“Becoming a Girl”. This is how many women have referred to the act of menstruating for the first time. One of the marks of the beginning of puberty, menstruation is a transformation in the female body, from which a person can generate a child, if the egg is fertilized by the sperm.
Even though menstruation is natural, the taboo around it still prevents people from properly informing themselves about everything that is involved in this process. Although this topic is increasingly studied, it is still unclear why menstruation came to be seen as something toxic and that should cause shame in a woman.
One way to get around this problem is to become aware of your own body and understand menstruation as a strength of the female body, analyzing how it can strengthen a woman and connect her with her essence. That's because studying this phenomenon without thinking about taboos can put us in front of ancestral rituals that women of many peoples performed with their own blood.
If you have not yet deconstructed yourself to the point of understanding that menstrual blood is not dirty and impure, you may imagine that this liquid should be discarded as soon as possible and that doing anything with it would be absurd. So get ready to expand your knowledge and discover how powerful your blood can be!
What is planting the moon?
An ancient ritual that is performed with menstrual blood is called “planting the moon”. The name may seem a little confusing, and for you to understand it without problems, let's identify how it all started.
In the past, menstrual blood was seen as a symbol of fertility and pride. From it, it was possible to confirm that being a woman is like a superpower, and not something to be ashamed of.
Thus, indigenous peoples of Mexico, Spain, Chile and Peru had the habit of using menstrual blood to fertilize the land. It was also common to spread the blood on the face and body, making a kind of painting, praising this process that the female body goes through monthly.
In this way, depositing blood on the earth to fertilize it is similar to the act of planting something. However, another part of the expression is still missing to understand: the Moon. Why “plant the Moon” instead of “plant the Blood” or “plant menstruation”?
As the Moon, Earth's natural satellite, has four phases in a cycle that lasts 28 days, it resembles the menstrual cycle. Women also experience cycles of approximately 28 days, with four phases: menstruation, proliferative phase, ovulation, and secretory phase. Soon it is possible to associate menstruation with the Moon, calling the process of planting the Moon “planting the Moon”.
The Prophecy of the End of Planting the Moon and the Return of Practice
If the process of planting the moon was so practiced and so recognized by indigenous peoples as beneficial, why did women stop doing it? First, we must remember that the process of exploring indigenous lands aimed to suppress the culture of these peoples, classifying rituals of this type as something inappropriate.
In addition, the industry began to develop different means of containing menstrual blood, increasingly discreet, because menstruation had already become a taboo and was seen as something impure and dirty, which should be hidden. So depositing blood on the earth could even be understood as something toxic.
As a consequence of the development of the taboo on menstruation, the practice of planting the moon became increasingly rare. And in this regard, the indigenous women of the Lakota people presented the following prophecy:
“When women failed to return their blood to the land, killing and wars began, so that bloodshed would supply the need for nutrients. And only when all women return their blood will there be peace.”
That is, without menstrual blood to fertilize the earth, men began to kill animals and each other, in order to make up for this absence. According to the prophecy, if women plant the moon again, the cycle of violence will end. But will that happen?
The return of the practice of planting the Moon has already started all over the world. The rescue of the Sacred Feminine, of ancestral teachings about the woman's body and about all the strength it carries is a reality, both through social networks and through courses that have this focus.
In this way, more women have started to use menstrual cups for the period of bleeding, which allows them to pour the liquid accumulated in the cup on the plants they have at home. Following the prophecy, the more women do this, the more peace we will find.
How to plant the moon
If you want to reconnect with your ancestry and understand the power of your body, discover how to plant the Moon and feel the power of this ritual!
The first step in planting the moon is to use a menstrual cup instead of other absorbent methods such as panties and disposable or cloth pads. Having done this, you should perform the ritual on the first day of your period or when the New Moon begins to appear in the sky.
For this, you must dilute your blood in â…” of water and prepare an altar around you, with objects that are important to you and help you connect with yourself. Then meditate for a few moments and, if you know how, repeat sacred chants to invoke the Goddess.
Then, walk to your home garden or kneel in front of the potted plant you want to nurture. Think about everything you learned during your cycle and what you want to improve. Afterwards, pour the diluted blood around the plants. Finally, close your eyes and meditate on this process.
Who doesn't menstruate can plant the moon?
People who do not menstruate, such as women who use contraceptives, who are already in menopause, who have stopped menstruating or who are transgender women can also plant the moon.
In that case, you should pay attention to the sky. As soon as the New Moon appears, prepare a grape juice, hibiscus tea or use a glass of wine. This reddish colored liquid will represent your blood and will not harm the plants you want to nourish.
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When separating your Moon, just perform the ritual as explained above, because the most important part of it is the manifestation of good thoughts, learning and gratitude for your cycle.
Enhance your Moon Planting Ritual
As mentioned earlier, you can enhance your ritual of planting the moon with chants and objects that help you meditate. In case you don't know any of these two items, we've separated some that will make this process even more special!
Chants for the ritual of planting the moon
sacred uterus
“Sacred Uterus, center of power
You who keep the memories,
Of everything that ever happened
I clean my past, I am reborn again
Wonderful flower, open yourself to pleasure”
I am goddess
“I am the almighty goddess
Under the mountain like the water between the rocks
I come to the valley goddess made woman
The earth turns green, it's time to grow
I'm a woman, I'm a mighty wolf
I am a creator of life here on Earth
I am manager of all rebirth
And here in my belly is all my power
The four elements
earth, my body
water my blood
air my breath
And fire, my spirit”
Crystals for the ritual of planting the moon
If you want to create your own altar to connect with who you are and with your period, choose one of the crystals that we have separated and that will help you for this purpose: amethyst (develops spirituality), moonstone (facilitates menstruation), rose quartz (stimulates creativity and self-love), pyrite (combats insecurity), selenite (promotes relaxation), garnet (highlights beauty) and fluorite (attracts success).
From what you have learned, you now know that planting the moon is a ritual that can bring many benefits to you, to your connection with your own ancestry, to nature and to the world. Discover a little more of your body each day and awaken the strength that lies dormant in you!
