The Menstrual Cycle as Phases

If you’ve been here a while or are like us (spent years with uncomfortable symptoms only to go down a rabbit-hole of self-led menstruation education) then you will know that there is A LOT more to the menstrual cycle than the period. The four phases of our cycle are a lot like a rollercoaster. But it is largely up to you whether you step on and ride it out or get thrown on and jostled about. On a physical level, each menstrual phase represents our reproductive system at different stages of preparing for a possible pregnancy. On a psychological level (when we stop to look and listen) different aspects of our personality and psyche take centre stage at the different phases. We are - of course - unique and these are not rules, this is simply an invitation to explore the archetypes that peek out at each phase.

So lets get started.

The menstrual phase (a.k.a. the period)

The first day of our menstrual cycle starts on the first day of our bleed. Our hormones were just at their peak (tears may have fallen, there might have been red hot rage) and suddenly...they fall. We lower our weapons and time feels frozen. Energetically we might feel quiet, slower. It is a time of darkness, not in a derogatory sense - without darkness after all there would be no light.

Our menstrual phases beckon us inside, just like the shorter days of winter; it is a time for deep rest. Like when the Moon is new, it is a time to retreat in the shadows. If you can work from home, do so. If you can work from bed, why not! Think of what life would have been like during the Winter before electricity. Would you have fumbled about and started new projects in the dark? No. You’d have done very little. Ate nourishing, warm meals and rested. In modern life, we can do the same. Support your period by switching to the Follicular blend if you’re seed cycling for a boost of zinc and nutrient that help flush out excess hormones.

“During these times the veil between worlds is very thin” What does this mean? My personal take is that we can feel less attached to the material world as we know it. The 'to-do’s' may suddenly feel a lot less important. I personally find my inner world becomes so vivid and alive. At night I don’t just sleep, I step into a deep watery dreamscape that I would swear is an alternative universe. When I haven’t slowed down to take care of myself during my period, this looks like; ● Being distracted ● Feeling anxious ● Rundown (aka Period flu)

This detachment from the real world might even manifest as “what is the point”. A depression. When I do take care of myself it's a pleasure to feel all the feels and drop in on a deeper level. It’s like having a secret that no one else knows about and I’ll think “how lucky are we as menstruating people to experience our senses so deeply.”