Is there a link between menstrual cycle and lunar cycle?

The lunar cycle has a duration of about 29.5 days while the menstrual cycle has an average duration of 28 days. Coincidence? Not for everyone.

Indeed, according to hypotheses the menstrual cycle and the lunar cycle were previously synchronized.

The word menstruation comes from the ancient Greek word "mensis" which means month, itself taken from the cycles of the moon (the moon is called "mene" in ancient Greek). The Amerindians designated menstruation by the expression "to have one's moons" because according to them, at that time, women had their periods together at the Full Moon or at the New Moon. During this period, they withdrew to reconnect with nature. Moreover, whether in Greek mythology, for the Incas or in Chinese thought, a figure is often representative of both the moon and the female cycle or female fertility. Indeed, according to some researchers, if the menstrual cycle is synchronized with the lunar cycle, the chances of reproduction are multiplied, as it happens in some animals.

It would be our current lifestyles, disconnected from the rhythm of nature with shifted schedules of the day/night cycle, but also the preponderance of artificial light and the arrival of the pill which made that the two cycles are today not necessarily aligned. We are therefore no longer in cohesion with the natural rhythm and our periods, once considered sacred, appear to us all the more as a constraint.

Menstrual cycle and lunar cycle

The lunar cycle, just like the menstrual cycle, is composed of 4 phases that can be linked and that also correspond to the 4 energies of life (birth, growth, blossoming, decline).

• First quarter (phase of the Young Girl (or of the Virgin) or of Spring): pre-ovulatory phase (D1 to D14, D1 being the first day of menstruation) where the estrogen level goes up. The energy is rising because the body regains strength. It is the phase of renewal, favourable to new projects.

• Full Moon (Mother or Summer phase): ovulatory phase (D14). Energy and libido are at their peak. It is a phase where one takes care of others after having focused on oneself, empathy is very developed.

• Last quarter (phase of The Enchantress or Autumn): premenstrual phase (D15 to D28). Ideal phase to take time for oneself and to rest because the gloom settles and the emotions explode in a need of externalization (corresponding to the premenstrual syndrome).

• New Moon (Witch or Winter phase): menstruation phase. The body gets rid of what it does not need to start a new cycle. Time of introspection, favourable to new resolutions. Need for sleep, time to slow down to renew energy.

What do researchers say?

• Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution, already believed in the influence of the Moon on menstruation, in parallel with the tidal cycle. But his successors do not necessarily share this opinion. Indeed, some scientific studies have tried to establish a link between the lunar and menstrual cycles, without much success. Similarly, no tangible link between premenstrual syndrome and the moon has been established. Studies have also been conducted on a possible increase in births on the day of the full moon. Again, no expansion of the frequency has been found.
• For scientists, there is a psychological, cultural and societal explanation that is much more complex and interesting. We are human beings, so we are not endowed with a mechanical rationality but with a selective memory according to our interests. We therefore notice more easily the events that are in agreement with our beliefs, which only reinforces them since we retain these events more easily and forget the others. Moreover, we tend to get closer to people who have the same beliefs as us, which makes us adhere to them even more.
• However, a study has just been published (January 27, 2021 in the journal Science Advances) by researchers at the University of Würzburg in Germany and it shows that there is a link between menstrual cycle and lunar cycle. To show this, the researchers used 22 women who had to record the rhythm of their menstruation in a notebook. Then these data were compared to the lunar cycle at that time. This allowed to show that there would indeed be a link. However, this study reveals that the Moon does not have an effect on all women and that this effect decreases with the years. It also shows that the more or less important exposure to one or more sources of artificial light at night, i.e. once the sun has gone down. The later women go to bed and are exposed to artificial lights, the less synchronization between their cycle and the Moon takes place. However, the scientists are aware that this study was not carried out on a large enough number of menstruating people and hope to develop a future study using a smartphone application to conduct a larger and global study.

Nevertheless, whether you believe in lunar energies or not, taking an interest in them is a good way to reconnect with nature and yourself. You can use a lunar dial (wheel divided in 4 for the 4 lunar phases) to mark your feelings (physical and emotional, but also your desires and needs) from the first day of your period until the end of your cycle. After a few months, you will discover your own energies in order to better adapt to them.

To live your cycles at best, our menstrual panties in organic cotton are there to accompany you!