We can break down our menstrual cycles into the four different phases of the moon, according to Healthline's expert Alicia Meek, founder of Wild Moon Sacred Circles, who connects spiritual practices to the rhythms of the body and the natural world.
She links the New Moon to the menstrual phase, aka your period, and the waxing moon to the follicular phase, which begins with your period and includes the maturation of one of your eggs in the follicle. The full moon represents the ovulation stage, or when the body is primed for reproduction, and during which some traditions believe it to be at its most fertile and powerful. Meek understands the moon's waning as a representation of the return to the pre-menstrual segment of the cycle. In this way, she sees the body itself as experiencing its own lunar cycles, even if they are not synced up with the actual moon.
There are also different connotations to when your menstruation occurs during the moon's monthly schedule. Getting your period near the new moon is known as a White moon cycle, which is linked to readiness for reproduction. The Red moon cycle means experiencing your period on the full moon, lending a powerful and sensual element. The pink moon cycle is menstruating during the changing waxing moon, and the purple moon cycle occurs when you menstruate during a restorative waning moon, leading to a new moon and the rebirth of the cycle.
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