Grandmother Moon and You

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Have you heard the story of Grandmother Moon? How her sister, Grandmother Ocean, offered to cleanse the excessive energy we take in through out the month and in doing so, Grandmother Moon brings her sister's waters to use once a month. (If not, you can read the story here.)

The moon controls the flow of the tides and electromagnetic fields. We hold inside our wombs, in our souls a small replica of her power. From our journey through the maiden to the mother to the wise old crone, or the process of releasing an egg to provide a fertile place where the seed of life can continue to grow, the power of the moon is inside of us. A woman on her menses used to be referred to being "on her moon" and was revered as sacred and honored by everyone in her tribe or community. 

We need to remember the times when being on "on the moon" meant we were more like the moon. She is our life cycle and our life source. She is like a young fair maiden at the beginning of her cycle. Growing with experience and gaining confidence until she shines at her fullest. Full like a mother pregnant with her own maiden, an embodiment of the fullest part of our cycles, when we can carry the life force in us at the highest. She shimmers like the old crone with her sage wisdom at the end of her cycle, preparing to pass her secret on to the next maiden before her light releases into the next plane. 

We have long forgotten the power that the moon lends us. Instead we rush her, push her and ignore her natural call. Like a great mother keeping watch over us as we sleep, we've given our trust to her, but no longer in return to we acknowledge her strength and wisdom in our hearts, souls and wombs. She is not only a reminder of being watched, she is a reminder of how our cycle should be. Empty, yearning for fulfillment, plump with expectancy and then passing every so beautiful with a rush of glory.  

This forgetfulness has come at a risk. We no longer know how to handle the energy lent to use during our moon period. The consequences of this are great. We suffer from mood disorders, PMS, PMDD, lack of energy extreme bleeding and cramps. We do not use her light and a beacon to remember our cycles. We are not in sync as women anymore. (And I'd wager this has A LOT to do with the "mommy wars".) We have been deprogrammed to know the strength in our menses and programmed to think of them as an inconvenience.

But the beauty is we can regain this. We can tune back into Grandmother Moon. We can meditate, sit in the moonlight and removed stress and toxins from our diet to get us back to Mother Earth and Grandmother Moon. The most beneficial and productive way to get our cycles back on, well, cycle is to enjoy our menses. Rest, meditate, avoid things that pull your energy, feed yourself quality food during your menses and honor the inner goddess in you. Yoga is great during your menses because it forces you to focus and breathe while allowing tension to be released.

So the next time you're tempted to moan about your menses to your fellow sage sister, take a moment, breathe and enjoy a cup of tea (I recommend some Red Raspberry Leaf Tea for it's amazing properties.) and share with you sage sister the beauty of the power you hold inside your womb. 

Namaste

(To join a group of women who are dedicated to tracking their cycles and taking charge of their fertility and harnessing the moon, please look up "Moon Daughters" on Facebook.)