This document is an excerpt from a book about women's health and menstrual cycles. It discusses how ancient cultures used to view menstruation as a sacred time for women, whereas modern western society views it with shame. The author believes reconnecting with our menstrual cycles can help heal wounds from negative societal messages. She describes creating a menarche ceremony for herself and encouraging other women to do the same to celebrate their transition to womanhood.

1. Healers Moon
an excerpt from Thirteen
Moons
a book of womb wisdom

2. Cover Image, Healers Moon © Suzi Edwards Goose
Articles used in this booklet are used by kind permission of the authors
Diagrams, photos and art work must not be reproduced without permission.
We welcome articles, stories, pictures from all women; this booklet is updated regularly
and we would love new articles to add to it.
email: info@rachaelhertogs.co.uk
Join the web group https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moon-Lodge
Please Note- We are not Medical Doctors. This information is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to be used as substitute for medical advice or used to diagnose
any disease. Please use good judgment when reading all materials.
First produced March 2008, this issue updated June 2013 (Solstice)
Copyright © Rachael Hertogs 2013
All rights Reserved

3. Contents
Healing the Wounds of the Womb page 4
Massage and Essential Oils for Menstrual Health page 18
Yoga Positions to Ease menstruation page 21
Wise Woman Allies page 24
Take a Sacred Day Each Month page 28
Healing Moon by Grace Quantock page 30
My story of how the raw food diet healed my severe pre
menstrual syndrome and connected me back to my inner
goddess By Ashleigh Patterson page 34
Womb Blessings page 37
Contributors and Artists page 39
About Rachael page 40

4. Healers Moon
~ mending and magic, herbs and old knowledge ~
Healing the Wounds of the Womb
By Rachael Hertogs,
inspired by my life as well as so many books, articles and women over
the years!
Imagine living in a culture that honoured women’s bleeding as sacred. There used
to be a time, over 30,000 years ago, when women’s sexuality was not separated
from spirituality. These ancient cultures understood that a woman’s bleeding time
was a sacred time, a time of deep introspection, a time for her to shed her outward
responsibilities, to retreat to the moon lodge, where women would share their
wisdom with each other, they would fast, connect to their body-wisdom, they
would journey and dream - then their dreams, visions or prophecies would be
taken for the whole tribe to use.
This withdrawal in to the moon lodge has been misinterpreted as a time when
women were ‘dirty’ and might ‘contaminate’ anything they come into contact
with- therefore they were not ‘allowed’ to perform their usual household duties.
When in fact it was a choice. An act that the women did in order to honour their
cycle by withdrawing from their usual day to day chores and duties. I think this
‘misunderstanding’ has been the source of a lot of misinformation. Interestingly
the original meaning of the word Sabbat was a day of rest while the Goddess was
menstruating!
There is evidence that suggests that in ancient Egypt the menstrual blood of the
priestesses was worshipped and drunk by the pharaohs as it was believed to be the
elixir of life! They mistakenly concluded that since a woman stopped bleeding
while pregnant the menstrual blood stayed inside and formed the unborn baby!
Therefore menstrual blood was the sacred life force!
Even today Tibetan Llamas use the power of menstrual blood in their rituals to the
Goddess Tara, they consider the first blood of a young girl the most potent
healing medicine for the whole community.
But for most western women of today’s modern society just to consider
honouring our menstrual blood might seem outrageous. We have travelled so far
from the time of honouring our bodies as women.
So what happened? When did we stop honouring our bleeding and our sexuality?

