Although it’s something that has been largely forgotten in the modern Western world, the menstrual cycle has been seen as sacred and powerful around the world since time immemorial.
It is also spiritually connected with the phases of the Moon, and in this post, we explore Red Moon cycle spiritual meaning to help you understand how to harness the power of the Moon in relation to your monthly cycle.
What is the Red Moon cycle?
According to traditional or folk beliefs, menstruation is connected to the phases of the Moon, and these beliefs go back millennia.
Indeed, the very word “menstruation” is derived from the Latin word for “month” and ultimately the Greek word for “moon”, showing how all these concepts are culturally and linguistically linked.
This being the case, traditional belief also holds that most women’s bodies naturally follow what’s known as the New Moon or White Moon cycle, which sees women having their periods around the time of the new Moon.
However, some women may find they menstruate at the time of the full Moon, and this is what’s known as the Full Moon or Red Moon cycle.
What is the significance of the White Moon cycle?
It is believed, again according to tradition and folk customs, that the White Moon cycle is the natural cycle for women’s menstrual cycle to follow since with this cycle, ovulation coincides with the full Moon, and this is associated with fertility.
The full Moon is the time when nature is at its most powerful, and it is also considered to be when feminine energy comes to the fore.
Then, as the Moon wanes again, women’s bodies prepare themselves for rest, and when the Moon is at its darkest, this is a time of regeneration for women whose bodies follow this cycle.
What is the significance of the Red Moon Cycle?
The same beliefs and customs hold that women whose bodies follow the opposite cycle are different – that ovulation occurs when the Moon is at its darkest and that they rest during the period marked by the Moon as traditionally the moment of the greatest fertility.
As a result, these women were thought of as having a special role to play and were often medicine women, midwives or healers.
They were women who looked after other women and who used their spiritual qualities to empower them.
What does the science tell us?
It must be stressed again that everything we’ve said so far relates to traditional and folk beliefs that go back thousands of years, but what does the science tell us?
Most girls begin to menstruate between the ages of 12 and 15, but it is not uncommon for the first cycle to begin as early as age eight.
For young women, their cycles can last between 21 and 45 days. However, as they grow older, the cycle tends to settle down into a more regular rhythm of around 28 days or so.
According to modern science, there is no connection between the phases of the Moon and the menstrual cycle, and the fact that the two cycles are about the same length is just a coincidence.
Furthermore, modern science tells us that the menstrual cycle is unaffected by light, so the fact that we now have electric lights has not affected the length of women’s menstrual cycles or when they start and end.
That said, one study estimated that the average menstrual cycle lasts 29.3 days – and since the Moon cycle lasts 29.5 days, many people consider that a pretty big coincidence.
As every scientist will freely admit, science doesn’t have answers to everything, so it is still possible that the menstrual cycle is connected in some unknown way to the phases of the Moon.
And this also leaves open the possibility of a more spiritual interpretation of the menstrual cycle and the meaning of having a cycle that corresponds either to the new Moon or the full Moon.
How to harness the power of your cycle
Not every woman has a cycle that is synchronized with the phases of the Moon, but if you find you menstruate at the time of the full Moon, there could be a spiritual reason behind it.
This kind of synchronization can tell you about what kind of person you are and what spiritual powers you have, and you can also maximize these powers by adapting your behaviors to follow the phases of the Moon.
For example, women who have a Red Moon cycle are considered to be passionate and creative, they have healing powers and they also have the ability to empower others.
However, to make the most of these powers, you need to know when best to deploy them, so let’s look at how to do this next.
1. Full Moon period – menstruation
At the moment when the Moon is at its most powerful, this is just the moment when your body wants to rest, and you should let it do so.
However, you can also benefit from the spiritual power of the Moon to reflect and set out clear intentions and goals for the coming lunar cycle.
Take the time to meditate and calm your mind, and if you can do this outside in the light of the full Moon, so much the better.
Although the full Moon may give energy and impetus to those on the White Moon cycle, you should try to soak in its light and use it as a calming force to bring your thoughts and emotions under control to help you set down your intentions for the coming weeks.
2. Waning Moon period – follicular or pre-ovulation phase
As the Moon wanes, women on the White Moon cycle will begin to wind down spiritually and physically in preparation for their moment of rest, but on the contrary, for those on the Red Moon cycle, this is a moment of powering up.
This is the time to start putting your plans into action and concentrating on doing things that will help you achieve your goals.
Since you are working on the opposite schedule to those on the White Moon cycle, it’s a little bit like being awake at night when everyone else is asleep, leaving you to focus your mind on what needs to be done without any distractions.
This is also the time of the Moon cycle when your creative powers begin to grow, so if you have any creative projects to work on, this is the time to start.
3. New Moon period – ovulation
While the new Moon is the moment for those on the White Moon cycle to rest and reflect, for you, this is the time of the cycle when everything comes together for you and reaches its peak.
If you are working on creative projects, aim to finish them at around this time since this is when your creative powers will be at their greatest.
This is also the time when you will be filled with positive energy, so if you need to get things done, plan for this to be your most productive time of the Moon cycle.
As you reach the end of this phase, take a moment to meditate and reflect on all you’ve achieved since the beginning and also to start thinking about what you plan to achieve in the next cycle.
4. Waxing Moon period – luteal or premenstrual phase
As you head into the final Moon phase, while others feel their energy growing, your body, mind and spirit are now winding down.
This is a time for tying up loose ends and adding the finishing touches as you bring yourself to a state of spiritual calmness in preparation for your moment of rest and recuperation at the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next.
How to bring your cycles back into synch with nature
Although science tells us that the similarity between the length of the Moon cycle and the length of the menstrual cycle is just a coincidence, many people believe that this is just too big a coincidence to accept.
Furthermore, you may feel instinctively that the phases of the Moon and your body are linked but have been knocked out of synch by the stresses and strains of modern life.
As a result, if you want to resynchronize yourself to the phases of the Moon, there are several things you can try.
For example, simply being more aware of the phases of the Moon can help, and performing Moon rituals, meditating at specific moments of the cycles and taking the time to be outside at the time of the new Moon and full Moon can help.
Organizing your activities according to the Moon can help, and feeling the rising and falling energy levels within you that the Moon brings will also have an effect.
You should also avoid excessive screen time, especially during the hours of darkness – and lighting candles at night while avoiding electric light, especially during the new Moon, can also bring you closer to the Moon and its power.
A powerful way of connecting to nature and its cycles
As we’ve seen, although science might tell us differently, many people feel an instinctive connection to the Moon and a link between its phases and the cycles of our own bodies.
If your body naturally follows the Red Moon cycle, it can tell you about your personality and your spiritual power – and by becoming more attuned to this cycle, you will be able to unleash its full power and potential.
