Did you know this January we had two full moons? What an amazing way to start the New Year. The cosmic energy is shining upon us. Yes, that sounds like something a crazy astrologer would say. Have I become that crazy myself? I surely hope so.
Women are connected to the moon on a monthly basis. Our patriarchal society disregards our periods as something of which to be ashamed. They have created special medications to counteract the communication (and yes, power, especially power) that our female bodies offer us women on a monthly basis. Sadly, we have bought into the system. Just look at some of the names by which we call our menses and you will agree with me how derogatory we all have made it look.
But what if we turn the stories we tell ourselves around, and start embracing our bodies and its power with every full moon?
I clearly remember the day I got my period.
The year was 1978, the month was March, and the day was Sunday the 26th. It was Easter, and my grandparents were visiting my house as we were having a big feast for the day. That was 40 years ago. Exactly.
At some point I felt something in my pants, and I excused myself and got up to go to the bathroom. I found some blood on my undies, and immediately called my mom. It was not a total surprise as I was 13 and some of my friends already had their periods. But it was a surprise to me. I felt confused, and did not know what to do. I also felt a bit embarrassed, and did not want my mom to tell anybody.
When I came out of the bathroom and back to the table, everyone looked at me different. Not because I had changed, which I had. I just knew they knew. My mom had betrayed my secret. With time I understood that she was proud of her youngest daughter becoming a young adult woman and very eager to share the news. But at the time I was angry with her.
Everyone congratulated me like something awesome had happened. I was not able to grasp the wonderful miracle of the moment. It took some time to understand the awesomeness of having a period, and like an unripe green fruit, I needed some sunshine, warmth, and time to become ripe and ready.
My relationship with my period changed over the years. At the beginning it was a bother. Later, in my teen years, it became an excuse. During my adulthood it converted into a secret power.
My blood always told me things. My body has always communicated with me. We are all born with the ability to listen to its sublime messages. Although I lost the innate ability to listen to it as the years went on, and I became more trained to listen to my head and less to my body, my intuition has always been really strong. So my body kept speaking to me loud and clear when I needed it the most, so I would pay attention again.
Around the time I was trying to get pregnant, I started bleeding a bit between periods. It was more of a spot that the doctors said was normal. I knew my body and knew it was not normal. The problem became not that I was bleeding between periods, but that as the years went by, I could not get pregnant. They tested me for a lot of problems, and all the tests came back negative and normal. Nobody could explain why I was not getting pregnant, let alone my in-between-periods bleeding.
When I found a tumor in my breast, and eventually was diagnosed with breast cancer, the spotting between periods stopped. I never bled between periods again, for the next 10 years. Then, in the fall of 2010 I started bleeding between periods again. I got scared as I knew what my body was communicating with me again. My knee hurt as well. All signs of changes that needed to happen. But I was scared of changes. Eventually, I went to have some tests, and indeed my cancer had returned and spread to my bones, and they found other tumors related to the breast cancer. As soon as I was diagnosed I stopped bleeding between periods. I finally listened to the message, so the bleeding stopped.
The main point of this is not to be scared when your body sends messages. On the contrary, the key element is that, if you pay attention, your body will communicate with you what it needs and indicate what direction to take. Every cell in your body wants to be well, healthy, and for you to thrive. We have many talents we were born with, and our bodies will always point us into the right direction, so we can be the best possible version of ourselves.
In 2011, my ovaries were removed from my body. This removal was a collateral damage to treating the cancer. I mourned my ovaries with great grief. First, I was angry at them. Eventually, I let them go with sadness and thankfulness. This meant the end of my period and the beginning of my menopause. This is the time in a woman’s life when the period ends, and her body goes into a great deal of hormonal changes and soul transformation. It results in great wisdom and power. Unfortunately, most people do not see it that way.
I am so thankful to my body for all the work it has done to carry my soul, my being, and the person I am. I am especially thankful to my period, which through the years helped me connect to the moon, and remind me that I am part of this earth and this universe, and that I have extraordinary powers within me.
Do you remember the first time you got your period? Do you remember when your daughter had her first period? Or do you know the story of when your partner had her first period? I invite you to celebrate these stories under the full moon this week. Feel the power!
Energy Flows 