Internal Seasons

My life changed when I learned about the seasons. 

Not just the yearly seasons that we all know about... I'm talking about internal seasons/phases.

Since I was a child, and especially since being about 12 years old, I knew that in some capacity, the female body operated on a monthly cycle. The problem at that time, unknowingly, was that my education on the topic did not exist beyond "every month you release an egg. If you don't get pregnant, you have a period". That's quite literally the only information I had. 

It wasn't until my first couple of months of marriage (at the age of 24) when I needed to prevent pregnancy but didn't want to take a med, that I learned there is so, so much more involved. Spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and otherwise. In fact, my entire life hinges on these flowing and circling internal changes. More so than I ever realized. 

Another common misconception I had before I was 24, was that one could get pregnant if one had relations at any point throughout their cycle. I literally thought that. I had never heard the words "fertile + window" together in my life, the concept was completely foreign to me. 

What is the saddest part of all, is that periods were looked at as somewhat of a bother, even a terrible thing. "Yeah, periods suck. They cause cramps and it's messy. Here's a pad." But, now I know. Now I understand. Periods are anything but a bother. They are Winter. And Winter is Good.

In the past year, I've learned that every season has its purpose. I was absolutely one of those people that saw winter as a depressing, dark and needless season that I just needed to get through so it could be spring again. I wish I could see the look on 16-year-old me's face if someone told her "Winter is not for just getting to the other side. It's a built-in sanctuary of time in the female body and in the yearly calendar in which GOD set aside for us to nourish, rest, dwell, reflect, and honor ourselves with peace." ...WHAT??

A side note on the "yearly" winter: Holiday commercialism is a huge problem. Not only does it cause enormous amounts of waste that harm our environments and fellow humans, but the constant need to keep up with the times and attend every Christmas party and rush to buy gifts, make cookies, wrap gifts, decorate, and more leave many exhausted, depressed, and sick every winter. Turns out the reason is because we were intrinsically designed for rest during Winter. Everything slows down in the winter. Everything from nature, even down to the atoms in the atmosphere, and we should too. We're designed for it. 

As for the internal seasons, I've had a lot of fun growing in my knowledge of that area since I got married, but especially this year. 

Every season is a ritual. 

Eery season has a purpose. 

Every season is about honoring who we are as a body, a mind, a soul.

~*~

⊹ ₊  ݁. ✩ ~ Menstrual ~ ✩ . ݁₊ ⊹ 

Resembles: Winter 

Activity: Lowest energy

Sexual: Lowest sex drive + bleeding

Practice | Ritual: Dwell & Nourish 

~*~

⊹ ₊  ݁. ✩ ~ Follicular  ~ ✩ . ݁₊ ⊹

Resembles: Spring

Activity: Rising energy

Sexual: Rising sex drive + some sticky vaginal fluid

Practice | Ritual: Anticipate & Awaken

~*~

⊹ ₊  ݁. ✩ ~ Ovulatory  ~ ✩ . ݁₊ ⊹

Resembles: Summer 

Activity: Peak energy

Sexual: Peak sex drive + Lots of runny vaginal fluid

Practice | Ritual: Experience & Relish 

~*~

⊹ ₊  ݁. ✩ ~ Luteal  ~ ✩ . ݁₊ ⊹

Resembles: Autumn

Activity: Decreasing energy

Sexual: Decreasing sex drive + Little or no vaginal fluid

Practice | Ritual: Reflect & Decompress

If you're interested in learning more, I'll leave you to the power of Google. You know how to type. This can at least get you started.

Man, if I had only learned about this earlier! Like, 12 years old even! I may not have been so afraid of my period. It might not have been viewed as the big bad thing that haunted me every month and made me faint with cramps and made me anxious to go out of the house for fear I wouldn't be prepared. Worse, I didn't know how to track properly, so I never knew exactly when my period was coming! What a nightmare. I'm so grateful for this knowledge now.

My goal in life is to keep learning. Sure, there are a lot of things I wish I knew sooner. There are times when I'm angry at the person and people that could have taught me better, but didn't. 

But the last thing I want to do is to waste time an energy regretting the past when I can spend that effort on learning new things, growing, and becoming a better version of myself. 

-Amaris ☆ //