I am bleeding so heavily today- bleeding with the sacred monthly cycle I share with the moon. It’s the second day of my moontime, second day of bleeding, which is usually my most bloody and painful day. This month is no different. I feel crampy and spacey and tired. My body is telling me to take the day off. Why is that so hard to do? I have found that for me and many other women, taking time off with our cycle is really difficult, both personally and culturally. I have been blessed in my life to have times in my life when I have had the flexibility to commit to taking time when I bleed. For many years, I took three days “off” every month while I bled to allow myself to follow my intuition, to be with my blood, to let my inner self travel where I needed to go. I still often take a day while I’m bleeding to rest and travel the spiritual planes, but I cherish the years I was able to dive deeply into my cycle and the power of bleeding.
My body helps to remind me of the need to rest and move slowly during this time. I have found that menstrual cramps, tiredness and heavy bleeding are ways my body tells me to slow down. My body literally makes me take sacred time as I bleed. It’s easy to forget what a gift that can be. Pain is definitely not fun, and I am often not grateful for the cramps, but when I remember that my body is reminding me that it’s ok to take some time for myself, I am grateful for that reminder.
As we bleed, women’s spirits are traveling on other planes. While I bleed, especially on the heaviest days, I often feel spacey and not entirely present. I can feel there’s a part of myself somewhere far away. It’s important we allow ourselves to inwardly travel during this time, to do that work, even when it’s unconscious (or especially when it’s unconscious). This is work that serves more than just ourselves. I have found ways to honor my cycle, to remind myself of the ritual of bleeding I am in while I’m in it, and to invite my inner self to do the work my bleeding calls me to do. Bleeding monthly is a ceremony we as women hold not only for ourselves, but for the whole world. By honoring your cycle, you are not only giving a gift to yourself, but giving a gift to others by holding and working with energy that is needed in the world. Diving into this mystery is a life-long practice and is ever-unfolding its gifts for us all.
This rhythm is inside of all women- whether we are bleeding women or not- whether we have gone through menopause and keep our wise blood inside, we have had a hysterectomy, or don’t bleed for any other reason. The rhythm of the moon cycle lives within us as women.
As I have worked with my cycle, I have found practices that support me in this work and help me to sink deeper into the mystery that calls to women as we bleed. Here are some practices you can try for yourself.
Ways to Honor your Moontime
Offer your Blood to the Earth
The biggest gift we can give is to literally offer our blood to the earth. Menstrual blood is a physical and energetic fertilizer. Gathering your blood to offer can be done in different ways. Using a menstrual cup makes it easy to offer your blood directly to the earth, or after watering it down you can offer it to house plants. If you use cloth pads, you can soak them in water and offer the bloody water. As you offer your blood, know you are giving something of yourself to feed the earth. You can say a prayer, sing a song, or offer it in silence. Menstrual blood is powerful. It is important to remember that our blood is a gift for the world, for the Spirits, and for the earth.
Keep Track
Keep track of when you bleed and if you bleed with the dark, waxing, full, or waning moon and how that changes over time. Write down how often you bleed, how much you bleed, and your feelings, both emotional and physical. Keep track of what’s going on inside you during the different phases of your cycle. See what patterns emerge.
Using a moon calendar can be a great way to keep track, noticing how your own cycle syncs with the cycle of the moon. Through the years, I’ve noticed my own cycle shift its rhythm with the moon. It’s been helpful to notice how I feel when I bleed with the dark moon versus how I feel bleeding with the waxing, full, or waning moon. The differences I have noticed have helped me to know how to support myself and work with the energy.
Journal
Keep a journal for your moon cycle. This can be a journal you only write in while you bleed, or a journal for the whole cycle- journaling while you bleed, after menstruation (follicular phase), ovulation, and after ovulation (luteal phase). Journal about your feelings, what you’re doing, anything that comes up. Paying attention to how we shift and change around our cycle and noticing the patterns that emerge can be helpful and healing.
Dream journals can also be magical. Your dreams while bleeding are especially important to take note of. Keep your dream journal near your bed so you can write them down as soon as you remember.
Wear Red
Every month while I bleed, I wear at least something that’s red. I have a couple red skirts and other red clothes. Sometimes I dress all in red, sometimes just my red skirt, but something red in my clothing signals to myself (and the people around me) - both consciously and unconsciously- that I’m within the ceremony of bleeding. I have a pair of beaded red earrings that I also often wear while I bleed. I only ever wear them while I’m bleeding or if I’m in the Red Tent. They hold the energy of the monthly cycle and remind me subconsciously as they swing on my ears, that I am in sacred time.
If people in your life know you wear red or wear a special piece of jewelry while you’re bleeding, it can be a silent way to support each other. When other women in my life see me wearing red, they know I'm in my moontime and can choose to support me in taking care of myself.
Take Sacred Time
Take some time off from your regular schedule during your moontime. However much time you’re able to devote as sacred Moon time, whether it be for a day (or a few days) or even just 10 minutes, it’s important to move a little slower, relax, journal, and follow your intuition. Giving yourself permission to move slowly and honor this time as holy can be the biggest gift you give to yourself, and to the world around you.
This time can be taken by yourself or around other people. I have found power in taking time completely alone during this time, to really follow my own instincts and go inward. It can also be empowering to tell the people in your life that this is sacred time and ask them to support you in the ways they are able.
Move Slowly
If you’re continuing with your daily schedule, you can still honor this time as sacred by giving yourself permission to move slowly through your day. Walk a little slower, talk a little slower, take more breaks, and breathe deeply. Allow the world around you in and allow yourself the presence of moving slowly.
Dream/ Meditate
Allow yourself to daydream. Allow your mind to wander. Take time at your altar to focus your mind and relax your body. Breathe deeply and focus on your breath. This can also be a great time to read novels and poetry. As we bleed, our minds are ready to travel. If we allow them to go where they need to go, the Big Work of our cycle can be done, whether that happens consciously or unconsciously, on this plane or another.
Create an Altar
Create an altar for your cycle. An altar can be simple or elaborate. All you need is a small area that’s set aside as sacred work space, a place for you to focus yourself. Anything that represents yourself, your feelings, your connection with the world and the sacred, and where you’re at in your cycle can be placed on your altar to help focus your mind and remind yourself of your journey.
Gather with Women
It can be powerful to gather with other women while you bleed. As you might know, women who are close and/ or living together often cycle together. Paying attention to the cycles of the women in my life and how our cycles intersect, move, and grow together has been amazing. Sharing our experiences as women with each other, and learning from each other about how to work with our cycles is a gift we can give each other.
Pay Attention & Trust Yourself
Pay attention to how all your practices flow with each other and what else might be supportive for you on your journey. The more you work with your own cycle, the more you will find out about yourself and what you need.
These are some practices to play with to start yourself on your journey. Trust your own intuition and see where your spiral path leads!
