What does the Moon have to do with Menstruation?
Have you noticed an almost excessive amount of depictions of moons when it comes to menstruation? Is it simply an obsession menstruating educators seem to have with nature? Is it some occult symbol that signals every woman who understands her body is secretly a witch?
These questions may seem silly to you or maybe you've asked them all yourself. If I'm honest when I first started studying the menstrual cycle I stayed away from anything that had a picture of the moon on it. At that point talking about periods was already strange enough and I didn't want to be mistaken as a witch.
Now, I love the moon and all of its historical, cultural, and scientific significance, especially the ways that it connects uniquely with womanhood.
Historically and Culturally
Throughout history and across the world the moon has been depicted as a woman. We have myths and legends surrounding women and the Moon. Stories of women living on the moon, goddesses being represented as the moon, and the moon marking sacred times for women.
There's also a rich and complicated history of women gathering together during the times of menstruation in Menstrual Huts, which I've also been called Moon Lodges. This history is complex because no two cultures are perfectly the same. Some view women's menstruation as a rite of passage and a source of wisdom and feminine power but others believe that menstruation has the power to curse the very crops around them. Because of this, some women today see these women's gatherings are a point of pride and something that we should go back to, for others, these women's gatherings represent something insidious where women have been ostracized for their body's natural functions. Nowadays there is a growing movement of women in Western culture bringing back the moon lodge and using it as a space for women to connect and to learn about their bodies.
Science or Fiction
We know that the moon affects the Earth in many different ways. We have many anecdotes from people saying that animals and people act in strange ways around new moons. But what do we know about the way the moon affects us? Especially when it comes to menstruating women.
This is a topic that is much debated amongst the scientific community. Some adamantly insist that the moon has no effect whatsoever well others credit the moon with a great deal. I believe the moon has more of an effect than we understand but less of an effect than some who have a more mystical view would suggest.
Menstruating with the moon.
One study suggests that 23.6 percent of women menstruate with the New Moon. Other studies have shown that using the nightlight for a few nights of the month and blacking out the room during other parts of the month can help women regulate their cycles.
Some historians posit that in hunter-gatherer societies, most women would have menstruated at the same time and that this would be regulated by the moon. This is because they would've been exposed to natural light from the sun, moon, and stars as their primary sources of light.
Contrast this with the modern blue light that we are all constantly being exposed to, not to mention light pollution from the cities. If you have ever experienced the restlessness and subsequent exhaustion that comes from having your circadian rhythms thrown off, it's easy to see how your body can be confused and struggle to maintain the other cycles necessary for fertility.
What this means for you
Nothing. Or everything…
It doesn't have to mean anything to you. You can regard the moon as just a lovely reflective rock in the sky that some sappy people write songs about and provides the ocean's tides. Go about your life with a few fun facts from this post in your back pocket and you'll be just fine. Boring, but fine.
OR
If you are someone who loves to use natural symbolism to conceptualize your existence, then the moon is a wonderful candidate. If you resonate with the historical value of the moon to Women then it can be a reminder of this heritage. And if you want to use the light method to regulate your menstrual cycle then it could be of great help to you. Awareness of the moon can greatly enrich your life.
As for me
I love the moon. And to me, the moon is a she. This isn't because I believe she is some living being with a gender. I don't. I just love to personify things. I also love to see a visual representation of what often feels like an invisible experience within me. Moon is a reminder that time is passing and so are my phases.
The moon also makes me feel connected to the wider experience of menstruating women. When I see her shining brightly in the sky or realize that I can't find her because it is her time to be shy, I am reminded to pray for my sisters, mother, and grandmother. I am reminded of the stories of women all over the world and I feel connected to a greater experience. My solitary monthly existence is a part of something greater that is happening in women all around me and has and experienced by women for all of history.
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