5. This is a complex question, and looking back over the hundreds of years of
Christian Patriarchy it would be easy to blame them for this degradation.
After all the bible states how unclean we are, how we should be submissive to
men, it was the Christians that burnt and drowned our communities 8 million
Wise Women (Witches. This figure is an estimate- as exact numbers are
unknown. Others say it is as few as 100,000). But I’m not sure that was the start
of it all. I think women had already begun to lose the connection to their cycles
even before Christianity. Without writing a thesis on this- my research shows it
stems way back to the Indo European religions that replaced the Goddess
traditions with a patriarchal ideology. Their Gods were Gods of Rape, Violence and
Domination. Some of the old Goddesses were converted and erotized in to brides,
wives and daughters of these Gods.
The Goddess's religion went underground. Some of the old traditions, particularly
those connected with birth, death, and earth fertility rituals, have continued to
this day without much change in some regions; in others, they were assimilated
into Indo-European ideology and perverted to the opposite meaning. In later
Christian times, the Birth Giver and Earth Mother fused with the Virgin Mary.
In spite of the horrible war against women and their lore and the demonization of
the Goddess, the memories of her live on in fairy tales, rituals, customs, and in
language. Collections such as Grimm's tales are rich in Goddess tradition. There is
no question that old sacred Goddess images and symbols remain a vital part of our
cultural heritage. Most of us were surrounded in childhood by the fairy world,
which contained many Goddess/ Wise Women images. We have an instinctual
knowing that there is more to this world than we see, we have an inner longing to
be shown how to unlock our cyclic potential, we are all children of the Wise
Woman and we are searching for our birth right.
As women we have carried these ancient scars of our fore mothers and the
dehumanization of women’s sacred lore is in our society’s consciousness. And it
is time to heal the wounds of our wombs.
How is this done? Let’s begin by looking back at our lives, looking back at the
messages we received as young women. Maybe you were lucky and you were
honoured and embraced. But many women were not.
Many women were given messages of shame, disgust, and disappointment. Many
women were given these messages by other WOMEN.
We still perpetuate these messages today- we bombard ourselves with images of
beautiful, thin, young women. We spend millions on make-up, plastic surgery,
health food supplements, clothes….all to make ourselves feel better about our
selves. To try to live up to society’s (society that WE helped create) image of
beauty.

6. We allow ourselves to be used as sex objects to sell products.
We use approximately 15,000 ‘disposable’ sanitary items in our life- to hide our
bleeding. We shove a non sterile wad of cotton wool up our tender, sensitive
vaginas so that no one knows we are bleeding.
Doesn’t that seem ridiculous to you?
So how different would we feel about our bodies, our bleeding, and our sexuality
if we had been given positive messages of love, beauty, and acceptance?
If society’s messages were of support, honouring and approval?
Would we still have eating disorders, self harming and addictions?
Would we still hide our bleeding-time in shame; covering up smells with vaginal
deodorants, shoving tampons up ourselves, ignoring our bodies’ signals to take
time out? Would we still have labels of ‘slut’, ‘whore’, ‘slag’?
I don’t know- but what I do know is that it is time for women to stop judging
each other, to stop judging ourselves and to reconnect as the sisters we are.
Today’s menstrual woman in the western world lives in a male oriented society
which influences her perception of the world and herself.
This society offers no guidance, no structures for the feelings and experiences of
the menstrual cycle, not any recognition of it. So how do we begin to go about
filling this gap, reconnecting to our cycle, healing this wound?
There are many steps to healing, for me my first step was attending a “Healthy
Cycles” course. This was simply a weekly gathering of women sharing their
experiences of their menarche (first period), exploring herbs that eased PMT,
cramps, encouraged or decreased flow, we meditated, we drew, we made moon
necklaces, we sang and chanted, we learned how to chart our cycle, about it’s
connection to the moon, about natural fertility and contraception, we reclaimed
our vaginas and our wombs, and so much more!
At the end of the course we organised a ritual- similar to what a menarche
ceremony may have been like, for none of us had celebrated our menarche. It was
beautiful, we sang to each other and blessed each other, for me this was a life
changing moment. A huge healing shift in my consciousness and my body.
I had been brought up to believe that menstruation was a biological disadvantage-making
women emotional, unreasonable and unreliable workers- (even in this
industrialised western culture which likes to think of itself as ‘enlightened’ the
menstrual cycle is still rarely talked about except in medical terms.) I went
through my life hating myself, feeling guilty for being depressed, irritable, bloated
and clumsy at certain times of the month.
My first period was not celebrated- it was shamed. I had no rites of passage, no
guidance, it was hidden away. As I got older my sexual energy was feared and
called ‘dirty’ and my curvy figure was called ‘fat’. I struggled with eating disorders

