It’s been memified countless times before, but the truth is that the moon won’t let us capture her majesty with our simple, stupid human cameras ( well, most of them at least). We have to see her, in all of her glory, with our own eyes. She’s demanding that one. And she has every right to be. Our bodies, our water, and our earth respond and are activated by her- however she shows up in the world on a given day. She’s in control of life as we know it and if she doesn’t want to be photographed, it is probably best we honor her wishes.
I have always experienced a hypnotic pull towards the moon. In a way, I’ve felt in service to her glow, the way she unabashedly takes up space in the sky, and her ability to avoid stuckness through change. She is full and wild one day but does not insist that she stays this way. She moves from no light to some light at a gradual, unprescribed pace. The outside world does not bend to her shapes and sizes- we bend to her.
She is both constant and moving. Only now do I realize that these are the things I aspire to be; reliable, flexible, consistent, and in an embrace of all of my expressions. She’s the ultimate representation of feminine power ( this exists beyond the gender binary- feminine energy supersedes our socially constructed ideas of gender). We can not tame her. We can only pay homage to her existence through the observation of her phases.
Knowing and understanding each phase of the moon has profoundly shifted my life. Many of you know my love for the moon through our time in circle together, or through conversation. But, I wanted to make clear, in writing, what the moon phases are and how they correspond to us on both a macro and micro level.
The four major phases of the moon correspond to the four major seasons, which in turn, corresponds to the four phases of the menstrual cycle. If you are a menstruating human- the moon’s phases are literally inside of you. The full lunar cycle is about 29.5 days, while the typical menstrual cycle lasts 28-29 days. I meannnnn, I can’t make this stuff up. We are nature. Nature is outside of AND inside of us. It is the stuff we are made of and interacting with every day. If that isn’t magic, what is?
Below is a cheat sheet:
WANING: When the moon is waning, it corresponds to the season of spring. This is equivalent to the follicular phase. This is the phase that the moon moves from darkness to light; it is a building time. In the same way, we move from winter to summer. Spring is a transition, a bridge from darkness and gray to the fullness of summer sun. Similarly, this is the phase directly after the uterine lining has shed and now the body gets back to work making space for a potential baby. Aka what the world does after the barrenness of winter. This is the time that the body wants to take action- it is an initiation phase. Start a project! Create something! You may notice you have the energy to begin things during this time. When you are in the follicular phase, you are in the spring of your month. Think of the brightness of spring energy and do things that match that momentum!
FULL: When the moon is full, it corresponds to the season of summer and to a menstruating human’s ovulation phase. One word- PARTY. Get flirty. Dance those sparkly dances. Get it, girl. In the summer, we socialize. We go to barbecues, spend more time outside, and stay out later. Gosh darn it there is even more light during the day to support things! The air feels lighter and work feels less all-consuming. There is a freedom to summer- even if you are not a teacher. Similarly, during the ovulation phase, the body is pumping with hormones that want you to get out there. This phase is about 13-15 days in the cycle and it is the time that an egg is released from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes. Progesterone levels are going through fluctuations as estrogen levels are rising. Technically, the body’s goal at this time is to get pregnant- so we get cute. Like the moon in all of its brightness- this is our time to shine. During ovulation, one may notice the need to collaborate or be in front of people. It is a great time to be present and take charge. When ovulating, you are in the summer of your month; internalize that freedom and embrace the side of you that wants to be seen.
WAXING: When the moon is waxing it corresponds to the season of fall. Fall is the second act; it is the transition from summer to winter. She is all about turning, cooling, changing, and preparation. She is our luteal phase. The luteal phase occurs directly after ovulation and it is the time the body uses to prepare to shed the uterine lining. The ruptured follicle releases the egg and forms a corpus luteum. This process raises progesterone levels like whoa. Essentially, the body is preparing for menstruation in whatever way that it can. Similarly, fall is a preparation for winter. It is the harvest season, where we gather substantial gords and tubers to store for winter. Leaves, like lining, fall in order to make way for the purgation of the winter months. When the moon waxes, it moves from full brightness to the dark of the new moon; she too is falling in terms of light. When we are in the luteal/waxing phase of the month, it is a great time to get things done, check off the lists, and get your ducks in a row before the next phase.
NEW: When the moon is new it corresponds to the season of winter. The darkness is equivalent to menstruation. New moons are beginning energy; they are the time to sow your seeds and plant intentions. Menstruation is the beginning of a new cycle; fertilization has not occurred, and therefore we start up again with new waves of hormonal familiarity. Energetically, new moons may feel like a time for introspection. When we bleed, there is an inward leaning; a solo journey that we take. New moons are a time to tune out the rest of the world and check-in with yourself. In the season of winter, we do the same. The world shuts down on the outside and we are physically forced indoors, inside ourselves- for better or for worse. During the winter, no new growth emerges from the ground; it is the world’s nap before the work and energy of spring. During the winter we don’t plant or reap, but we wait. There is medicine in the stillness. New moon/ bleeding time is when you get to check in with yourself and set goals for the upcoming weeks. It’s a time to simultaneously reflect and look forward. It is also a time for rest. Deep rest. Not bath bombs and manicures rest. But, soul-quenching rest.
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