Understand the Moon, Menstrual, and other Cycles

Learning to acknowledge and understand the moon, menstrual, seasonal, and feminine cycles can open up a world of wisdom.

Recently I’ve been learning about the cyclical nature of life. The seasons, the moon, menstruation, they all operate on a cycle. The more I learn about them, the more I see them around me. It is becoming so clear to me that everything moves within a rhythm. And I’m seeing how powerful it is to understand and work with those natural rhythms.

Why Is there Wisdom in Understanding Cycles?

Each phase of a cycle comes with inherent cues. And anyone choosing to acknowledge those cues knows how to act accordingly. For instance, it makes no sense to look for fresh tomatoes in your garden when there’s snow on the ground. It simply isn’t the right season for that, and it would be foolish to use your energy that way. This is what acknowledging the phases does for us. It enables us to work smarter, not harder – a key foundation to slow, intentional living.

The cues of the cycles can help keep us on track. They remind us when it’s time to prepare, work, harvest, and rest. Cycles also show us where we are as an individual. We can identify and care for our needs in order to show up as our best selves.

Let’s start with the seasonal, moon, menstrual and feminine cycles. Take a look at these natural rhythms and the insight they offer into our everyday lives.

Acknowledge the Cycle of the Seasons

Everyone understands what the seasons of the year mean. Regardless of whether you live in an area that experiences four season, you understand what should or shouldn’t be done in each one.

• Spring – is for planting and growth, offers signs of transition and new life
• Summer – brings rising temperatures, extended daylight, time of flourishing and vitality
• Autumn – holds harvest, time for gathering and preparing for the next season
• Winter – brings dark and cold, where growth slows down, activities focus inward

Simply acknowledging that all life operates within this kind of cycle is so important. We love summer, but it cannot last forever. There must also be time for rest and replenishing that comes with the colder seasons.

Recognize the Moon Cycle

The moon phases, also called Lunar phases, refer to the way the moon looks from earth. They are determined by how much sunlight reflects from the surface of the moon back to us. There are four primary phases:

• New Moon – Fresh start or rebirth, a time for planting and setting intentions
• First Quarter – time to take action
• Full Moon – time to harvest endeavors
• Third Quarter – time to release and let go

When you understand the moon cycle, you find parallels in so many areas of your life. To learn more about the moon phases, click here.

Understand the Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle refers to the phases of hormonal changes of people who bleed. After learning about the menstrual cycle I began looking at life in a whole new light. This was when I truly recognized the power of understanding natural rhythms.

There’s a popular term these days called cycle synching. It refers to the concept of understanding what’s happening hormonally in your body and taking advantage of what each phase has to offer. The menstrual phases are:

• Follicular – Dynamic energy
• Ovulatory – Expressive energy
• Luteal – Creative energy
• Menstrual – Reflective energy

Did you know your period can be straight forward? We don’t have to fight against or feel frustrated or inconvenienced by it. Instead, it can be a part of our life that we simply flow with (pun intended). This idea is very different from the negative associations we’ve come accustomed to in recent times. I’m finally learning to honor and respect what’s going on inside my body and to work with it. And I hope that others will do the same.

For some great information on the menstrual cycle phases and how to work with them, click here.

Learn the Feminine Archetypes

This last cycle may be my favorite so far, as I love learning about myself and the people in my life. The four main feminine archetypes can also be seen as phases that we cycle through. They are:

• The Maiden – care-free nature, independent and confident
• The Mother – creative, devoted, and nurturing
• The Wild Woman/Enchantress – passionate, investing in herself and community
• The Wise Woman – grounded, deep in knowledge and wisdom

To read about the Feminine Archetypes, click here.

Being an Enneagram 2 (The Helper), I’m naturally inclined to know what to do for other people. I know how to provide and care for others. How to help meet their needs, encourage and support them. That comes very natural to me. Now that I understand the Mother phase of the Feminine cycle, I’m learning my shadow side as well:

In her shadow side, the Mother archetype can over-give to the point of depletion. She is neglecting herself and unable to show up as her best self. This can lead to a loss of her own identity as a woman.

I can totally relate to this because I haven’t typically understood my own needs. So gaining these tools that help me recognize what I need has been something that is new and powerful to me. Now I feel much more prepared to acknowledge, identify and address my needs in a way I’ve been doing for others all my life. I’m so excited to turn that love and nurturing that I’ve been providing for other people back on to myself.

Conclusion

It’s so clear to me that I need this wisdom of the natural rhythms. I can understand the moon, menstrual, seasonal, and feminine cycles, as well as how they each impact me everyday. Not only that, accessing this wisdom enables me to be my best self and show up for other people. I’m looking forward to fully embodying the season I’m in, right now, as well as honoring the phases of the women in my life.

Which Feminine Archetypes most strongly resonate with you right now? How will you tap into that energy going forward?

Which cycles are you interested in understanding better? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.