Have you ever been amongst female friends and had the topic of menstrual cycles and the moon come up? I feel like this happens a lot. As women we’re curious about our bodies, the origins of our cycles, and how they might be connected to the phases of the moon. We may notice that many, though not all, of us experience cycles that last approximately a lunar month (28-30 days). I’ve personally seen women get so excited when they realize their period is syncing up with the phases of the moon! I think it goes to show that we desire more understanding of our bodies and more insight into how our cycles might affect us.
I’ve always wanted to be in sync with the moon, but have struggled with this, because I live in the heart of NYC where I can only so rarely actually see the moon. Read on to learn how I was able to sync up with the moon in the most difficult place in the US to do that, and how you can do it, wherever you live too!
Why we connect the menstrual cycle with the moon phases
Firstly, let’s consider the traditions and history behind this phenomenon. The new moon is traditionally associated with menstruation and if you find you get your period with the new moon this is known as a White Moon Cycle. The full moon is traditionally associated with ovulation, but some women do get their period on the full moon and this is called a Red Moon Cycle. The White Moon Cycle is the kind that is more commonly experienced. Historically this is down to the impact of light on the Earth and our bodies – the full moon is the Earth’s most fertile time because of the additional light received by plants when there is bright moonlight as well as sunlight, and this is why it is traditionally associated with the ovulation phase.
Although the White Moon cycle is more common – that’s getting your period on the new moon and ovulating on the full moon – a Red Moon cycle has interesting traditional connotations. Women who experience a Red Moon cycle have historically been thought to be healers, wise women, or medicine women. These women could take care of the other women who were on their period at the time that they themselves were ovulating. It’s also associated with creation in realms other than getting pregnant and having children – when the woman’s focus is on creating art, a business, or a new way of life for herself and others.
Does it matter if my period does not sync with the moon?
Although there are these historical and traditional links, it’s not important that you get your period on the full moon or the new moon – although it can be pretty cool when it does happen! As long as you’re having a healthy cycle that is consistent for YOU – this is what matters. That means that your cycles are regular and last a similar amount of days each time. If your cycles are wildly fluctuating then it is an indicator of health issues like PCOS, fibroids, or endometriosis. A consistent, regular cycle is much more likely to be symptom-free, although it is still possible to experience PMS, cramps, or bloating with a regular cycle. Ideally, however, your period’s arrival is predictable, but not necessarily predicated on what the moon is doing!
How to Sync Your Cycle to the Moon
1. Spend time in Nature
If your cycle is fluctuating in length hugely from period to period then it may also be the result of your environment – it could be because you’re not getting enough good sleep due to a bright or noisy setting and it could be down to your disconnect from stress-relieving, calming Nature as a whole.
More and more research is revealing that we need to be in Nature frequently – in the way of a park, a hike, the beach – for the good of our health, our mental health, especially. And stress can really screw up your cycles and cause them to become irregular. So, rather than focusing on the moon alone, I feel like we should be looking at our relationship to Nature in general and make a point of re-connecting with Mother Earth by getting into green spaces as much as we can.
For me that was simply a daily long relaxing walk in Central Park and some time walking on the grass or sitting on a rock to ground myself. While in nature, I would really be present, looking at the beauty of trees, birds, dogs, anything that made me feel like I was connecting to a more natural and less urban or digital environment. You can do this in your backyard, your local playground, or on a walk through your neighborhood – the key is to direct your attention to those natural elements, breathe it in, and feel the well-being that comes from spending time outside.
2. Improve your relationship to light and dark
Part of how our cycles can sync to the moon is through our exposure to light and dark as it changes throughout the lunar month – at the New Moon we’re supposed to be sleeping in darkness and at the Full Moon the night sky should be lit up with moonlight. However, many of us live in towns and cities now that give out light pollution. It can be hard to see the moon clearly and the moonlight is competing with office block lighting, street lamps, house lights, illuminated signs and more. We are not as exposed to the direct light and darkness of the moon phases as we once were. Of course light (and noise) pollution can also be disruptive to our sleep patterns and make for a fitful sleep and frequent waking up during the night. This throws off the hormone melatonin, which happens to be linked directly to ovulation regulation and therefore cycle regulation.
If you want to sync with the moon, but like me you struggle to connect with the moonlight in a busy, 24-hour town or city, then take steps to ensure you experience good sleep by using black out blinds and a white noise machine, and employing a sleep-supportive bedtime routine. To become more aware of the moon’s phases and have the best chance of reconnecting and syncing your cycle to its changes, download a lunar phase calendar or use an app like MyMoontime – take a look every evening to see where the moon is that night in its cycle and then try to spend some time in view of the moon either meditating, reading, or just resting. More and more places now also have Full Moon hikes where women can connect with the moon and each other. If you can’t find a group, practice a ritual at home in view of the moon or start your own group!
