The female physical body follows the cycle of the moon which is approximately every 28/29 days.
The male physical body follows the cycle of the sun every 24 hours.
We are living in a masculine society which follows sun cycles and the expectation is that everyone follows suit.
For men (physical body) everyday is the same, it is groundhog day, in terms of energy and hormones. For women (physical body in reproductive years) hormonal changes and energy patterns shift on average every 29 days.
For the modern-day women, conforming to a masculine timetable in turn ends up denying their feminine energy and cycle. This type of ‘conformity’ should not be perceived in terms of a weakness or strength as it is not a conscious choice, it is just ‘how it is’ in the society we currently live in.
Speaking from my own experience, instead of embracing our hormonal and energy fluctuations during the feminine cycle, we resist it and attempt to squash it…. it’s not a sign of celebration but more of an annoyance. We are taught it is something to hide or be discreet about, perhaps not directly taught but indirectly through learned behaviour, language or jokes etc. If women don’t speak openly about periods, to their brothers, partners, dad’s etc then we in turn make it weird for everyone to talk about.
Examples:
If a women complains about something….”are you on your period”, is a reaction I have personally experienced.
Can you imagine not showing up for work every time day 1, or 2 of your period comes round because you have stomach cramps? What would your boss say…both male and female boss’s? It would be seen as a weakness….”not again” “suck it up” “just get on with it”. In conversations with my mum, when she had started working around 1980, she used to have severe cramps and her male boss would call her parents (my grandparents) to come and pick her up from work so she could rest for a day or two! Every single month! However, at this time women were considered weaker and less capable in the working environment. So although it seems more accommodating to the needs of individuals, the decision came from a place of pity, rather than non judgemental acceptance.
As a woman, shifting the narrative on the thoughts and lived experience you have about your menstrual cycle is an important and liberating process.
Some questions that might help to PIVOT your experience:
- What can I do to honour my body?
- Can I celebrate my cycle and menstruation? Menstruation is a sign of a healthy body so that should be celebrated!
- Can I learn about my energy system in relation to my cycle? Knowledge stops us from second guessing ourselves. “Not sure why but just not feeling it today….whats wrong with me??”, perhaps your cycle has now gone into the luteal phase…progesterone levels have decreased so can leave you feeling a little sluggish….time to embrace self care, and perhaps treat yourself to the food you are craving?!
Note…..Even speaking on this topic and writing those words weirds me out! I know I definitely have some work to do myself, to normalise my body and celebrate my own feminine power and energy!
Everything in nature follows a cycle, a rhythm of sorts that aligns with its unique divine timing!
?????? I wonder if female cycles were different in the western world 200 years ago before the influence of technology, lighting and stimulus that affects our circadian rhythms?
?????? I also wonder if your period syncs up to the moon cycles the more you immerse yourself in nature?
Moon cycles:
With each moon or menstruation cycle can you set a new intention for the cycle ahead?
Perhaps goals for your overall health and wellbeing…. here are a few suggestions:
- More sleep
- Less sugar
- Zero caffeine
- Cook from whole foods
- Digital cutoff time every evening
- Spend more time everyday in nature
Exercise and energy levels along the menstruation cycle:
Women – the menstrual cycle and hormonal fluctuations plus the cycle of the Moon does affect our energy levels!
Lockdown and having the same routines day in and day out has allowed me to connect to my body more. I can no longer excuse or blame tiredness on a late night, travel, being in London and then trying to resist or deny what my body is telling me. If I am feeling tired and my body is heavy it’s because of hormonal fluctuations and the cycle of the feminine energy. Which for the first time, I am actually embracing and accepting. I have always considered it a weakness, which is ridiculous! That is like saying the female body, feminine energy and cycle is a weakness and something to be ashamed of. This female body can make a baby! This body can grow a whole human and beautiful complex life from two cells. That is something to be celebrated. I’m pretty sure other women can relate. So if your training and your fitness schedule is not a 100% or your performance is not 100% because of your cycle… Who gives a s**t!
We have grown up in a masculine society and working environment, with a ‘be productive’ 24/7 narrative that punishes time off or a low output.
This is no suggestion or blame placed on either men or women here, more that I hope both men and women recognise the need to rebalance the masculine and feminine energy within everything that we do, from exercise, to business, work or study. More on balancing the masculine and feminine in my next blog post, as this is a HUGE TOPIC!
Masculine and Feminine Energy:
Feminine energy:
- Creative and inspiring- it’s the energy that creates life.
- It’s nurturing, supportive, intuitive and empathic.
- The feminine energy is fluid, stormy, emotional, passionate, and it flows from moment to moment like the waters of a river.
- Feminine energy is intelligent and loving energy that contains the quality of our compassion, emotion, empathy, and truth.
- Feminine energy is receptive, right-brained energy.
- When you are strong in your feminine, you have a strong connection to your body and intuition, and you can make decisions based on what you feel in your heart.
- Too much in your feminine, you can come across as weak and lose your personal power.
Masculine energy:
- Takes action; Loves to build, fix and solve problems.
- It’s strong, stable, self-confident and decisive.
- Masculine energy knows what it wants and goes after getting it. It’s also protective.
- Masculine energy loves direction and a purpose. It’s competitive and likes to win and break through barriers. It’s logical and uses words more than emotions.
- Masculine energy is independent and analytical, representing our left brain
- When masculine energy is appropriately used, it is creative, practical, and visionary.
- When masculine energy is misused, it can end in ego, anger, resentment, and have inner conflict.
The economy and feminine energy/cycles
Our western society regards hormonal fluctuations, periods and giving birth as a weakness to the economy in relation to working hours and corporate life. However, without reproducing the economy would be in trouble in just one generations time!!
The feminine energy and form should be cherished and celebrated, in fact paid abundantly for giving the gift of life.
Men want to be fathers, women want to be mothers (not all I know, but for now, keeping this part simple) To make a child, both sexes are needed (obvs), one doesn’t work without the other. In nature there is always balance, a Yin and Yang, so within a working environment there should be balance. Women to be encouraged to rest when they need to and still be paid! Their feminine energy and needs listened to and honoured.
Yin and yang is a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.
Men equally should be listened too if they need rest or want longer time to spend time with a newborn child. If the working environment becomes more flexible to honour the males, in fact, if it was celebrated when a guy wants to be present, caring and supportive, would that help to shift the balance of masculine and feminine energy?
In relation to the economy and personal income….women and/or the power of the feminine energy being taken seriously will not change overnight. Therefore in the interim I believe it is vital that women create income streams that are not a time money exchange. One hour of work = one hour of pay. Instead create passive income streams.
Passive income streams = greater flexibility – you do the work once and get paid time and time again.
Passive income stream ideas:
- Sell an eBook or eCourse
- Create a course on udemy etc
- Selling stock photos on depositphotos
- Affiliate marketing – blogging
- Etsy – digital files
- Book sales / music sales
Semi passive:
- Airbnb your home
- Rent out your car
- Storage rentals
- Dropshipping
- Blog – affiliate links, courses, sponsored post, products, book deals etc
- Instagram curator specific to your niche.
- Instagram Curator – using other people’s posts/images on specific topics.
- Print on demand
- Buy property – buy to let
- Shopify affiliate program
- Flip websites
- YouTube – passive income stream (consistent content over a long time)
- Sell photographs – stock image sites, magazines, canvas printing.
- Sell digital products
Books on this topic:
NEXT BLOG POST – The economy shifting for the greater good: Balance of the Masculine and Feminine.
[…] In my last blog post I talked about Moon cycles and Sun cycles, in relation to the suppressed feminine energy and honouring the menstruation cycle. […]