I feel it is time. As the ancestors urge me on to heal my body, mind and spirit. Every time my moon time rolls around I mutter these words, "I hate my period." I did this today and stopped dead in my tracks. Why am I saying this about my own body and its processes? If I hate my period this means that I hate my body, mind and spirit. This means that I hate my connection to Mother Earth and to Gitchi Manitou (Great Spirit). This means that my divine connection to Nokomis Neebageesis, (Grandmother Moon) her rhythms and sacred wisdom will not be honored. This will mean that I am not honoring my connections to life and all that is.
So it is time to honor my moon time more. I take cramp bark, drink chamomile tea and red raspberry leaf tea to ease the discomforts of my moon time. I just posted about Torture No More: The End of my Eating Disorder. In this story I was not able to write about how horrific my period was for me during the years that I battled with my eating disorder. I would have a week of PMS with terrible depression, crying and intense anger. Then I would have seven whole days of my period. After all of that I would be recovering for about a week from my depression, anger and lethargy. Then my period would come around again. The process was the most intense at the beginning of my eating disorder in 2002-2003. I had some pretty horrific moments with my period up until 2007 when things really started to shift. In terms of healing my body and recovering from my eating disorder I was able to heal the hate I had for my moon time. Now it is approaching 2009 and I feel I am on a different path in regards to how I honor this process.
Much of the process I have been in since I have been about 15 years old is a relearning process of my Ojibway heritage. As I have mentioned in previous stories that spoke about my Grandfather and Father having a lot of shame and guilt for being Native. A part of my journey has been to undo this guilt and shame. Therefore, as an Ojibway woman I have had to relearn a lot. Since I don't reside in my Native community I have to relearn most everything from the Ojibway culture by books and the internet. I like to find the most accurate and valid resources. I don't even have a female Ojibway relative that I am close to that I can speak to about this. Many of my relatives don't want to relearn their culture and traditions. That is very sad but remember I have the ancestors, Akki (Earth) and Nokomis Neebageesis to learn from. I also go by my intuition and what feels in this relearning process.
I am guided by my ancestors to go spend time with the land before and during my moon time. When I ask them I get an instant image of me sitting on the land. The energy can spiral into my body and spirit and heal me. I also get validation from them in regards to herbs and medicines to take. I see a yes for the teas and even a yes for the cramp bark tincture. What I see no for are foods that I rarely eat such as processed and microwaved foods. Greens such as kale and chard get a yes, as well as fruits, wild rice, herbal teas and pure juices. I could scan other foods that are good for my body during the moon time with the ancestors but I am sure you get the picture.
Nokomis Neebageesis is directly connected to us as woman during this time. My power is stronger and dreams are more powerful. Moon time is a time of power, healing and purification. I am not only a spirit in a body. But I am a spirit in a woman's body. I honor the sacred wisdom that I hold. Because this wisdom does not just come from me. It comes from Nokomis Neebageesis, Akki and Gitchi Manitou. I deepen my connection to Mother Earth and Gitchi Manitou. I deepen my connection to the ancestors. I deepen my connection to the future generations. The darkness that I have transmuted to get to where I am at today has crumbled. I am decolonizing my body, my mind and my spirit. I am fully reclaiming who I am. The hate that I had for my body, my uterus, my womanhood is ending. I honor my wisdom, my sacred knowledge, my connection and understanding of Akki and of Nokomis Neebageesis. In this process I am fully honoring myself.
I am excited that I found this information:
Moon-time ( Woman's Ovulation ) Teachings
Moon Time Ceremony & Women's Moontime and Ceremony
"Much knowledge of women's traditions has been lost due to the genocide of Native peoples and the outlawing of their ceremonies. Before patriarchy, bleeding women were respected for their ability to nourish life and many still view this bleeding time as the first ceremony to connect with Spirit. Patriarchal society continues to view women's bleeding as a curse: dirty, and something to be ashamed of. These histories of oppression of Native Peoples and of Women leave us vulnerable to feelings of exclusion, anger, or hurt when ceremonies do not include mooning women in the same way as others."
7 voices speak:
this really spoke to me. thanks. - Alison
Your welcome Alison!
OMG, the last time I had my period was after I read your blog and your reference to the period as moon time and I remember thinking the same thing, "I hate my period... oh wait, does that mean I hate my body and self?" The more I read about the idea of moontime as a time of spiritual rebirth and renewal, the more I feel better about it. Yes, I get cramps and I feel achy and emotional, but when I keep it in the perspective of being closer to that "divine feminine" thing (which I ALSO heard about here), it fills me with relief.
What is a sweat ceremony though? I gleaned a little bit of it from the links you posted, but I didn't fully understand it. Is it something men have to do physically since their bodies don't renew themselves the way women's bodies do?
PS On my period, I like to get a hot water bottle and drink hot chocolate. I had an old yoga instructor who told me dairies were bad for women on their periods, but I can't help it. I love the taste of chocolate and cream. :)
Dollyspeaks - I am so glad that your resonate with this post! Yes, you should feel better about the moon time. It is a good time! I love cheese, so when I am on my period it is a challenge for me to avoid it. Now when I scan this food with the ancestors they say no while on your moon time. They also say that it is best to avoid dairy on the first few days of your period. So your yoga instructor is right as well!
The sweat lodge is a ceremony that is another sacred renewal, rebirth and prayer time. Traditionally in many tribes it has been only open to men because women had their own purification process of the moon time. It depends on the tribe and tradition but men and women are allowed to sweat together these days. I always been in a sweat with men and women.
I'm glad that you are learning to love your body.
I always had hard, long periods. Honoring them and being loving of myself helped a lot. Maybe it was my body's way of getting me to pay attention.
Have you noticed that men are jealous of women's ability to bleed without injury? From the Boy Scout "blood brother" ceremony (which they are now faking for fear of AIDS) to books/movies like "Fight Club." They make a big thing out of trying to be like us.
Quercki - Yeah I have noticed that men are jealous of our ability to bleed without injury. They are very curious to how we survive in this time. All I can say is that it is magic!
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