Dear Wild Woman,
Today is the last Full Moon of 2017 and we are in for a treat as it is a “Supermoon” which means it will appear larger than normal. So, be sure to find some time the eve to look up! This means we are halfway through our “Reclaiming Our Blood” Cycle. This Moon Cycle is the third cycle in our year long series, In the Flesh, where we are exploring all the ways we can feel more deeply embodied. We are exploring what happens when we stop asking ‘how do I look?’ and begin asking ‘how do I feel?’.
This is a perfect time to check in with your body & your New Moon Intentions. Ask in: How are you feeling? How are things unfolding? What is stirring in you? What are you learning? Rather than having this be a primarily intellectual pursuit, see if you can tune into your whole body & feel into the answers.
To honor this midpoint of our cycle we asked our Circle Leaders, “What are your favorite resources (books, talks, organizations, podcasts, classes, ANYTHING) regarding your Menstrual Cycle?” There are an enormous amount of resources out there and amazing women doing great educational, empowering womb/blood work. Here some of our Circle Leaders of The Wild Woman Project’s favorites:
I can’t say enough good things about Thinx undies and my diva cup. Paying attention to my blood has changed my cycle. Touching my blood has changed my perception. Being frank with intimate partners has made my life so much easier and has made my blood time pleasant. I no longer cramp, I have little fatigue, and feel very balanced. It wasn’t one thing that did it, but a whole body acceptance of my bleeding time that has lead me to make peace with it.
Something I shared with my circle this week which is been my way of connecting with my blood even though I no longer bleed by exploring the connection to water and female guardianship.
How do we connect to nature through our blood? My thoughts are that our blood has the power to nurture life and like water without it life is not possible. The flow of water and the flow of our blood, the feminine energy and strength that is associated with water, subtle strength recycling even the biggest mountains. Water is such a precious resource on this planet, without it we cannot survive. Our blood is necessary and without the cycle of our flow new life cannot be birthed into the world (if that is our choice)
In the British Isles and particularly in Celtic folklore there are several stories in which a maiden is the guardian to a Spring or a mountain pool, the source of the greenness and fertility of the land. Naturally the maiden is beautiful and mysterious and the local chieftain or king or prince decides that he must have her against her will. So he takes what he desires without asking and without permission. To the second the rape occurs the spring dries up and the land’s bounty is withdrawn. Crops fail and herds die. The bond between man and life’s water guardian has been broken.
These stories have inspired me to connect with springs and waters of all sorts from the city to the wild mountains; visiting these often hidden and seldom acknowledged places and sometimes collecting a small amount of the waters has been a meditative, solo practise I’ve been gifted with close encounters with herons, crows & seals. Some of these collected waters were in my circle this month; springs, wells, rainwater, lochs, life blood, life water.
The Sacred Womb Podcast with Melanie Swan! She interviews such powerful women doing incredible work that is blood and womb positive. I have been doing womb work for a little over a year, and last Scorpio cycle did a womb work meditation at circle even…because it just seems like the deep water work we should be focusing on. I think we are in the greatest time to rise in our power and that the shame and judgement surrounding our blood is very wrapped up in this movement. Our power is given away every time we hate our cycle, this cycle that could be a gift that shows us how our bodies honor the cycles of the moon and earth. We are in such an exciting time…even at circle so many are hating their blood, and not connecting with their reproductive organs and think their pussies are disgusting! It is so sad…this is how we know that we have been disconnected from our bodies. That we compartmentalize such a powerful part of ourselves and then hate and belittle them and disconnect. It is time to connect and to love and to teach our daughters of their sovereignty and beautiful nature.
On a really practical level, I love the menstrual sponges sold by Holy Sponge.
Dominique Christina’s “The Period Poem” was extremely powerful for me.
And the books: Code Red by Lisa Lister, Her Blood is Gold by Lara Owen, Wild Power by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Moon Time by Lucy H. Pearce, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup (ch. 5), Woman Code by Alisa Vitti
For me, I noticed a huge shift when I stopped acting like my Menstruation was simply an inconvenience and began honoring the process of Menstruating. A few years ago I began tracking my period (period tracker deluxe app is my FAVORITE and shows a little glowing moon when I’m ovulating). Once I was more aware of which part of my cycle I was in, I began learning to give myself more space and permission to experience each part of my cycle fully (I rest more when gearing up for menstruation, I plan more creative activities in the first half of my cycle, and I use essential oils, and herbs that correlate). This process has allowed me to gain so much insight and wisdom from my body. So many things changed once I began truly having a relationship with my blood, not just trying to suppress my energetic, physical, and emotional cycles.
