As a woman you are coded for power, and the journey to realizing the fullness and beauty of that power – your Wild Power – lies in the rhythm and change of your menstrual cycle.

Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Wild Power

The keys to a life fully, powerfully and wisely lived are embedded within our body’s cyclic intelligence. This is the gift we are given as a soul born into a beautiful body that menstruates. Why? Because as women, we are the life-givers. The ones that can carry life within our bodies. The mothers of humanity. We are intimately encoded with the sacred rhythm of all life and the cosmos, within our womb, within our blood. Have you ever thought about the fact that most religious and spiritual structures and practices were created by men, mostly for men? Perhaps these were practices that the male needed to develop, in the absence of their body being directly encoded with its own spiritual initiatory process.

“For centuries within our culture, this Feminine Way of the menstrual cycle has been denied, demonized and rejected. We’ve been led to believe it’s a limitation or a weakness we must overcome in order to succeed … The extraordinary truth is that your menstrual cycle is in fact a highly potent, potentially liberating process. It’s your custom-made initiatory path to power.” – Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Wild Power

---

The Spiral Path of the Priestess

The phases of our menstrual cycle are mirrored in the patterns of all the rhythms and cycles of life, from the smallest to the largest experiential scale: the breath cycle, our daily circadian rhythm, the monthly lunar cycle, the solar cycle of the seasons, and the plant and human life cycles. By overlapping these rhythms of our body, with the cycles of nature and the cosmos, we gain an expanded understanding of the energy, gifts and potentials that each menstrual cycle phase holds for us, and how best to leverage this immense spiritual and initiatory gift that lies within the sacred vessel of our body.

The Celtic Wheel of Life (menstrual webpage) by Brenda Ryan

The Celtic Wheel of Life is a guide to living the sacred spiral path of the priestess, where we, as women, reclaim our feminine spiritual path of cyclic living, reestablish our initiatory journey towards embodied wisdom, and reintegrate ourselves back into the fabric of nature. When we live the spiral path of the priestess, we consciously work with the sacred cycles of our body, attuning ourselves to the natural rhythms of nature and the cosmos – aligning ourselves to the very power of life and the universe itself.

The menstrual cycle is a woman’s spiritual practice.

Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Wild Power

I am passionate about living in alignment with my menstrual cycle, especially nested within the broader context of the Irish Celtic Wheel of the Year and our female life cycle and powerful archetypes, as outlined in my Celtic Wheel of Life. This has been such a huge revelation for me, that I now consider my menstrual cycle my main spiritual path and practice.

“Our menstrual cycle takes us each month on a journey between the light and dark spiral dance. Each month we get another opportunity to dance in a different way, to interact with our rhythms and tune in through our bodies. When we are unskilled or unprepared, we may stumble, falling over our own feet and everything that lied in our path. But as we gain confidence in ourselves and sense our own rhythm we begin to dance to our own tune. We sense when the energy shifts and rather than resist, we follow its lead.” – Lucy H. Pearce, Moon Time

Each of our inner seasons, from Menstruation (Inner Winter), Pre-Ovulation (Inner Spring), Ovulation (Inner Summer), and Pre-Menstruation (Inner Autumn) holds different gifts, strengths, skills and qualities. When we learn about our own innate patterns throughout the month, and work with them not against them – leveraging each part of the cycle according to its super powers – we start to perform sacred feminine alchemy.

“Our wild power empowers us to live and organize our lives by our own rhythm – following our innate sense of timing and intuitive knowing in concert with nature, rather than being dictated to by that of society.” – Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Wild Power

Menstruation is a deeply shamanic experience of death and rebirth; we are releasing and rebirthing in one profound bio-spiritual journey.

Seren Bertrand, Womb Awakening

“Menstruality is the female life process from menarche to menopause, through the menstruating years and into our mature years. We describe it as our ‘initiatory journey to power’: a psychological death and rebirth process that leads to ever more expanded levels of consciousness. It’s the actual lived experience of this repeated initiation, which occurs month after month; the deep knowing that a woman accumulates in herself and simultaneously generates in her community.” – Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Wild Power

Our menstrual cycle is our monthly pilgrimage to the sacred sites within ourselves. It is our intimate holy spiral path of initiation. The hero’s journey encoded within our body, that we can choose to ignore, resist or traverse.