7. and had periods of promiscuity.
Attending the ‘Healthy Cycles’ course helped me to move away from the negative
messages I had been given as a child and young woman and enabled me to see
myself in a different light.
It also set of a spark in me to want to help other women change their attitudes
around their cycle.
To begin our steps to healing the wounds of the womb we go back to our first
blood. Our Menarche. Menarche is the transition from girl to woman; sadly it is a
journey many girls take alone. Without guidance from other women a young
woman can get lost in the ebb and flow of hormones, the discomfort of a
changing body, the sense of awe of seeing the world from a different perspective
can turn to fear if the girl has no one to turn to with questions, no one to reassure
her that what is happening is natural, no one to lead the way.
What did you know about periods prior to your first one? Who did you talk to
about it? What was your experience of your first period? How would you have
liked it to be? How did you feel? How heavy was your flow? How long did you
bleed? What sanitary products did you use? How did you find using it? If you had
a daughter what messages would you give her about bleeding? How would you
celebrate her menarche?
Writing answers to these questions might help you to get in touch with emotions
and feelings that you have buried for a long time. You might decide to join with
your girlfriends and create a menarche ceremony for yourself.
Many women feel that they missed out on celebrating their menarche. They have
a deep sense of loss that their transition in to womanhood wasn’t honoured or
recognised. I encourage women to create a ceremony for themselves and reclaim
their Menarche.
Many tribal traditions celebrate a young woman’s menarche with ceremony to
recognise and honour her first blood and there are many different traditions and
ceremonies. Here in the West it is no longer customary to celebrate menarche in
such a way. Mothers will sometimes honour their daughter with a gift, or allow
their daughter to have her ears pieced as a marking of her steps in to womanhood.
But there is no gathering of wise elders, no coming together of the community as
there used to be. How a young woman is guided through this experience will
affect her for the rest of her life.
If she is NOT taught that the menstrual cycle is a crucial element in the balance of
the body, mind and spirit and she is led to believe that her moontime, menstrual
cycle, is a time of punishment, embarrassment, shame or disease, she will carry
around a burden that will block her very ability to tap into the creative forces of
the universe. She will be unable to allow her creativity to rise to its highest and

8. fullest potential. This will block her ability to enjoy her experience of life as a
woman.
What if young women understood the true purpose of the menstrual cycle and
were guided to greet each moontime with the intent to release and renew? What if
she understood her creative energy? What if she understood the feminine energy?
What if through these understandings she no longer carried burdens of women
before her?
It is time for Women to be brave, heal their wounds, renew their connection with
the creative forces and present the experience of moontime as a cleansing,
releasing and renewing experience. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t experience a
menarche ceremony- you can have one NOW!
You can decide how you would like to honour yourself. So much healing can be
done between women. Just gathering a group of women and honouring each
other is a sacred ceremony in itself. But why not create your own ceremony?
Maybe you know other women who would also like to be honoured and
celebrated?
Gather together and plan how you would like to honour each other. Some
ceremonies I have taken part in have had intricate planning, and extremely
symbolic ritual- wearing white clothes and then changing to red, making and
giving gifts, cutting pieces of hair, singing and chanting, anointing each other,
having a new name, building a sweat lodge and sweating together…be creative and
design whatever kind of ceremony appeals to you.
Whilst I understand that many women like these ceremonies to be a female only
event; I did attend an amazing menarche ceremony that involved a whole tribe. It
was wonderful to see the involvement of the men; the boys making crowns and
garlands for the young women, the men ‘guarding’ the sacred space and when the
time was right joining the women in their space and honouring them with a
specially written song- in return the women honoured the men with a blood
myth story. All the women took part- the Crones (menopausal women)
‘guarded’ the entrance of the scared space from the inside, there was a high
priestess, the young women had Moon Mothers, the rest of the women created
the sacred space decorating it with red cloths, flowers, candles and incense and
cleansed the space with their ancient goddess chants.
Preparations for the ceremony began days before hand with every one having
some task or another.
It was such a beautiful event to be allowed a part in. It was the first ceremony I had
been involved with that had included the men. This was a very powerful statement
to me.
This was a true healing process. For after centuries of Patriarchy dishonouring