3. Fix your period problems
To repeat – as long as you’re having a healthy cycle that is consistent for YOU – this is what matters. Monitoring your period and cycle for length, looking at the color and consistency of your bleeding, and tracking any symptoms you experience – from PMS to bloating to acne – is more important to your health than syncing with the moon. It’s from this place that you can start to solve and move past your period problems. Your period should and can be regular and predictable – if it’s not, there’s a way to change that. Once you’ve got a healthy cycle that feels good for you, then you’re in a better place to start working on syncing with the moon and you’ll be better positioned to reap the benefits of this experience.
Your body is a mirror, whether or not your period comes with the full moon or the new moon. You don’t need to be bleeding with the new moon to reconnect with Nature, but connecting with the natural environment will have a positive impact on your health – including getting your cycle to be more regular, predictable and symptom-free. Your cycle is magical, regardless of any cool moon connection you might experience. Your cycle can work magic for you, if you support it with hormone-friendly foods and a hormonally-supportive way of living. Get in touch with your own, personal, unique cycle and that’s the first step to living in your Flo with all of its benefits.
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
to your FLO,
Alisa
Good things come in threes:
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First, do you have a Red Moon or a White Moon cycle?
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Thankyou for your article, I believe though you are missing some essential information.
Women have a tendency to ovulate on the same moon position as it was when they were born – say for eg. I was born 3 days before a new moon so tend to be fertile 3 days before the dark moon and overall are most likely to menstruate 3 days before the full moon.
The work of natural fertility pioneer Francheska Naish speaks about this. Also, from nearly 30 years of listening and learning from my cycle, women will bleed on the full moon when there’s inner creativity to ‘bring to light’ and then bleed on the dark moon to ‘go inward, nurture self and listen to wisdom within’.
Awesome work you are doing in our world!! Keep going, women kind truly need your knowing!
Women have a tendency to ovulate on the same moon position as it was when they were born … Could you explain that ? and why ? and where I could read about this please ?
What’s interesting about this is that I was born on a 100% full moon. But I ALWAYS ovulate on a 100% full moon and have my period on a 100% full moon. I have struggled with fertility which I attribute to the red moon cycle. But I finally had my first postive pregnancy test on a full moon. I’m a cancer, a moon child, and truly truly believe that my life is controlled by the moon.
I just got my period yesterday, on a full moon. I am thinking about, well my inner self is, that is time for some changes – and I feel I can help others (not just myself) by doing what I really feel like I was suppose to do. So thanks again, for opening my eyes, I see that the Universe is working overhours to me (or anyone else for that matter) to get the point. 🙂 Thx and all the best, love, Martina
Loved this article! Three years ago, I used to be synched with the full moon. Slowly it started to shift (and yes my periods are regular) and today I’m synched with the new moon. I suppose in 3 years time I will be synched with the full moon again.
I definitely identify with the healer archetype today, though at the time of being synched with the full moon, I didn’t! I suppose my body was trying to tell me to head in a certain direction, which I ignored for a long time! I put off my dream of getting certified to teach yoga. A year ago, I set out to make my dream come true, and voila, I’m now synched perfectly with the new moon. Perhaps now my mind-body-soul is ready for procreation! We shall see!
I live in Alaska, I have noticed my period fluctuates with the amount of daylight we get. During the summer my cycle is 30 days, and during the winter is 26-27 days. Just wanted to post this because I haven’t read anything about this anywhere. Was wondering if any other women who live in “Midnight Sun” areas experience th same thing.
I have just been wondering about this a lot lately, so thanks for sharing this Kelly!!
I have always loved the idea of synching with the moon! My cycle is consistently 26 days long, so I get my period on the new or full moon every so often. I would like my cycle to be longer, but I also notice that I cause myself stress when I get too focused on how my cycle is “too short.” I will try more consciously connecting to the moon phases. Thanks Alissa!
I am glad to see someone else with a very regular, albeit short, period. I have always worried about it to some degree… But I guess it’s not so weird after all 🙂
Mine is regularly 21 days. Sucks but it is consistent so I cant complain.