Join Our Priestess Facebook Community

You are invited to join our Priestesses of the Spiral Path online community, as we traverse this sacred spiral path together, and share how working with our menstrual cycle, the cycle of the seasons, and the cycles of our lives, including the powerful female archetypes, can transform our relationship with ourselves and the world around us.

Gather In Our Priestess Circles

Deepen your journey with the rhythms and cycles of life by joining our Priestesses of the Spiral Path Women’s Circles here in Austin, Texas or online via zoom. Our circles follow the cycles of the seasons and the Irish Celtic Wheel of the Year. We gather on the Wednesdays closest to the Celtic festivals throughout the year, and explore the transformational themes of each season as we journey through them together on this sacred spiral path. Circle themes include working with the Divine Feminine in the form of powerful Irish Goddesses, and are anchored in a sense of place within the ancient Irish landscape.

Visit our Women’s Circle page to RSVP for our latest gathering! Our circle rituals and themes are based on Irish Celtic and preCeltic wisdom, but you do not need to have any Irish or Celtic ancestry in order to connect with these circles. I work within my own lineage so as to hold sacred space in full integrity. The themes we work with are universal, and all wisdom teachings of the world are honored in this sacred space.

---

Menstrual Cycle Rituals

Women are the original shamans. “What we call shamanism is essential feminine consciousness, a truth reflected in an old indigenous proverb from the Chuckee tradition that says, ‘Woman is by nature a shaman’.” – Seren Bertrand, Womb Awakening. Leveraging our cyclic nature for spiritual growth and expanding wisdom, and traversing more deeply into our inner pilgrimage can be assisted by creating rituals throughout our menstrual month, especially during menstruation.

The word ritual comes from rtu, Sanskrit for menses. The earliest rituals were connected to the women’s monthly bleeding. The blood from the womb that nourished the unborn child was believed to have mana, magical power. Women’s periodic bleeding was a cosmic event, like the cycles of the moon and the waxing and waning of the tides. We have forgotten that women are the conduit to the sacred mystery of life and death.

Lara Owen, Her Blood is Gold

Ritualizing your cycle can be as simple or complex as you wish or have time for. I am in the process of developing practice and ritual guidebooks for all phases of our menstrual cycle, as well as our seasonal cycle, and plan to have them available as PDF downloadables in the coming year. However, for now, I’m sharing some of my favorite rituals for my menstrual phase here below.

Ceremonial Cacao

“In the Native American tradition a woman is considered to be at her most powerful, psychically and spiritually, when she is menstruating. Resting during menstruation is seen in the context of one’s attention being elsewhere. Your energy is focused on the spiritual plane, on gathering wisdom.” – Lara Owen, Her Blood is Gold

I like to take time out to rest and nourish my body, mind and spirit with some warm frothy ceremonial cacao. Adding spices like cinnamon and ginger are great options to warm the uterus and promote ease of your menstrual flow. You may choose to simply rest and sip, consciously acknowledging and welcoming your sacred bleed. You may also like to take this time to journal, meditate, do an oracle card spread, or play your drum or singing bowl if you have one.

In the Native American teachings a menstruating woman has the potential to be more psychically and spiritually powerful than anyone, male or female, at any other time.

Her Blood is Gold

“Cacao has been known as “Food of the Gods” for thousands of years. Cacao works on the physical, emotional and spiritual level, having the power to open your heart and mind and to ground your body. Cacao produces the highest amount of theobromide and contains a variety of minerals and vitamins including magnesium, iron and vitamin C.” – Ruk’u’x Ulew 100% Pure Ceremonial Cacao

Menstrual Art

This is a profoundly powerful ritual that connects you intimately to your womb, your feminine power and the very source of life deep within yourself. The first time I reverently engaged with my menstrual blood – truly saw it, sat with it in sacred space and created art with my magic substance – felt like I was coming back home to what it means to be a woman. The experience awoke in me the deep remembrance that I am not a daughter of the patriarchy but a daughter of the Great Mother. I was returned to her awaiting arms, and have been in service to Her ever since.

When we remember that our blood is sacred and our wombs are sacred, we return to the magic and wisdom of our femininity.

