Honoring the Sacred Feminine

Moon time

Cycle

Many moons ago, the female menstrual cycle was celebrated as a gift of fertility
and femininity. Our cycle naturally aligned with the waxing and waning of the m
oon. Shedding of menstrual blood was considered a special time for rest, purificat
ion and rejuvenation.
Various cultures including Native American, Aborigine, Druid and African, regard
ed a menstruating woman to be incredibly sacred and blessed with a gift to heal,
protect or to bridge into the higher realms of awareness. Some cultures still d
o honor this, although much of the knowledge has been suppressed, distorted and
lost to the sands of time.
During this phase a woman is endowed with enormous power of the divine feminine,
so it is no wonder that a patriarchal world of control would be afraid of it.
Passing down wisdom or embarrassment?
Once upon a time, mothers, aunts and grandmas passed down knowledge and insight
about this sacred cycle. They d share what it means. They d rejoice in how to unfold
beautifully through it and acknowledge how to embrace our divinely given energi
es. Sadly it has become a taboo subject, even in our modern open-minded world.

When I was 14 years old, I felt as if I had blindly launched into my cycle and n
ever talked about it with anyone, not even the girls at school. It was something
to be hidden and embarrassed about and heaven forbid if you didn t keep it under
total control, no matter what physical activities (sports, swimming etc.) you ha
d to participate in.
In today s world, women are not given the time and space to honor the cycle. If th
ey take time off work, they are considered weak; if they take time to rest, they
are often seen as lazy as the pile of stuff to do just grows bigger and bigger.
The distress on the mind, body & spirit by not honoring the cycle generates a p
lethora of physical and hormonally related emotional issues that shouldn t even ex
ist.
I used to feel angry at being cast into a hush-hush women s world that I didn t unde
rstand. There was nobody to ask either (even sister-Google didn t exist back then)
because you just didn t talk about that sort of stuff . When I shed cervical mucus f
or the first time (midway through the cycle), I thought there was something medi
cally wrong with me. It wasn t until I was in my early 20 s and I bought a book on t
he female cycle, that I realized it was normal!

As I grew I felt the deep pain of the divine feminine throughout the whole plane
t. When we overwrite the natural flow, things start going wrong. Neglecting the
sacred cycle has meant that women are plagued with menstrual disorders, pain, ho
rmonal imbalances and severe mood swings that needn t exist at all. All because we v
e ignored the divine flow of the universe.

Honoring the sacred cycle

Thankfully, there are still some traditions that respect our sacred moon time as
a gift and instead of banishment, insist on a sacred space for women so that th
ey can rest during this time. Women are relieved of their work and lovingly affo

rded the time to spend either alone in peace and quiet (or with other women) in
a safe, nurturing environment, free of projectional or negative energies. This t
ime is used to reflect and invite universal life-force energy to wash through th
eir being.

A woman allows the light of the soul to shine ever brighter as she acts selfless
ly as the loving centre of her family and daily life. We are receptive by nature
and particularly absorbent of external energies around this sacred time. The di
vine feminine is a receptive vessel, a holy grail that often selflessly transmut
es the energy of those around her. Rest is the most natural thing in the world f
or a woman during her moon time.
The divine male and female energies are meant to complement one another, working
together harmoniously in a sacred dance of divine unity. Embracing both in thei
r authenticity is essential for spiritual evolution, so those cultures that hono
r this are incredibly connected to the natural flow and are blessed.

Letting go, letting flow

The shedding of menses is symbolic of shedding any accumulated negative energy d
uring the previous weeks. It is an opportunity to let go of that which no longer
serves. It is a time to reflect on what we are ready to release, what we are re
ady to receive and what lessons we have learnt.
In honoring our moon time we often find balance and a re-centering of our state
of being. If we miss this time of re-centering, then we may spend the rest of th
e month out of sync to the sacred rhythm, never quite catching up with ourselves
. Thankfully we are offered the opportunity once each month (until we are not)
y
et it is up to us as women to find our inner strength and love ourselves enough
to honor this cyclical event.

Loving ourselves
If we don t normally think of ourselves first and foremost, then moon time is the
time to do it. If we have children, if at all possible, get someone else to watc
h them for a day or two (I know that is usually easier said than done). If they
go to school make the most of that time. If we can t find someone to watch them, m
ake the most of the evening or the moments you can find (only do what you really
have to do). Start right now and make the most of what you can.. commit to the
moment. Love yourself. The rest will follow.

If you have a partner or close friends, tell them how you feel about this sacred
moon time and discuss with them how you might work together in helping to honor
this. Do whatever makes your heart sing: dance, play music, meditate, write poe
try, tend your plants, read, take a bath, enjoy a gentle walk in the woodlands.
If you have children, then take them out in to nature too. It may be that you si
mply wish to rest and do nothing honor that! Being super-women involves being vulne
rable and loving yourself too. True strength comes from gentleness.

Helping you to re-balance

I ve found some invaluable things that help me rebalance energies in the pre-menst
rual phase of moon time. We are all unique, so find what works for you
Agnus Castus herb - to me, this feels like nirvana and as long as I remember
to take it, the tincture works quickly. It is the first thing I reach for when
it gets too much.
B vitamins - we use up a lot of B vitamins when we are stressed, so if we ar
e prone to anxiety and stress during the pre-menstrual phase, then it s really hel
pful to replace them by taking a good quality supplement.
Maca - this the root of a South American plant and comes in powdered form. I
t has all sorts of properties, although the thing that stands out for me is that
it s an adaptogen , which means it helps the body adapt and find balance in stressfu
l situations. A lovely friend of mine also said it worked for her (and she knew
this, because after adding it to her smoothies daily, it was the first month she
hadn t felt like killing someone!
so I d say that was a success).
Exercise - gets endorphins flowing and helps to flush out the excessive horm
ones and unbalanced energies.
Meditation - even if it s just taking a breather every now and again, sitting
quietly and focusing on big deep exhales and inhales this can feel really cleansi
ng and nurturing.
Loving ourselves - strangely this is often the hardest for women (including
myself). Taking time to stop and doing something, like having a soak in the bath
with essential oils, baking a deliciously healthy treat etc
Kava Kava herb - this is an excellent anti-anxiety herb. It helps us find a
space of calm and peace within when all else fails. It s well worth looking into d
ifferent options that help to naturally rebalance, although I would say that one
of the most important things is to take time to replenish and rest.
The importance of what we call itOne last noteworthy point It can be helpful to r
ename your time of the month or period to something more beautiful, as this helps
to let go of negative associations with menstruation. Many women choose the word
moon time in honor of the cyclical nature of the monthly cycle and in respect of
the introspective energies of the moon. So, honor this sacred cycle for yourself
and let the energy inspire those around you.

By: Trinity Bourne