For most people who menstruate, the uterus sheds its lining every 28 days. In our solar system the moon makes one revolution around the Earth every 27. 3 days. Coincidence? Maybe not. Ways the moon, and the lunar eclipse, can affect your period include everything from ovulation, fertility, and emotions, according to Nadia MacLeod's "Moon Cycles and Women" on the website Menstruation. "Women are connected to the moon by our blood, our hormones, and our souls," MacLeod noted.
The moon has an influence on everything on the planet from ocean tides to animal and human behavior. "In myth the moon is a primary female archetype traveling the great round of birth, maturation, death and rebirth each month," MacLeod explained. "This is a primal fundamental cycle of the universe of which every single living thing participates."
Additionally, the Spiritual Research Center reported that there are some key differences in how the full moon and new moon affects humans. The new moon has more of an effect on the mind whereas the full moon, which is always present during a lunar eclipse, has a greater effect on the body.
While the blog Agur Mantra noted that science has not found a direct correlation between moon cycles and the human body, Dr. Ram Mani Bhandari wrote that there are some lunar eclipse myths that are still prevalent in some parts of the world.
So, you might be curious how the lunar eclipse can affect your menstrual cycle? Here are seven things to note (keep in mind that not all of these things have been proven by science).
1You Might Be More Fertile
According to MacLeod, women who are ovulating during a full moon, which is always present during a lunar eclipse, might be more fertile. "This mode of cycling gives a woman the best chance of physical fertility, great for trying to conceive children, as the full moon accentuates the time of ovulation." Great news if you're trying to get pregnant, and if you aren't you may want to double up on protection during sex.
Additionally, Dr. Eugene Jonas is credited with coming up with the theory that women may have more than one fertile time each month. This means that when the moon is in the same phase it was when you were born, you could have another period of fertility in the same month. This is known as spontaneous ovulation, according to Epigee Women's Health. So, if you were born during the lunar phase that coincides with the partial lunar eclipse you might be more likely to get pregnant, even if you're menstruating.
2You Could Be More Creative
If you have your period during the full moon and lunar eclipse, you could get a burst of creativity, according to MacLeod, who noted that "when a woman bleeds with the full moon, this mode of cycling enhances inner expression, intuition, and the development of the inner spiritual life."
3You Might Feel More Spiritual
The word menses is Greek for moon, and ancient spiritual practices related menstruating during the full moon (also known as the red moon cycle), which coincides with the partial lunar eclipse, to an increase in a woman's intuition and body empowerment, according to Razi Berry on the Natural Path.
"Lunar information is reflective and intuitive. It comes to us in our dreams, our emotions, and our hungers," Berry wrote. "It comes under cover of darkness. By syncing their menstrual cycles to the moon cycle, women can benefit greatly by tuning into their menstrual intuition and empowering their bodies."
4You Could Be Super Social
If you are someone who menstruates on the new moon (also known as the white moon cycle) versus the full moon, the lunar eclipse could have you feeling uber social. "It’s the best time in our cycle to throw or attend a party, to go on dates and schedule meetings," Divine Feminine wrote on the Moon School. "This is because our communication skills are at their sharpest, we’re thinking quickly, calmly and logically, and we have the stamina to keep going!"
However, if you're on the white moon cycle, this may also be when you're most fertile. You might feel a boost in sexual energy, confidence, and desire to flirt.
5You Might Feel Wide Awake
An increase in estrogen during the full moon and lunar eclipse could having you feeling more awake than usual. While many people report sleep problems during the full moon, scientists are at odds over whether this is actually true or not. Molly Hall reported on Thought Co. that "for women, the full moon is energizing and there’s less need for sleep; the radiant moonlight makes women feel alluring and receptive to sex."
6Your Period Might Be More Intense
If you're on the red moon cycle, which means you have your period during the full moon and lunar eclipse, your period could be more intense than those who are on the white moon cycle and bleed during the new moon.
Jane Hardwicke Collings noted on Moon Song that Dr. Christiane Northrup writes in her book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom that "getting my period at the time of the full moon results in a more intense period, I am more emotionally charged than usual, and my bleeding is often heavier than normal."
7You Could Feel More Independent
Those on the red moon cycle may also feel more independent during the full moon and lunar eclipse. Collings noted that Miranda Gray, author of the books Red Moon and The Optimised Woman, said that red moon cycle people show "an orientation away from the energies of procreation and the material world and towards inner development and its expression."
She noted that in ancient patriarchal societies, red moon women were supposedly harder to control, and were more likely to chafe under the restrictions imposed upon them. Red moon women tended to be more sexual, and embraced their bodies for purposes other than bearing children, which was not a feminine trait that was celebrated during that time period.
While your cycle in today's modern world can be determined by many factors, including artificial light, hormonal birth control, and stress, if you want to synch your period with the moon cycles Yoga Goddess posted a how-to guide. If you believe in astrology, seeing how your period is affected by the moon cycles is definitely worth looking into.
