Everything in nature is cyclical and moves based on energies of expansion and contraction. We see this movement when we observe the cycles of the Moon, the planets, the tides, the seasons and the life-death-life cycles of all living beings on this earth, which grow, reproduce, die and continue life. In the same way, in our menstrual cycle, or our “inner moon”, we live a life-death-life cycle where each month we feel the movements of growth, expansion, fullness and little by little we collect ourselves, evaluate, transmute and end cycles. Each time we bleed we let something die, be it an unfertilized egg, or everything that happened in our life and that no longer serves us. We are cyclical like the Moon and month by month, cycle by cycle, we experience these energies within us, revealing a facet of ourselves at each moment.

Understanding our cyclical energy allows us to love and respect our body and its times, to know that we are not the same throughout the month but that we change, chameleon-like, being many in one woman.

Today's world, based on a more linear, predictable and regular male logic, rejects this cyclical nature and attempts to impose uniformity on women through the use of synthetic hormones (contraceptives) that stabilize and alter our natural state to adapt us to a normotic, industrial world and standardized society. Many women have also learned to reject these changes, choosing to be more linear, believing that these changes affect their work, their mood and their disposition. But if we learn to know our bodies and their cycles, we observe that we actually manifest different facets of ourselves with different qualities in each phase of the cycle and that by knowing and integrating them into our being, we can become more whole in ourselves and create a way of life that respects and integrates these aspects.

The menstrual cycle can be divided into 4 main phases: pre-ovulatory phase, ovulatory phase, premenstrual phase and menstrual phase. In each phase of the cycle we have different qualities, abilities, energies and sensations in our body, mind and emotions, which change our perception and expression. These phases and their energies can be interpreted in light of the archetypal images of the young woman, the mother, the witch and the old woman (detailed below).

These primary archetypes condense ancient psychic patterns that translate our disposition and feeling in each of these phases. Here we present these archetypes and the energies they move. Each woman, however, has a unique rhythm, uniquely her own. Observe how your cycle manifests and whether these archetypes resonate with you. It is not necessary to fit into any pattern. Simply observe and use this information as another way to become aware of and know your cycle and rhythms.

 

The young girl

Preovulatory phase – Crescent moon

Once menstruation is over, we enter the pre-ovulatory phase. In this phase we manifest an intense vital energy, projected outwards. We can feel more willing, full of energy and physically active, and also more confident and independent, with extroverted and dynamic energy. This is a very positive, sunny and jovial phase. The energy of the Youth phase is equivalent to the beginning of spring, the start of a new cycle, full of inspiration and hope. In this stage we can feel more inclined to discover and learn new things, to achieve what we plan and even to plan and organize things. We have more strength to launch initiatives and put dreams and projects into action. This is a good time to create new projects or use our mental skills to plan or learn new things.

Related Goddesses and Orishas: Artemis, Athens, Ewa, Onira

Season of the year: Spring

Moon phase: growing

Age stage of the woman: Young

 

The mother

Ovulatory phase – Full moon

During the ovulatory phase we manifest the Mother archetype. During this period we may feel more sensitive and with an outward-oriented energy. This is a time when we are more available to others, for relationships. We may feel more loving, compassionate and communicative and also more attractive and confident. We may feel more sexual desire and allow ourselves to give and enjoy pleasure. At this stage we can simply be, acting with greater acceptance and fluidity, without the need to control the processes. It is a good time to socialize, schedule meetings, enjoy life and celebrate! The Mother energy is solar and expansive. The Mother archetype is associated with the energy of summer where there is an abundance of sun and food and, of the full Moon, where there is plenitude and luminosity.

Related Goddesses and Orishas: Demeter, Isis, Oxum, Iemanjá, Amaterasu, Aphrodite

Season of the year: Summer

Moon phase: full

Age stage of the woman: Adult, mother.

 

The Witch

Premenstrual phase – Waning moon

As we enter the premenstrual period, we direct our energies more and more inward, towards our interior. In this phase we manifest our enchantress. It is a time to analyze, collect and transmute. Our physical energy begins to decrease and our creative force and intuitive power increase. Thinking can become more diffuse, making planning and execution difficult and creativity increasing. It is a time when we begin to evaluate the “harvest” of our life and our relationships. At this time the truth is revealed and the masks fall. What was being omitted or repressed comes to the surface and we need to listen. We cannot think that we are irritated or crazy, silencing our anguish with medications or ignoring the information that comes to us during this period. The criticisms, frustrations and impatience that arise at this stage reveal everything that needs to be transformed in our lives. Knowing how to listen and honor the Enchantress can help heal your relationship with this period that is so challenging for many women. This is a good time to evaluate projects, write and use our sensitivity to create. It is also important to dance and release our expressiveness, honoring the wild woman who wants to run and flow freely within us.

Related Goddesses and Orishas: Cerridwen, Morgana, Baba Yaga, Oba, Yansã

Season: Autumn

Moon phase: ebb

Age stage of the woman: Middle-aged woman, menopause.

 

The witch or old woman

Menstrual phase – New moon

During the menstrual period we enter the archetype of the Crone or the Crone. At this stage of the cycle, we have less physical energy and our strength turns inward, towards our spiritual and psychic energy. During this period we can have a greater openness to the unconscious, accessing dreams, memories and also visions to give life to projects that can be carried out at other times in the cycle. This is a period in which we need to retreat and enter our inner sacred space. Retreating, meditating and doing manual work are important practices and should be cultivated during this period. In the Crone phase we manifest the energy of winter, of recollection and pause, with a retraction of vital energy and life focused on internal spaces. During the period of our “moon” the body and mind go through a cleansing process where we let go of what we no longer need or want in ourselves and in our lives. This is a time when we are more sensitive to external stimuli and so we must select everything we put “inside” ourselves, avoiding dense energies through music, reading or contact with heavy people and environments. Let in only what nourishes you and gives you energy.

Related goddesses and orixás: Kali, Hestia, Nana, Hecate

Winter season

Moon phase: new

Age stage of the woman: Old woman

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Illustration: Chana de Moura