Not many women have had the best experience with their menstrual cycle.
Right from the beginning it can be a horrendous experience leaving women feeling alone, ashamed and burdened by it all in years to come.
It can be hard to talk about it too because of all the stigma and some can’t even speak to their own mothers about it.
A lot of women end up speaking to a modern medical man who doesn’t even have a cycle!
Women have been experiencing painful, heavy, irregular periods for years.
We have been conditioned to suffer in silence and use tampons to block it, nurofen to numb it and the pill to control it.
The root cause of our issues are never addressed.
I know mother nature can get it wrong sometimes (but not as much as she gets it right!) but did she really intend for us to suffer?
I believe not.
I have personally experienced all of the above and I know some women that have had it a lot worse.
However after years of hating my period I since then have discovered a conscious menstrual practice and have fallen in love with my cycle. I can’t wait to bleed every time as I no longer suffer!
And when I discover something that helps me on a soul level… I just need to share it with others!
Please note: I’m sharing this knowledge to raise awareness and I believe in informed choices. I don’t share it to make anyone feel guilty or to replace medical advice. It’s important to have acceptance with where you’re currently at.
Herstory
Once upon a time women used to bleed together in sync with the moon away from the men.
We would share stories, dreams and wisdom with each other.
From the age of 7 girls would be invited to sit in the ‘red tent’ and they learnt from what they saw and heard.
It wasn’t seen as dirty and shameful.
We would honour and celebrate a girls first bleed known as the ‘menarche’ which was a rite passage in to womanhood.
Other rites of passage were also honoured, supported and celebrated in the red tent such as birth.
The patriarch (not all patriarch but the distorted type) knew of our power through these times and conditioned shame and stigma upon women and the cycles of womanhood.
Later on down the track they also saw a business in it.
The cycles of womanhood became sanitised, medicated and silenced.
A lot of women have become out of sync with each other and the moon because of artificial lighting, unhealthy diet, stress and toxins affecting the pineal gland and hormones however that’s a whole new blog for another time!
Conscious Menstruation
Your body will use your menstrual cycle to communicate to you that something is not quite right within your mind, body and soul.
Consciously approaching your menstrual cycle can help with reducing PMS and painful, heavy periods plus more.
It can introduce feelings of balance, creativity, productivity and purpose into your life.
You’ll get to know yourself more, have a better relationship with your body and feel connected to your feelings.
You can fall in love with your menstrual cycle, your life and yourself!
Your menstrual cycle is your superpower.
This is because you are listening to and being guided by the nature of your body and not going against it.
The Four Seasons
We are all cyclical and connected to the cycles of mother earth and the moon.
Just like Mother Earth has her four seasons each year, us women have our ‘inner’ seasons each week over a month.
We are not flat line like men.
Have a feel into the difference within the seasons each year. Each year isn’t always the same yet it’s expected that us women are to be the same?
We have an inner winter (menstruation), inner spring (follicular phase), inner summer (ovulation) and inner autumn (luteal) and I’ll elaborate more on these below.
The seasons are in almost everything such as our reproductive years, a 24 hour day and the perinatal period.
If you live in an area that doesn’t experience the four seasons then you’ll still have the four inner seasons within.
If you no longer are bleeding for whatever reason then you will sync with the moon cycle. This knowledge will still be applicable.
Your Inner Seasons
Inner Winter. Menstruation, Days 1-7
It’s time to hibernate!
This is your time to retreat, go inwards, receive, rest, dream, surrender, release and self-connect.
You may feel tired, emotional, receptive, discerning and wise. You can also feel angry, manipulative, unstable and dramatic.
Menstruation is the essence of:
Winter
Crone Archetype (70 years – death)
New Moon
Night
First Trimester
Postpartum
Earth Element
Femininity
Please note: If you don’t listen to your body in your inner winter it will make it worse for your next inner winter and continue to snowball!
Inner Spring. Follicular Phase, Days 8 – 14
Spring is in the air!
This is your time to de clutter, set goals, write to-do lists and plan.
You may feel growth, renewal and gain clarity. You can also feel naïve, overwhelmed, scattered and overcommitted.
The follicular phase is the essence of:
Spring
Maiden Archetype (0 – 25 years)
First Quarter Moon
Morning
Second Trimester
Air Element
Masculinity
Inner Summer – Ovulation, Days 15-21
You’re coming in hot!
This is your time to create, manifest, connect, collaborate and birth projects.
You may feel loving, caring, nurturing, present and radiant. You can over give, people please, martyr and isolate.
The ovulation phase is the essence of:
Summer
Mother archetype (25 – 50 years)
Full Moon
Midday
Third Trimester
Fire Element
Masculinity
Inner Autumn- Luteal, Days 22-28/29
The leaves are starting to fall.
This is your time to surrender, go inwards, process, reflect and let go.
You may feel intuitive, unapologetic, carefree and transformative. You can also feel forceful, constricted, moody, self critical and judgemental.
The luteal phase is the essence of:
Autumn
Maga Archetype (50 – 70 years)
Third Quarter Moon
Afternoon
Birth
Water Element
Femininity
Your Life’s Map
Where are you currently at or if you don’t have a bleed then where do you feel you are at?
So many women are stuck in their inner summer and always doing, doing doing even if they’re in their inner winter.
However as you can see we are cyclical and it’s okay to always be changing including your mood!
You might like to journey with each season over the next month and journal what you discover.
This knowledge will then become a map to help navigate your life in years to come
If you would like to journey deeper into connecting with your womb wisdom and embracing and accepting your womanhood then you might like to consider gifting yourself a 7-night Womb Wisdom Retreat in Bali! Click on the button below for further information and bookings.
Welcome! I’m Melissa Ayling and I’m a mother of two, womb shamaness, higher self guide and retreat hostess.
I have been facilitating womb work and feminine mystery immersions for over 8 years.
I guide women through rebuilding a safe, loving and sovereign relationship with their womb which initiates an awakening to their womb’s wisdom, feminine gifts and soul connection.
