A lot of women wonder what it means to bleed with the full moon vs. the new moon, quarter moon, or not really being synced up with any particular phase of the moon at all.
Many resources will tell you that each one holds a different meaning, which is true. And, as with everything I teach, I always turn the attention around to you and what you are experiencing.
I’m going to share some general themes of bleeding with each moon phase and my particular experience around them. I invite you to take this information and start paying attention to your personal experience. Is it the same? Are you experiencing different influences?
If you experience something different, it is not wrong. It is your experience so go with it.
First, some basic info…
The average length of a moon phase is 29.5 days. The average length of a woman’s menstrual cycle is also 29.5 days. However, a healthy cycle varies from 24-36 days in length. Depending on the length of your cycle, you may sometimes be synced up with a particular moon phase and sometimes not.
A common bleeding pattern is to bleed with the new moon and ovulate with the full moon. This is known as the White Moon Cycle. When one bleeds with the full moon and ovulates with the new moon, this is known as the Red Moon Cycle. (Ref. Moon Time, Lucy H. Pearce)
It is speculated that before the advent of modern electricity and light at the flip of a switch, women’s hormones were stimulated by the increasing light of the moon, causing them to ovulate around the full moon.
You are not ‘supposed’ to bleed with any particular phase of the moon and if you’re not bleeding with the new moon and ovulating with the full, it doesn’t mean something is wrong or that you are out of sync with natures rhythms.
In the book Moon Time: Harness the Ever-Changing Energy of Your Menstrual Cycle, author Lucy H. Pearce makes reference to what is called the Wise Woman Cycle (referenced from the book Alchemy for Women, by Penelope Shuttle.)
The Wise Woman Cycle is a menstrual cycle pattern which alternates every 3 months or so from White Moon to Red Moon.
In it she says, “This has been my pattern since getting my moon time back after my third child. It is slightly disorienting— one month being in sync with the energetic pull of the moon— bleeding on the dark moon, feeling naturally introspective and in need of retreat, and then ovulating and having high energy at the same time as the moon at its fullest (and children at their most hyper!) Menstruation at full moon three or four months later is quite a different dynamic, and the full moon energy makes resting harder, but acts to strengthen the visioning and creative powers which come to the fore during this part of our cycle. This constantly shifting cycle within the cycle, means that you are constantly kept on your toes, having to adapt. It gives new insights into your own cycle and the moon’s cycle, and the subtleties of their various combinations.”
New Moon Energy
New moon energy is yin, and feminine in nature. Also called the dark moon, the moon is not visible in the sky during this time. This lends its hand to a naturally more internal and reflective time.
New moon energy is most resonant and similar to the menstrual phase of the menstrual cycle. The darkness of the moon invites us into the darkness of our wombs.
Some things you may notice when you are bleeding with the new moon…
✧ The internal, slow moving nature of moon time is enhanced
✧ You crave to be in darkness, stillness and to be alone
✧ Your awareness feels deeply internal
✧ Big healing work comes up, particularly tied into childhood wounding, deep seated beliefs, ancestral work, big releases, etc…
✧ Visions and clarity coming through may be more closely associated to personal matters, rather than bigger life or business matters
When my bleed is closer to the new moon, I am naturally more internal. This is where I go on airplane mode for days and go deep into healing, ancestral work and super deep naps!
Personally, new moon bleeding is my favorite! However, I hold monthly new moon gatherings. My moon time is a ceremony and not a time to be holding space for other people, so I’ve willed my body away from bleeding with the new moon and it works.
Full Moon Energy
Full moon energy is yang, and masculine in nature. Thus it can evoke that within us. Often times, women associate full moon bleeding with being more externally focused during their period.
Typically, this is a more active moon time energy. AND… this is not always the case.
Full moon bleeding can be just as deeply internal, where the light and fullness of the moon is magnifying what is going on in your life, which can make it feel even more intense at times.
Some things you may notice when you are bleeding with the full moon…
✧ More externally focused energy and awareness, i.e. feeling inspired to work on your business, receiving insights and downloads about family and your greater community
✧ You have more energy to work on creative projects in your life and the ideas and inspirations are flowing through fluidly
✧ Your internal landscape seems to be more intensely magnified and nothing can seem to escape the light of the full moon
✧ You are in a more yang (masculine, outward) focused phase of life and bleeding with the full moon supports that
✧ May feel more energized, in a good way
✧ May experience heightened agitation
✧ Could find it hard to sleep and relax because the full moon vibrancy is keeping you awake
I find that when my bleed is closer to the full moon, my moon time is much more active. Not out in the world active, but active in the sense that I’m getting downloads about my business, working on my website & offerings, orienting how I’m showing up in the world, etc…
These are characteristics of yang energy.
Bleeding With the Full Moon Teaches About Polarity
Since the new moon is associated with the menstrual energy, the full moon is associated with the ovulatory energy. These are polar opposites.
When you bleed with the full moon, you are having a direct experience of polar opposite energies. Moon time energy wants to pull you down and in, full moon energy wants to pull you up and out.
I find that when I bleed with the full moon (which I am now), I oscillate a lot! I bounce back and forth between feeling super inspired and like I want to create, build and do, to wanting to curl up in a ball, do nothing and completely retract from the external world.
It can feel overwhelming and confusing at times, but what it is teaching you is to hold tension in polarity and to find your internal center and balance, no matter what is pulling on you. A valuable life skill to have when you step into creatorship of your life and destiny.
1st & 3rd Quarter Moon or Bleeding With No Phase At All
The energy seems to be magnified or intensified when the moon is either full or new and your bleed aligns with one or the other.
I have found that when one is bleeding with one of the quarter moons, the energy feels more balanced.
When bleeding with no particular moon phase, the energy seems to be neutralized, as there aren’t any strong influences affecting it as much.
I’ve noticed that often times when my body syncs back up with the full moon and I have more active, externally focused moon times, it typically comes after at least a few really deep moon times where I’m doing a lot work in my internal landscape, to make space for the new energy to come in.
It is a period of cleansing and release that is essential to pave the way for the next evolution of self.
What about you? What do you notice? Are you paying attention to what phase the moon is in and what phase of your menstrual cycle you are in? Do you notice how that affects you?
As you journey on the path of Menstrual Cycle Awareness, dancing through the phases of menstruation and the phases of the moon, you will begin to see patterns and how these changes directly effect you.
Have something you want to share? Feel free to message me or leave a comment. ♥️
