We were not made to be sedentary, unwavering or immovable. Our beings are full of life force energy, a fluctuating essence of power stemming from deep within our bones. Nayyirah Waheed’s quote, “I bleed every month, but do not die. How am I not magic?” not only expresses our fascinating makeup, but also our innate ability to embody contradicting natures. We can experience both the fullness of life as well as the vast chasm of little deaths. (As can be experienced via deep states of orgasm too, as well as our monthly cycle). There we see the demise of our ego, beliefs, past selves, old patterns and more… We release and let go, absorb and restore until we cycle round again.
We can find an anchoring certainty in the knowledge that everything is transitory, just as it is seen in nature, our rhythms waver and sway. With awareness of our individual cycles, we are able to take in wisdom from our past seasons and think of our future selves with foresight and care. Here are the seasonal archetypes which translate both into menstrual cycles as well as life phases:
The Wise Woman of Winter
Intuitive, vulnerable, cosmic
A woman of the stars, the universe, and a thousand solar systems. She’s cellular magic and she knows it. Her winter wisdom is connected to the heart of this world as her empathetic energy rises and flows steadily during this phase. She owns her power as a receptive soul. Her sensitivity brings with it an awareness of what is no longer working, for her personally and in the world. She’ll feel immense waves of appreciation for things as small as a bottle of lavender essential oil or a slab of chocolate on her nightstand (maybe a gift – or something her autumn self bought with intuitive foresight!)
Her cosy nook and grounding altar are a beautiful place for her to rest and release, closing out the world and focusing on her internal one. This red tent time is sacred and signifies both the ending of her last cycle and the beginning of a new one. It’s her time to release. This flows into her sexual self-care. With her emotions riding on the surface, her orgasmic sensations serve as catalysts for liberation. She might experience heightened states of arousal during her moon time, or maybe a pleasant calm. When her intuitive power is at its peak, her self-confidence and surety are likely more vulnerable.
Winter Self-Care:
Breast massage, salt baths, avoiding inversions, affirmations, surrounding self in visualised flames of fire, early nights and warming foods.
The Virgin Maiden of Spring
Initial, pure, genuine
She’s that first sip, the breeze of relief and a sensual caress on a starving expanse of bare skin. She’s the sweet scent of spring, overflowing with floral notes and heady incense. Her winter cloak easily slides from her shoulders, its weight fading with the mounting excitement of new possibilities and ideas. Her follow-through energy, clarity and why-not-now mindset are a potent combination in bringing new projects to life. Sparks of inspiration splinter across her horizon, ready to unfurl with her re-awakening creativity. Sunset colours swirl on her canvas, words reach out to caress the page and music notes interlace themselves in her imagination. As an eternal student of life, this season inspires her to find pleasure in the simplest of things, allowing them to draw her into the present with threads of beauty and gratitude. While her body adapts to the changing season, she savours her reconnection through self-pleasure, an enticing adventure in a new cycle.
Spring Self-Care:
Yoni Steaming, seeking daily pleasure, podcasts, checklists, prioritising, and remembering to relax.
The Mother Goddess of Summer
Alluring, honeyed, desirable
Our summer goddess is thriving, embodied. She’s full, luscious and dripping with desire. This season’s archetype is designed to enthral, both herself and the world. She’ll step out as though she’s cloaked in sunshine, her spring warm-up now turned to high heat. She’s an energetic powerhouse. She’ll channel her energy into high-intensity workouts or maybe a few hot yoga classes while her life force energy also flows into creative outlets. Her power of perspective is as abundant as it is malleable. No task is too large, her fast-firing cylinders will have her at the bottom of her checklist well before the day’s end. She’s the epitome of work hard, play hard. Who’s to say though, that she won’t find a way to turn work into play. This frisky fun will undoubtedly extend into sex when her libido is at its cyclical peak. Whether she’s with a partner or soaring solo, self-pleasure is her space to initiate a sultry, soul-fulfilling connection. Think spilling sheets, silky lingerie and orgasmic shivers. Her inner flames are fiery, licking every inch of her skin and fuelling her with a passion she wishes would last throughout her cycle. Although, come autumn, her inner enchantress will be grateful for the seasonal shift.
Summer Self-Care:
Yoni wands, friendships and relationships, sweaty exercise, inner-balance awareness and thinking of autumn self.
The Wild Enchantress of Autumn
Spellbound, dreamy, magick
She dips deeper into her inner world, conjuring up the loose tendrils of what was kept below ground during her warmer seasons. She reconnects with that calmer energy and with her I’ll-get-to-it-later mindset, she’ll catch glimpses of inner winter on the horizon. She’s bewitched by autumn’s aesthetic of countless pillows, fluffy blankets, steaming bowls of nourishing soup and soulful music. She’s also tears and an accumulation of tissues, aggravation and intermingling waves of irritation and guilt. A tender touch may be just what she needs, full of intention and a reminder of love. Self-pleasure is a loving segue to the connection she craves especially during this phase. She may already have plans in place, likely diarised during her sociable summer, and sometimes it’s about wearing comfortable clothes, swiping on some red lipstick and stepping outside. On other days she’ll um and ah, before phoning and opting out, instead choosing to honour her autumnal need for rest and restoration. Self-care and surrender will ease the yearning for her coming inner winter, a preparation time which may otherwise feel long and arduous.
Autumn Self-Care:
Yoni egg sessions, relaxing activities, honouring changing desires, self check-ins, cleaning and nesting for winter, and nutrient-rich foods
Where are you now, in both your moon cycle and life cycle? Can you relate to the corresponding description above? And how are you navigating the particular season you are in right now? Please feel free to share in the comments below xx
Hmmm… I would say I’m definitely in the Autumnal phase of my life, but feeling more like I’m approaching the Spring phase rather than Winter. Thanks for a beautiful article. ♥
You are so welcome! Thanks for getting in touch and sharing where you are at! Much love xx