Why It Feels So Cool When Your Period Coincides With The Full Moon

photographed by Megan Madden; produced by Sam Nodelman.
As uncomfortable (or inconvenient or heavy or unpredictable or laundry-resistant) as periods can be, they're still viewed as sacred within certain Wiccan and nature-based faith communities, particularly when they arrive in tandem with the full moon.
"Women have a very powerful spiritual connection with the moon," says author and Wiccan high priestess Deborah Blake. "It is the symbol of the goddess, and so of feminine magic."
It should be said that, scientifically speaking, the moon is by no means triggering your period when this coincidence occurs (a 2013 study found no synchronicity between the moon's phase and periods). And, by that same token, there's no reason to hack your period in order to align your cycle with the lunar cycle. Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong with seeing what the moon is up to when your period starts — especially if you already invest spiritual meaning in the moon.
According to Blake, there's reason to get excited whether your time of the month lines up with the full moon or the new moon. During the former, she recommends tapping into your intuition, which might mean your gut instincts or something more meditative and faith-based. Either way, Blake says you'll be well-served to turn inward and listen to the voice in your head if you're menstruating in time with the full moon.
Meanwhile, if your period arrives with the new moon, "this can be a good time to be either creative or restful," she says. It all depends on, you know, just how world-ending your cramps happen to feel that month and whether you're up to letting your creative side out to play. Luckily, this lunar phase is thought to have restorative properties, so you really will be honoring the moon if you spend it curled around your favorite body pillow (and, for the record, Blake half-jokingly endorses eating chocolate as a spiritually fulfilling act).
If the moon happens to be in one of its in-between phases when Aunt Flo comes around, don't worry about missing out — waxing phases are great times to reflect on how you might find a sense of completion in different areas of your life, while waning phases are believed to encourage you to let go of things you no longer need (this can absolutely include your uterine lining).
You can draw more spiritual parallels between your period and the moon if you wish — there's even an app designed to track users' "moontime," aka their periods. But, just taking five minutes during your period to observe the moon can be the reminder you need that your period is actually pretty cool.

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