Dear Sister… Your Menstrual Cycle is a Blessing, NOT a Curse

• Have you ever felt a deeper connection to your menstrual cycle beyond the physical experience?
• What if I told you that your menstrual cycle could be a sacred compass for your spiritual journey?
• Could our menstrual pain be a whisper from our bodies, urging us to listen more closely?

A few weeks ago, my dear friend reached out for advice about her menstrual cycle. Like many of us have experienced, she was having heavy bleeding, painful cramps, and was considering birth control as a remedy. Understandably, she had concerns about potential hormonal issues and was curious about my personal experiences with them.

In sharing my journey, I also offered a different perspective that my friend may not have considered. I asked,

“Have you ever thought of your menstrual cycle as a spiritual experience, possibly carrying a deeper meaning or message?”

Our chat led her to want to explore more, so I shared what I’ve learned from keeping track of my own cycle. Now, I’m honored to share these discoveries with you too, my sister. I’ve made my notes short to save time 😬.

Cycles of Life 🌍 🌱

Everything God has created in nature is based on a cycle. In fact, Nature Herself is a testament to the beauty of cycles:

• Seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall
• The Moon: full, waning, new, waxing
• Life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and elder years

Remarkably, the female menstrual mirrors this cyclical design. In fact, the female body is the only other creation (I know of 😉) with a built-in cycle like the moon. There are 29 days in a moon’s cycle and approximately 29 days in a menstrual cycle; the synchrony is poetic.

In African and Native American culture, this time was communal — women gathered in seclusion together to bleed, pray, and receive Divine Guidance concerning their families, village, communities and any other concerns. Because women were so in-tune with nature, this time of the month was sacred and honored by everyone.

I believe these women understood a deep truth that we are coming to understand again: our Inner world is a reflection of our Outer reality. In other words, what’s inside us mirrors what’s around us.

Now, let’s assume you bleed with the new moon. Using the moon’s phases and the seasons as a guide, I’ll describe each phase of the menstrual cycle. Even if your cycle doesn’t align with the new moon, these insights can help you chart your unique rhythm.

Know that the length of each cycle might change as you go through different phases in your life. Usually, how you feel during your cycle will match up with these phases I’ve described below.

Menstrual Cycle Phases 🗓️

🌑 Phase One (New Moon / Winter)

• This is the time you bleed (menstruation).
• It’s the time for rest which explains why it’s called a PERIOD 🤯
• This is the time for connecting with God and yourself (self-love/ pamper yourself).
• Go outside, get into nature, journaling, releasing, prayer/meditation, restoration, etc.
• Let go of behaviors, attitudes, or whatever is not working for you; break habits.
• Set intentions/ goals/ new vision.
• Listen for what God has to say about the past (reflection) and upcoming cycles in your life (revelation).
• Gratitude for the power of releasing (physically and metaphorically).

🌒 Phase Two (Waxing Moon / Spring)

• You have finished bleeding (pre-ovulation).
• You are more energetic and have clarity/ awareness.
• This is the time to start acting on those intentions/ goals you made during your bleed.
• Get creative, make the plan and start projects.
• You are determined & confident.
• Start socializing & meeting people.

🌕 Phase Three (Full Moon / Summer)

• You are ovulating.
• You are super attractive & social.
• This is the time for Business Meetings / Date Nights.
• You are energized to get things done/ make it happen.

🌖 Phase Four (Waning Moon/ Fall)

• You are premenstrual.
• Coming down from the “high”.
• You are focused on house cleaning; preparation for rest; feel the need to get organized or for change.
• Finishing projects/ close the deal.
• Intuitive & sensitive; Truthful / you tell it like it is; Prophetic abilities are heightened.

🔁 (Repeat)

Your Menstrual is a Blessing, Not a Curse 🙏🏾

The menstrual cycle is a Divine Gift, God’s gift to women, inviting us to dream, create, and reset monthly. It is a reflection, a mirror of life’s natural ebb and flow. When we track our cycles and understand our current phase, we connect more deeply with our emotions and body’s messages that need to be released.

During our menstrual cycle, our senses are heightened; our bodies yearn for peace, quiet and rest away from outside noise and busyness. When we ignore the promptings of our body and emotions, they find a way to get our attention. If we honor what our body is trying to say, we alleviate mood swings and its need to “act up.” 😉

🙋🏾‍♀️ So, How Can We Ease Menstrual Pain?

Throughout the month, I stay mindful of my thoughts and emotions, especially during Phase Four. I allow myself to acknowledge feelings without staying in them, recognizing them as indicators of deeper truths within me (fear, judgment, resentment, anger, etc.).

Whenever I experience pain or discomfort, I ask myself:

• What emotional experiences have I had in recent weeks?
• What is the real root of my discomfort?
• What might this pain represent?
• What do I need to let go of?
• What messages have I been overlooking?

Then, I remain open to life’s responses, whether through prayer, conversation, social media post, magazine, tv show/movie, song, etc. I stay receptive to any medium through which Wisdom may choose to speak to me. She is gentle and often whispers when She speaks.

So, as you can see there’s so much more to a menstrual cycle than the bleed. Recognizing each phase gives us insight to understand our emotions and our bodies in a way that God originally intended. It’s like our own inner compass that’s guiding and helping us along the way.

And, the best thing about understanding our cycles is its knowledge continues to support us even after we are done menstruating. Meaning, we continue to have cycles during and after menopause, just without the hormonal changes and bleeding. I guess the plan is to track our cycles so by the time we reach that stage of life we are so in sync with our bodies we won’t need physical reminders. 👏🏾🙌🏾

Well sis, I hope you have found this document informative and helpful. There have been many resources that have supported my journey of understanding the spiritual meaning of menstrual cycles — too many to name. It’s like, as soon as I started asking questions, information started coming to me from everywhere.

There are some really great blogs and articles by spiritual women sharing their wisdom about this topic. However, there is one book in particular that really opened my eyes to the power of the menstrual cycle and that is “Love Your Lady Landscape: Trust Your Gut, Care for ‘Down There’ and Reclaim Your Fierce and Feminine SHE Power,” by Lisa Lister.

This book caused me to start tracking my own cycle. And, I’m so glad I did.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments about your sacred menstrual journey or if you’re curious about anything I’ve written. I’m always glad to share.

Always know & remember, dear Sister, that Your Menstrual Cycle is Sacred. It is a Blessing, not a curse!

Love you,
Tia