SEPTEMBER 2020
A Menstrual Story
A still life series celebrating the beauty and power of menstruation.
In matriarchal societies, menstruation is seen as the most sacred time of a woman’s cycle. We are our most intuitive, signaling a time of rest and inward reflection. In many native cultures, women are believed to be spiritually powerful (obviously we are!) and during menstruation is when our magic is most potent. Our cycles are so intuitive, that we were once in tune with the moon when artificial light and technology did not exist. This phase in our cycle symbolizes a death, bringing in the opportunity for rebirth.
Ever since I have become in tune with my cycle I know when it’s time to start opening up (follicular phase), kick it in to high gear (ovulation phase) or begin to wind down (luteal phase), preparing for hibernation (menstruation).
I’ve started to incorporate rituals into my life, like giving my blood back to my plants and earth. True story: I started to offer blood to my fig tree after many years of failed attempts to produce mature fruit. My landlord who lived here prior never could get ripe figs either. This year was the first year the tree finally produced mature figs. How cool?! Now, I am starting this new ritual of creating a still life photograph in honor of my blood and its magnificent magic.
“The great mother whom we call Innana gave a gift to woman that is not known among men, and this is the secret of blood. The flow at the dark of the moon, the healing blood of the moon’s birth – to men, this is flux and distemper, bother and pain. They imagine we suffer and consider themselves lucky. We do not disabuse them.
In the red tent, the truth is known. In the red tent, where days pass like a gentle stream, as the gift of Innana courses through us, cleansing the body of last month’s death, preparing the body to receive the new month’s life, women give thanks—for repose and restoration, for the knowledge that life comes from between our legs, and that life costs blood.”
― Anita Diamant, The Red Tent
