Moon Goddess or Werewolf: Does the Moon Affect Our Cycle?

Halloween may be over, but we’re still feeling witchy.

Samhain is a Celtic festival that is similar to the Day of the Dead – it’s a celebration for loved ones who have passed. Between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, many believe the veil that separates us from the spirit world becomes a bit thinner. (It’s during this time that people spend time in graveyards with their departed loved ones.) Sure, there are huge parties, parades, and colorful sugar skulls, but there’s more to this holiday than donning a costume you may not dare to put on otherwise. It all circles back to the ritual.

As women who deal with Endometriosis, our entire lives revolve around rituals.

Our cycles have made us slaves to ritual. In my personal experience, every time I feel the raging pain that accompanies my period, I notice the moon is just as full and just as bloated as I’m feeling. And I usually feel (and look) like a monster – I’m always disfigured from salt retention and about to explode at anyone who looks at me wrong or even thinks twice about touching my ice cream.

The Moon isn’t just a familiar celestial point in the sky – the ocean tides are affected by the moon, too. (Though, I’m not sure if the fish feel as angry as I do during high tide.)

A lunar cycle is about 29 days (sound familiar?). There are plenty of articles you can find on the internet that explains how the moon may affect our bodies and our menstrual cycles. But does it?<

Every time I get my period there is that moon, high up in the sky and full as can be. In my own experience, no matter how wacky my Endometriosis makes my period, I can always count on the moon being full when I get it. Maybe I am secretly some sort of werewolf – a creature who’s also waiting for that moon to show up. I definitely do feel different during “that time of the month.”

Christiane Northup, MD, believes there is a relationship between our bodies and the moon (a woman’s ovulation and conception are said to be tied to the full moon). Dr. Northup claims there is a large environmental cue our bodies take from the moon, as well – she believes that the moon has the ability to sync our body’s cycle and affect how we feel.<

Perhaps we should take a peek outside the next time we are feeling a little bit off and make a note of the moon’s position in the sky. It may be a coincidence, or maybe there’s a little part of us that lay claim to the moon. After all, we are #EndoBabe goddesses.