Women are the reason there is Life. Women can carry another life in their womb for 10 months. Every single being that is, is because of Woman.
This simple fact, taken for granted to the point of dishonour, denigrating us since monotheism. The Goddes in Her infinite and often mysterious forms has been trampled into the dust of derision.
Our current culture has thrown independent women, healing herbs, fascia, emotions and healers, to the wayside for thousands of years. WE, who bear children, whole families, basically all diversity, are still struggling after thousands of years to live fully.
We’re free to work for our money, drive cars, live alone, take any professional path and even become leaders. But the path for a woman is always a battle field. Whether overt sexual insinuation, assualt or abuse, or subtle remarks, looks, beliefs and laws that encroach upon our self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of self-worth. In religious texts, media and medical instituitions we’re bombarded with messages of being inferior, or objectified as some thing to be had by another.
Womens Wisdom in Our Cycles
Our cycles, when honoured and listened to can deliver not just babies, and families, but beauty that radiates from within. A deep satisfaction and strength that connects us not just to each other, but to the stars and planets. It’s our universality that is a womans power. Our menstrual cycle flows round like the seasons of the year, it ebbs, peaks and flows back out.
With each moon turn, we go within, we see what needs to be changed, we blossom, flower, bear fruit and whither once more.
Starting from our menstruation we follow the moon tides as follows;
Menstruation. New Moon. Night. Winter, fallow. Higher progesteron is good for researching, restoring, returning to within to replenish. It’s also a time to clear, cleanse and eliminate.
Follicular phase. Waxing Moon. Morning. Spring, blossoming. Outgoing, enthusiasm and expression. Starting new projects and getting creative.
Ovulation. Full Moon. Mid Cycle. Midday. Summer, high estrogen, blooming. Verbal fluency. Left brain activation great for creativity and physical, mental and emotional fertility. Fulfilling projects
Luteal phase. Waning Moon. Evening. Autumn, whithering. Reflective, letting go of the outgrown and making changes. Finishing projects.2
Yet we’re asked to adapt to the phases of day and night, daily, which is the natural hormonal cycle of men. And that’s why we eventually burn out, feel nervous, anxious, depressed, lonely and become so ’emotional’. This Womben’s Cyclical Wisdom PDF helps us to easily see where we’re at in each phase and what lving, yoga and work practices work best.
Facts & Faces of Feminine Disrespect
- Most anatomy textbooks use male bodies as the default, yet inutero the first 3 months of life, we’re all female.
- Adverts in men’s magazines objectify women 76% of the time in 52% in womens magazines.
- Only 11% of girls worldwide would dare to call themselves beautiful.
- Every ten minutes a teen girl dies due to violence in this world.
- 33,000 girls become child brides each day.
- 1/5 girls is sexually abused before her twenties.
- Safety features in cars are designed for men causing 47% more injuries to women.
- Only Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, France, Luxemburg and Latvia give women equal legal work rights.
- 22% of STEM professionals are women.
- Only 20% of national legislators worldwide are women, and when ridiculed or remarked upon, it’s often for their hair, dress or other outer appearance.
- Globally 45% of women use hormonal contraceptives.
- Globally 64% of Gyneacologists are male, before 1990’s 95% were male!
Contraceptives as a Form of Control
Though hormonal contraceptives are touted to prevent and relieve us of the many inconvieniences related to menstruation, and off course prevent unwanted pregancy, they often cause many more symptoms. Leading to chronic conditions in the long run. Our body naturally produces the hormones we need to create life.
Interferring with intelligence of our endocrine system, off course affects our entire menu of hormones and neurotransmitters. This causes changes for our entire body and mind. Some good, some bad. And all unnatural. Telling our organism it’s continually pregnant is what the dairy industry does to cows. It’s cruel, toxic and controlling. Packaged as a freedom Pill we swallow it willingly.
Eventually it causes our moods, energy, and mind states to swing as our body’s naturally seek balance. We risk depression, weight gain, ance, nausea, vomitting, changes in libido and vaginal fluids, changes in menstrual flow, headaches, migraines, breast tenderness, increases risk of breast cancer, hypertension, hypotension, endometriosis, gallstones, facial discolouration.1
Internal Freedom From Patriarchy
And so we suffer to keep up on the treadmill of patriarchy’s productivity. As long as we feel free to be just ‘as great as men’ assume to be, nurtured through society who still thinks men as the default. But the cost is higher for us because not only do we earn less globably as women, no matter how highly educated we are, we also work harder, cycle differently and so will always feel behind because we can’t rest those five-seven days when we menstruate.
When our night/menstruation arrives we’re still going, knowing, learning, nurturing, connecting and caring. We need to shift our mindsets and honour our menses. And men honour our cycles, as we do theirs- day and night.
And why do we have male gyneacologists?! Being told that chlamydia is a good contraceptive by one, another shouting me out of his office at age 19 when asking about an abortion, I’m strongly against male gyneacologists. Why would a man want to put his hands in a woman’s warm insides all day, and yet have absolutely no understanding, nor experience, of what their cold tools being pushed and prodden inside us feels like, is beyond comprehension.
Reclaiming Women’s Wisdom
We need women to help women’s health, it’s complex, intricate and complete. We have all we need within us when we work with our internal wisdom. In that way we free ourselves of many constraints and consumerism aimed at women under the guise of beauty, wellness and health. When Women honour womens ways we are well beauty-full and whole.
Let’s honour our Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Aunties and All Women and the Wisdom by listening to our bodies needs as we move through each phase.
Much Love,
Shira.
1, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill
2. Chrstianne & Kate Northrup have expounded this reality in thier books, Womens Bodies Womens Wisdom & Do Less, respectively.