Hi! Where did you learn about red and white moon cycles? Some refs to that would be incredible 🙂 THANK YOU
Thank you for addressing this! Truth is our cycle is ‘easier’ when we synchronize with the moon. The new moon – which I was taught to call the dark moon – supports deep inward time and that which resonates with menstration – it’s about deep self care, embracing the practice of ‘dropping’ and resting and creative expression and being ”receptive’ or falling open inwardly to receiving vision as women. Even women who no longer bleed deeply benefit from such a practice and instead of being signaled but their blood, they are signaled by their loving tracking of the moon in its reliable and rhythmic cycle. A woman’s cycle is her teacher with much to learn each and every month. When we fall out of synch with the moon – it’s like a dance or rhythm we are trying to link into where we tap our toes a bit and then catch the rhythm and then jump in – I found it took me 4 cycles of moon gazing – literally gazing at the moon to absorb the light through my endocrine system to get back in synch… and my cycle is not always exact but close enough that it feels bone deep right for me. I thank the midwives who taught me to do this and tirelessly carry these ancient ways and teach, where the ground is fertile, in support of women. Your work is so rich here and I lean on it greatly for my health ❤️ Thank you! – Jen
When I was 20 I travelled around the world by myself. For some reason my ( usually painful ) period disappeared for about 7 months- handy! One night I was up late in Berlin on a full moon night and sat in a bar whilst others around me drank heavily, a little bored and gazing up at the moon for hours. Later that long night I started bleeding, just for an hour or so but enough to reassure me. It was then I realised just how powerful the moon and the light of the moon can be. I’m a Full Moon bleeder usually, but tend these past few years to skip a period in winter and sync up with the new moon for a while!
In Ashtanga Yoga practice we are told to avoid practicing Yoga on the full moon days- as the energy is high and you can injure yourself, and Dark moon days- as the energy is low and you need to conserve it, and our period days ( which I tend to ignore and replace with a gentle practice- as I need a little yoga to soften my world )
Do eclipses affect your cycle? I’ve noticed that I’ve been a full moon bleeder the past few months but with the recent eclipse, I haven’t started yet. Ugh! I feel like I’ve been pms’ing for a week!! Lol! I’m usually pretty regular too. Any thoughts?
I have my periods on the full moon, but in december it switches to the new moon. Then back to full moon in march..im thinking it has to do with shorter days hence less daylight. It coinsides with the winter solstice and spring equinox
I always wondered about my cycle, every full moon like clock work I knew I would get it. Red moon cycle, I didn’t realize this could be possible. Reading all the information on this really helped me get a better understanding of my body and the beauty of being a woman. Thank you!
I was always counting 28 day cycles and sometimes I think I’m late then I look at the moon phase and realise it’s usually 29.5 days in the moon cycle so I get it the next day. Now I just work out when the new moon is and I get my period. I got it today and I think it’s amazing I embrace it and look forward to a new start. Thanks for sharing this with people it’s more common than people realise. 🙏
Love it! Thanks for sharing your story : )
Alisa
This is a really interesting concept that relates to a lot of the anthropological history I study, and it’s kind of neat to see this presented from a woman’s perspective while I know of an agrarian perspective that is highly complimentary.
I’ve never been a woman who’s had a regular cycle- I just don’t have it, though I do have a beautiful relationship with the moon. Through my life I’ve tried hormone therapy, birth control, most of the #FLOfix solutions you’ve offered as well as some less conventional brain chemistry and brain wave therapies. On top of that, I come from a long family line of “cunning women” who generally have one in every generation that doesn’t have children, though her brothers do.
At almost 30, I’ve just become aware of the fact that I may not be destined to be a mother and that I have difficulty falling into that “norm” of womanhood and having that camaraderie about cycles, but that’s not so bad as I’ve grown into myself- some women are just meant to be aunties and adoptive mothers, I suppose. And I do love that job.
This is so cool. This is my first experience relaly noticing the moon and my cycle but I look forward to paying more attention in the future. I have a white moon cycle and the creativity flowing from me is unreal. Thank you for this article.
Hi, I am panicking because I am trying to conceive and I’ve just realised I bleed at full moon. I am also a healer. But I want children! Will this be affecting my fertility? Thanks, Ellen
I have a Moon White cycle and am pretty relugar in my periods (a 26 to 30 days cycle) However I’ve read that the cycle can change during your life, according to which phase you’re going through in your life (for ex, you can go from Red Moon to White Moon, and back again, or vice versa… ) Interesting article here as well: http://www.moonsong.com.au/the-spiritual-practice-of-menstruation/
Ellen
My periods have always been at full moon and I’m extremely fertile – my children have all been accidental pregnancies! I’m sure the way your cycle is phasing with the moon isn’t affecting your fertility. Please don’t worry.
I used to get my bleed every full moon. I now have a 40 day cycle snd don’t know why. Can you help thanks
I no longer have periods but when I was younger (40 years ago) i needed to track my cycle very closely for birth control. I remember that I menstruated on both moons. For about 18 months I would menstruate on one moon eg the full moon. Then my cycle would wobble and i would start menstruating on the new moon again for about 18 months. Then it would wobble again and i was back to the other moon. I wasn’t living with other mature women in my home and we did not have electric lighting or TVs etc at home and home computers and WiFi did not yet exist so i was more exposed to the rhythms of nature. These changes to my menstrual cycle appeared to be a result of cosmic forces.
This is great. My cycle has always come with the Red Moon Cycle but I had friends tell me that naturally we are aligned with the new moon, so I was like huh? I do healing work and am a medium/channel and everything you wrote makes total sense!