Rituals for your cycle: some ideas!
It's all very well to talk about living in sync with the four phases of your menstrual cycle, but what does that even mean? Do you actually change the way you live every single week? Well, kind of.
My work and personal schedule does look different week-to-week. My diet and fitness plans both change. Certainly my social life does a 180 from menstruation to ovulation! (It’s non-existent in one, a bit wild in the other — no prizes for guessing which one goes where!)
But what I consciously change that REALLY makes the biggest difference? The way I hold myself. My energy. My attitude. The sanctuary I create for myself to be in, regardless of what's going on in my life.
Because sometimes (actually, always), LIFE HAPPENS. And cycle-syncing is absolutely not about micro-managing our lives or limiting ourselves. We don’t yet live in a world that is set up for the cyclic woman.
And it’s true that on pre-menstrual days when you’re feeling slower and more sensitive, the last thing you want to do is attend back-to-back meetings. Or perhaps you have young children, and resting for a few days at menstruation is completely unrealistic. I absolutely hear that.
But what you can do, is choose your energy. Your holding. The space you create for yourself.
And one of my absolute favourite ways to do that, is by integrating RITUALS into my life, and into each phase of my cycle. These rituals help to anchor me into my own energy, fully embody the magic of each phase, and create a buffer that the outside world can’t penetrate (mostly).
I feel like I’m honouring myself and my cycle when I commit to these rituals in my life.
Here are some of my favourite ways to ritualise my cycle:
Menstruation / Inner Winter
I pull four cards on day one of my cycle for each upcoming season and write the guidance down in my journal to reflect back on.
I wear red underwear, a red dress or shawl, and beautiful jewellery, particularly earrings.
I light a red candle.
I use a red pen when I’m journaling — a great way to record bleeding wisdom!
I put red bed sheets on my bed either on day one, or a day or two before I start to bleed.
Time offline! I try to stay off social media and technology as much as possible, particularly in the evenings.
Once I know I’ve moved into the menstrual phase of Renewal (we talk more about the phases of menstruation in my course Radiate), I’ll set my intentions for this new cycle. This is usually day 3 or 4.
Pre-ovulation / Inner Spring:
I check in with the oracle or tarot card I pulled for ‘spring’ on day one of my cycle and read the guidance it offers.
I take my red cup off my altar and put it away in my drawer in a red drawstring bag for my next bleed.
I buy myself flowers to celebrate my own blossoming.
I take my red bedlinen off my bed and wash it, as well as my towels, and put my regular linen back on the bed.
I start using a blue or black pen again in my journal.
I wear clothes that feel playful and sexy: for me this means skirts, jeans, cute t-shirts and plenty of colour. I might wear something that I wouldn’t normally, and experiment with a new style or trend.
Ovulation / Inner Summer:
I check in with the oracle or tarot card I pulled for ‘summer’ on day one of my cycle and read the guidance it offers.
I light a white candle.
I check in with the intentions I set in my inner winter and assess what has been brought to life this cycle.
I listen to my Inner Summer playlist and DANCE!! Ovulatory, celebratory dancing is pure delight to me. I move my hips and my arse, and really feel myself!
Self-massage. Using coconut oil, I gently massage my entire body after a warm shower or bath, giving my breasts and belly lots of extra love. This sometimes then leads to...
Self-pleasure. I use my rose quartz crystal pleasure wand to pleasure myself. I’ll take a moment to honour and enjoy the extra wetness and increased sexual desire I feel, gently massing my ovaries afterwards and celebrating what an awesome process my body is undertaking.
Pre-menstruum / Inner Autumn:
I check in with the oracle or tarot card I pulled for ‘autumn’ on day one of my cycle and read the guidance it offers.
I start tracking my dreams in my journal as my pre-menstruum dreams are vivid and insightful.
I’ll have a bath with extra epsom salts to support detoxification and magnesium absorption.
A long walk in nature in my inner autumn is essential soul-food. I’ll get out of town if possible and head to the forest, or my local park if that’s what’s more realistic.
I’ll also do a castor oil pack to help with breast tenderness, inflammation, oestrogen elimination and bloating.
When I feel myself in the crossover phase into my inner winter, or “the void”, I pull back and disconnect: I’ll delete social media apps or even better, turn my phone off, lie on my sheepskin, burn some sage or palo santo and let myself just BE.
There are plenty of things we can’t control in our lives, but I’m hoping you’ve clocked a few rituals above that you will be able to integrate into your life to help strengthen your ability to stay with your own rhythm.
Tell me in the comments: which of these rituals might you try in each phase of your cycle? How do you already ritualise your inner seasons?
In my online course Radiate, we explore each phase of the menstrual cycle in detail, and I show you how to sync your life up with each phase. This way of living has brought so much more ease and flow to my life, and I absolutely LOVE teaching this framework to other women.
We explore rituals, the science, simple self-care strategies, and you’ll receive tools to help you feel more at ease in your own skin. This is information you’ll use for the rest of your cycling life. Learn more about the course here.
Big love!
