Women are the only species who bleed in a cycle that matches exactly with the lunar cycle. Many of you know that if women were all taken out of artificial light, and returned to our wooded, wild, homes, we would all bleed at the new moon. In fact, on the KPFA show, Explorations, last week one scientist said that without the moon DNA itself would not exist.
We are tidal people, being pulled with the moon.
So what is the phenomenon known to the public at large as PMS? Is it hormonal? Lunar? Tidal? The result of unnatural living? Maybe it's completely made up?
The truth lies somewhere weaved up in all those things. As the moon or our personal moon, wanes down to dark, women are naturally drawn inward. We think about ourselves a little more, we become less accommodating and are more vocal about our needs and wants.
This is not a bad thing.
Nature is set up so that women who are bleeding are also, naturally, mothers. Many demands are put on mothers and we are usually happy to step in and nurture where we can. Once a month however, the moon reminds us to slow down, stop over stimulating ourselves - and quite frankly it reminds us to stop automatically taking everyone's shit.
It gives us a few days with a different perspective - the perspective of ME. What do I need? What's bugging me? Who loves me and who's taking advantage of me? What needs to stop and what do I need more of?
Of course this isn't how we are usually able to deal with this time in our lives. There's little quiet reflection and inward speculation for the average, modern woman. This is where PMS gets its bad reputation.
Our bodies, our minds and our souls are spinning wildly trying to get a message to our consciousness. Dashing and surging around our bodies the force of the moon is saying, "You-who! Over here! Look at me! Look at me!" But most of us don't, or can't or don't know to look.
After a very short while of that cosmic voice saying, "Make him pick up his dirty socks." the Kali-ma voice will step in and say "That lazy SOB can pick up his own damn dirty socks and he can DO IT RIGHT NOW!" PMS roars through us wiping everything clear that is unneeded and treating it with no mercy. Like a fire burning out all the dead brush it does so not to harm but to create a more fertile ground so that we can grow.
Our challenge as women of the modern era is to let that fire burn in a healthy manner, stoking our flames slowly yet keeping them hot. We must burn constructively and with purpose or the fire will randomly consume everything in its wake.
Run wild sisters!
Scream and yell in the middle of the woods, punch a pillow, journal, take a day off, take a bath, sit your man down and have a talk (if you can do it nicely, otherwise wait) and make the kids play in the yard for a bit. Let the fire burn and when it's out make good use of your rich, fertile soil. And in the meantime, know that its OK to not take some shit a few days per month.