Jasmine Alicia Carter, Menstrual Art Movement

You can use a menstrual cup to collect your blood (I include a list of menstrual supplies and resources below), and then store it in a glass container for a few days. When you’ve completed your art ritual, you can dilute it with water and return it to the land. Visit Jasmine Alicia Carter on Instagram for further guidance and inspiration on creating art with your own divine sacred substance.

Return Your Blood to the Earth

Using menstrual cups or reusable menstrual pads and underwear gives you the opportunity to return your blood to the earth (scroll down for a list of menstrual cycle supplies and resources). You can soak your cloth pads and/or period underwear in a basin of water, and pour this out on the earth, feeding your trees, plants or favorite rose bush these life-giving nutrients produced by your own body. The blood from your menstrual cup can be diluted with water and returned to the land in the same way.

When all the women remember to give their blood back to the earth, there will be no more need for war.

Hopi Prophecy

---

PDF Downloadables

Start charting your menstrual cycle, and learn to navigate the ebbs and flows of your monthly cyclic nature with ease, wisdom and wild power! This is a template I created for myself, and love sharing with my community …

These Flower of Life templates are a great way to start painting with your own sacred substance. For this level of detail, I like to use Jerry Q‘s #4 flat detailed paintbrush. To take your ritual to the next level, you can print these templates on seed paper and return this powerful blessing of life back to the Earth.

Let me know how you’re getting on with your menstrual cycle charting and your menstrual art journey. I’d also love to hear about some of your favorite menstrual cycle rituals, as well as additional menstrual cycle supplies and resources I could include in my list below:

---

Menstrual Cycle Supplies & Resources

Cloth Menstrual Pads, Period Underwear & Menstrual Cups

Glad Rags – Cloth pads and menstrual cups, USA

OrganiCup / All Matters – Menstrual cups and period underwear, USA

Organic Craft Store – Cloth pads on Etsy

Period Aisle – Cloth pads, period underwear and menstrual cups, USA

Ruby Love – Period underwear and teen first period kits, USA

She Thinx – Period underwear, USA

Sweet Lavender and Chili Flakes – Handmade cloth pads, Ireland

TCS-Eco – Handmade cloth pads, period underwear and menstrual cups, UK

The Period Company – Period underwear and cloth pads, USA

Menstrual Cycle Podcasts & Online Resources

The Sacred Power of Women’s Menstruation – Bridget Nielsen

Fertility Friday Podcast – Lisa Hendrickson

The Menstruality Podcast – The Red School

The Period Party – Nicole Jardim

Womben Wellness – Usha Anandi

Menstrual Cycle Books

Code Red: Know Your Flow, Unlock Your Monthly Superpowers, and Create a Bloody Amazing Life, Lisa Lister (Hay House UK, 2020)

Cycles of Belonging: Honoring Ourselves Through the Sacred Cycles of Life, Stella Tomlinson (Womancraft Publishing, 2022)

Her Blood is Gold: Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation, Lara Owen (Archive Publishing UK, 2008)

Moon Time: Harness the ever-changing energy of your menstrual cycle, Lucy H. Pearce (Womancraft Publishing, 2015)

The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (Fertility Friday Publishing Inc., 2019)

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (Wyatt Books for St. Martin’s Press, 1997)

Wild Power: Discover the Magic of Your Menstrual Cycle and Awaken the Feminine Path to Power, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer (Hay House UK, 2017)

Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life, Azra Bertrand and Seren Bertrand (Bear & Company, 2017)

If you are in your wise woman menopausal years, I highly recommend the following book recently published by the women who wrote the revolutionary “Wild Power” book:

Wise Power: Discover the Liberating Power of Menopause to Awaken Authority, Purpose and Belonging, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer (Hay House UK, 2022)

---

Sign up to my Newsletter

I publish my Heart Space Newsletter every 6 weeks, in line with the Irish Celtic Wheel of the Year

---

“Imagine a society in which the cycles of life are revered and respected as quiet orchestrators of our lives – instilling a deep reverence for the planet and everything on it.

Imagine that the menstrual cycle is understood as the heartbeat of that Great Orchestration, and most crucially, honoured as the sacred source of life for us humans.

Imagine that knowledge of the full spectrum and power of the menstrual cycle is commonplace, and all women feel the utter rightness of having this experience within them.

Imagine a world in which the menstrual cycle is respected as a woman’s spiritual practice.

Imagine girls growing up in this menstrual-affirming world.”

Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Wild Power