When I first read Christiane Northrup’s book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and learned about women’s innate connection to the phases of the moon and the rhythms of the earth, I was both haunted and awed by the information I was discovering.
She talked about how women’s energy is not linear like men’s but cyclical, ebbing and flowing through the waxing and waning energies of pre-ovulation, ovulation, pre-menstruation, and menstruation.
Everything clicked for me.
In case this information is new for you like it was for me, the 4 phases of your menstrual cycle are:
- Pre-ovulation, before you release an egg — phase of the Maiden archetype, aligned with the crescent moon and the energy of Springtime
- Ovulation, when the egg is released — phase of the Mother archetype, aligned with the full moon and the energy of Summertime
- Premenstruation, when your body prepares to shed the lining of the uterus — phase of the Enchantress archetype, aligned with the waning moon and the energy of Autumn
- Menstruation, when you bleed — phase of the Wise Woman archetype, aligned with the dark of the new moon and the energy of Winter
So today let’s talk about how the “Autumn” or waning moon phase of this cycle affects us as women: the premenstrual energy that so many of us struggle with.
This is the phase of the Enchantress archetype.
If you’re on a Purple Moon cycle, the Enchantress is the archetype that’s dominant in your life right now.
Once we reach the crescendo of the full moon, its appearance and its energy both start to withdraw.
This is the Autumn energy of your cycle: like the earth at summer’s end, you’re drawing inward, preparing for hibernation.
As hormones shift in the body with the completion of ovulation and preparation for menstruation, we become more introspective and reflective. I tend to feel this inward pull strongly. And it becomes really clear when others try to put demands on me — because I feel edgy and snappy if I don’t protect my time and space.
It is said that right before menstruation, the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest, making the ego take a backseat to the soul.
Whether you’re trying to conceive or not, your waning moon time after ovulation is a natural point to turn within and take stock of how you’ve grown during the past cycle — to sift through your experiences, to journal, to discard what no longer serves you.
The premenstrual Enchantress energy can be emotional, wild, unpredictable, and powerful.
Frustration and anger arise because such a powerful energy is overwhelming when you have no idea how to work in harmony with it.
But if you pay attention to your powerful feelings during this premenstrual time, they can give insight into the truths you’re unconscious of in the more outward phases of the cycle.
This is an ideal time for evaluation, journaling, meditation, seeking answers and asking for healing. Channel negativity into your yoga practice. Allow yourself to feel, without judgment, the pain that stays buried the rest of the month.
If you want to learn how to integrate this information into your life so that you’re optimizing your energy through each phase, check out my Moon Charting Mastery program and learn:
- The exact steps to chart your cycle with the moon (tracking tables included)
- How to connect with your 4 goddess energies — the Maiden, the Mother, the Enchantress, and the Wise Woman — and understand the ways they manifest in your monthly cycle
- How to use your cycle to improve your sex life and your work performance, connect better with your partner, and enhance your spirituality, self-care and health — especially your fertility health