Her beauty is radiant just like the full moon, her unguessable thoughts are an enigma just like the dark side of the moon, her moods wax and wane like the cycle of the moon. Women have always been compared to the Moon whether it is her beauty or fickle-mindedness, but there is something more than just comparison. Just like the moon has a 28-29.5-day cycle from one New Moon to Full Moon to the next New Moon, the woman also has her 28-day cycle and if she wishes just like the new Moon emerges, a new life can emanate from her body during this beautiful cycle! 

An ancient Sanskrit saying “Yat Pinde Tat Brahmande” translates to “the Body is the Universe and Universe is the Body,” which means, our bodies hold a universe within itself. Similarly, a woman is the moon herself! 

Before the clock was invented, Sun and Moon served as our clocks. Even today the entire plant and animal kingdom uses these reliable clocks for everything including sleep, hunger, digestion, migration, and procreation. Just like the Sun, the Moon too has a pull on the biological rhythm of all living things. Many animals have their biological rhythms synced up with the cycles of the moon for mating and procreating. Similarly, women also have an inner moon clock that is the menstrual cycle that normally falls between 26 to 30 days. 

We are brought up in different environments and cultures that may make us feel dirty or unclean about menstruation. Some women are forbidden to talk about it or how they feel during that time of the month. In most cultures, the topic of menstruation is considered taboo, the discussion of which is best avoided and treated as a “dirty” subject. However, it is a wonderful process of producing life inside our wombs. The process that produces life should not have a negative connotation to it at all.

Moon has four phases in its 29.5-day cycle starting with the New Moon, Waxing or the First Quarter, Full Moon, and Waning or the Last Quarter. Is it a divine coincidence or is there science beyond our current understanding that a woman’s cycle also passes through four phases of hormonal changes before she starts menstruating? These changes in hormones also, in a way, signify the woman’s spirit level. 

Here is a breakdown of how a woman’s cycle when aligned to the moon’s cycle looks like:

• Phase 1: Bleeding/New Moon: This is the time of purification. The uterus starts shedding its endometrial lining and cleansing itself off the debris to start over a whole new cycle once again. This is the phase where the woman is letting go or relinquishing the chance of life. In the moon’s cycle, this is the dark moon phase and the moonlight is absent which is symbolic of the woman shedding. This is the time our hormones have completely flat-lined. This is the time to relax, lie back and nurture yourself for the coming month with another cycle. Time to restore your body, pamper yourself and think or plan for the coming future. 
• Phase 2: Follicular/Waxing: It is a new start, a new beginning. The moon is waxing towards becoming the radiant full moon while for the woman this is the period of energy and excitement. After the cleansing process, now the hormone estrogen is spiking and her spirit level moves up the graph. This is the time when your energy is all-time high and you can concentrate on that unfinished dream of yours. It is the time to achieve what you set your mind on. This is also the time to socialize with friends, go out on a date, or just keep yourself physically and mentally fit by working out. This is the time to make plans, organize stuff, just do not let that energy spike go to waste. This sudden surge in power can also overwhelm a few but do not be afraid, just do what you have to do! 
• Phase 3: Ovulation/Full Moon: The moon has now become a beautiful, radiant, glowing ball in the night sky, shining to its fullest glory. Similarly, the woman has produced an egg in anticipation of giving birth to a new life because it is the time of her ovulation. There is a rise in progesterone along with the presence of estrogen and you feel more feminine than ever! There is a special glow on your skin, your body oozes sexually attractive fragrance, your voice rises in pitch, and you would want to wear more revealing clothes. Ovulation is the ideal time to get pregnant and to celebrate that femininity . Even if you do not have  plans, it is still a very energetic time to spend some intimate time with your partner because it is natural for the body and mind to feel so at this time. This is the time the woman feels extremely positive and mostly affirmative of all her plans, work, and responsibilities. 
• Phase 4: Luteal/Waning: The Moon is getting ready to wane and go into the new moon phase, once again it is time for that dark night without the moonlight. The woman has entered the last phase of her menstrual cycle, the luteal phase. Here her hormones are plummeting and she is losing hormones and the body is getting ready for the menstrual shedding. This is once again the time when energy levels somewhat dip and hence again it is time to take things slow. Rest, relax, reflect, and restore!

The menstrual cycle is a natural process and this topic shouldn’t be taboo. Aligning our cycles with the lunar cycle helps maintain a healthy reproductive organ, improves fertility, and also helps manage menstrual pain better. Just enjoy the process of nature and be in sync with nature!

References:

US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Semantic Scholar