The Moon has always been considered a natural marker of the periodic changes that occur in the plant and animal kingdoms, showing the right time for planting, harvesting, mating animals, hunting, fishing, and traveling. The Moon's dance around the Earth lasts about 29.5 days (corresponding to one lunation), roughly the length of the menstrual cycle and one month in the Gregorian calendar. The Moon moves the waters of nature, inside and outside of us.

This text shares the possible relationships between the lunar cycle and the menstrual cycle.

 

NEW MOON

The new moon marks the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It is dark outside, the sap of the plants accumulates in the roots and will only rise again when the light returns. We do not see well what is outside, but we can listen and better understand what is inside. It is a time to pause, rest and prepare for the new cycle that begins. It is a good time to meditate, write, listen to our intuition and plant intentions. Create the foundations, even if not all seeds germinate or all projects are successful.

It is death and rebirth, like the first day of the menstrual cycle, when we bleed. At this stage of the menstrual cycle we have less physical energy and our strength is directed inwards, 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 of the cycle.

Another symbolic and energetic correspondence with the new moon is the winter solstice, when we reach the longest night of the year and, little by little, its duration decreases in relation to the length of the day.

 

CRESCENT MOON

After the absolute darkness of the new moon, the Sun gradually touches more and more of the Moon's surface and reflects this light back to Earth through a thread of light in the sky that grows every night, illuminating the increasingly nocturnal paths. Animals travel and stimulate the plant's sap to slowly rise towards the leaves. All of nature responds to this stimulus, gradually directing its energy outwards, as we can feel in the pre-ovulatory phase.

At this stage we can feel more willing and active. It is a time of action, expansion, hope and growth, of directing our energy outwards and nurturing what we want to grow in the world. This phase puts us in touch with all the beauty that is within us, with the self-love and confidence necessary to make things happen.

Another symbolic and energetic equivalence with the crescent moon, in addition to the pre-ovulatory phase, is the spring equinox.

 

FULL MOON

At full moon, we have the peak of the moon's luminosity reflected back to Earth. This is considered a good time to harvest or receive the gifts of the work done in the first phase of the cycle. The plant's sap is concentrated in the crown and at the ends of the tree, closer to the illuminated sky. Therefore, this is the best time to harvest medicinal and aromatic plants, which will have the highest levels of their active ingredients in their leaves and flowers. It is a time of fertility, just like the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle.

The energy of the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle can be one of celebration, of gratitude, of looking clearly at what we are creating and sowing in the world and of contributing our intention and energy to enhance what we want to see grow. It is a good time to socialize and celebrate. We can feel more attractive, confident, communicative and have more sexual desire.

Another symbolic and energetic equivalence with the full moon, in addition to the ovulatory phase, is the summer solstice.

 

WANING MOON

After the peak of the full moon, we still have a few days of great nocturnal lunar luminosity, but it is gradually diminishing. The visible side of the Moon stops receiving light from the Sun and this is reflected on the beings of the Earth, who begin a descent into the interior, a return to intimacy. The sap of the plants begins to flow towards the roots as we approach the next new moon. The less we see the external environment, the more we open our internal eyes. At this time, when the light begins to diminish, internalization intensifies, just as in the premenstrual period of the menstrual cycle.

At this stage we may feel more sensitive to noise and external gazes. We may feel our creative force and intuitive power increasing. To manifest this personal power we need to let go of what may be blocking us and make room for the new. The premenstrual phase or #SPM calls us to responsibility. This phase is a preparation for what needs to die so that something new can be born. It can be a time of revelation, of bringing to light what was being omitted or repressed. When we analyze these possibilities, we understand why this phase can be so intense and so busy internally. This may be exactly the time to listen to what needs to be heard and let our inner world reveal to us what is hidden behind our anxieties, fears, frustrations and impatience. Knowing how to listen and honor this phase helps us heal our relationship with it.

Another symbolic and energetic equivalence with the waning moon, in addition to premenstruation, is the autumn equinox.

 

It is important to remember that each person has a unique rhythm and that it is not necessary to fit into any pattern.