Your Turn!
What are your favorite resources (books, talks, organizations, podcasts, classes, ANYTHING) regarding your Menstrual Cycle?
(Share In the Comments Below!)
On the Horizon
Join us for an hour-long New Moon Meditation Adventure on December 30th!
Online, from anywhere.
Using a dynamic meditation journey, we will tune into the New Moon, to your own Inner Guidance, synced up with wild-hearted women from around the world. This offering will include music, storytelling, meditation, journaling prompts & intention-setting.
Can’t make it live? No worries. All participants will receive a copy of the recording with 24 hours of the session.
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We have Wild Woman Project-trained Circle facilitators is 26 countries, and 44 out of the 50 United States.
Amanda is the Director of Communications & Creative Development for The Wild Woman Project, as well as: Wild Woman Project Circle Leader, a member of the Love Crew at the annual WILD WOMAN FEST, and a Mentor for The Wild Woman Project Circle Leader Training Program. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from California State University, Fullerton where she intensively studied Movement for the Stage. A self described Mystic, Artist, Witch, People Person, Beverage Aficionado from Los Angeles California; She is particularly passionate about the space where Art, Activism, and Spirit collide.
The work of Lisa Lister has helped me start to see my menstral cycles as blessings and not a pain. Which I hope to be able to pass that thinking on to my daughter, who will be starting hers in the next couple years. Thank you for all the recommendations, and sharing. xo
The Sweat Lodges based in Lakota traditions that I began attending about four years ago offered me a totally new perspective to my menstruation or “moon time.” In Lakota tradition, there is NO CEREMONY more sacred than a woman who is on her bleeding time because it represents the sacrifice of blood to create life (the cycle of life and death, the cleansing of our womb) and the embodiment of Unchi or Mother Earth and how she pains to give us all life. Once, I went to a sweat lodge not remembering that I wasn’t supposed to go into the Inipi to participate in the sweat because the moon time energy is so grounding, it anchors down the prayers that are meant to go up in the steam to Spirit, and it can overwhelm the energy of everyone else in the lodge. The leader, a very humble and beautiful elder named Mike, spoke to me kindly and said that this is not a time for me to ever feel ashamed and that he didn’t want me to feel excluded. Instead, he set me up on his couch with a bunch of pillows and blankets and told me to rest and let others serve me (HA!!!) while they all sweated, and that I could participate with all of them afterwards when they came inside. That began my journey of thinking of my bleeding time as my ceremony, myself as a sort of humble goddess. Lakota ceremonies and people who practice those traditions have been a great resource to me. The elder women have talked a few times about how in old times (and still sometimes today), they will offer their menstrual blood back to the Earth to nurture her and protect the relationship between humankind and Unchi.
I took birth control for many years (even when not having sex) and I don’t even know why looking back on it. Earlier this June, I went to a Shakti Women’s Circle here in my community and I heard from three other women who said that they don’t take birth control but tracked their periods naturally, avoiding sex on their fertile days. Learning from their positive personal experiences, I was inspired to stop taking this hormone supplement. Since then, I have felt so much more alive and vibrant. It feels like the years I was taking b.c. I was only breathing about 40% and getting off the pill released some kind of pressure so I had the full capacity to breathe – only I hadn’t realized it could feel better than what I’d gotten used to.
I am developing a more intuitive connection to my bleeding mystery time with the help of Lakota tradition, getting more comfortable with my natural process (it’s actually quite beautiful) and of course WWP sisters who share their experiences about what they’re learning. I’ve been wanting to know how to offer my sacred blood back to the Earth so earlier this month, I ordered my first Diva cup! I’m curious to learn more about my cycle like what are the best times in my month cycle for me to be creative, rest, active, etc. I have a while to go, but I’m loving it.
‘Woman’s bodies, Woman’s Wisdom’ by Christiane Northrup
The Artist Zinteta is also doing great work about periods 🙂 https://www.instagram.com/p/BY-5TbUhTyW/?taken-by=zinteta
Fertility Awareness Method, (also natural family planning or symptothermal method) of charting my body’s numerous signs. It’s beyond just “period tracking”; it is learning so much of the knowledge that was withheld from us about the genius of our physiology and how many signs there are for us to actually read.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility and The Justisse Method