9. women- here I was witnessing these men honouring their sisters. More of these
types of ceremony that bring both men and women together to heal each other
will be a huge gift in healing the collective trauma of the past.
I believe that we desperately need to expand and build on these positive,
illuminating rituals and celebrations in the lives of adolescent girls and wounded
women. It is my hope that when a man or woman shares in these rites that they
will be able to take away a little ancient magic for themselves.
After the first year or so of bleeding our menstruation should have taken on it’s
own pattern of cycling. Women’s cycles can vary but most of us will bleed every
28 days or so. Prior to the actual bleeding we may have what is medically termed
as ‘PMT’ or ‘PMS’; Pre-Menstrual Tension or Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. Exploring
pre-menstrual tension is a vast subject.
I want to begin by saying that since becoming more in tune with my cycle my
PMT has lessened. I used to suffer from PMT 2 weeks out of 4! From ovulation to
my time of bleeding. Now I have one day of feeling crabby and out of sorts, my
skin usually has a break out but that’s as bad as it gets!
I believe PMT is our bodies’ way of telling us to go within, reconnect, spend time
with yourself! We are so busy ignoring our periods and ‘doing’ life we have
forgotten how to just ‘be’. PMT is telling us to ‘be’.
PMT is the term we use for the negative side effects of menstruation- it can be
anything from spots, to cramps, to bloating, to extreme mood swings, to food
cravings…it could be all of these or a combination. Most of these symptoms are
due to our hormones being out of balance. Women who experience rage,
depression, or irritability of PMT can vouch for the fact that it is not just a physical
process the body goes through. PMT is not just a physical biological event. It’s an
emotional, mental and spiritual experience. At ovulation an egg is released;
preparing to be fertilised and implanted. The whole creative reproductive centre of
our being gets ready for this process. The lining of the uterus (endometrium) is
becoming thicker with nutrients ready to support a new life. There is a build up of
energy in our creative centre; not only on the physical, but also on the emotional,
mental, and spiritual levels of our being.
If we are experiencing awful PMT we can tune in to our inner wisdom to try to
connect to what this imbalance is about. What else are we preparing to gestate in
our life? What other seeds are awaiting fertilisation and implantation? ...Creative
projects, big ideas, decisions.
What else is ripening? What other long awaited dreams, wishes, ideals are hoping
to come to fruition? Be aware that not all our dreams and desires can be fulfilled
in one short menstrual cycle... but are we working towards these goals? Are we
acknowledging our needs? Are we making some progress in our life’s plan? For the

10. egg that is released, it is pretty much a life or death issue; it is fertilised and
implanted or it dies. That's it, no second chance. On a cellular level we understand
this and I believe this is what adds that intensity to PMT, and the many
unresolved, unacknowledged dreams and expectations that appear at this time.
This is why as we see yet another cycle coming to a close, another lost
opportunity. We become dissatisfied with our life choices, our partners, our
careers, our health, our passions etc.
The premenstrual phase is a last attempt to implant that creative idea and as we are
more open to our intuition we are able to see more clearly even what those
desires are or what exactly is standing in our way. No wonder we experience the
negativity of frustration, anger and grief!
So to help ease PMT I recommend plenty of rest and relaxation – make some time
for yourself, time to just ‘be’. Create your own ‘moon lodge’, a quiet space to
meditate in, do yoga, write, dream, draw, sew or make things.
Eating a healthy balanced diet is important. Try to avoid foods like coffee, tea,
alcohol, sugar and anything containing sugar, artificial flavourings and colourings,
processed foods, wheat and wheat products, meat, cigarettes, drugs, chocolate,
fizzy caffeinated drinks, milk and milk products- basically all the refined and junk
foods in the pre menstrual phase.
Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy stuff that allows your body to
detoxify for awhile. It’s only for a few days- try it and notice the difference! By
giving our bodies the nutrients it needs (essential for a healthy body and healthy
cycle!) our PMT becomes more manageable and as our body is supported and
nurtured our body will support us on the other levels- mental, emotional, and
spiritual.
Herbal teas are great- either see a herbalist or look in health food shops for ready
made menstrual mixes.
Certain vitamins and minerals can be useful.
Aromatherapy products can work really well.
Exercise is another important factor to help shift negative energies- try going for a
run or a bit of yoga- you won’t feel like doing it- but it will be worth a try! And
don’t forget orgasms are a great way to release pre-menstrual tension from the
pelvic area!
Our relationship to our reproductive organs or female parts is a reflection of our
own ease or dis-ease with our feminine expression in the world. As you heal and
address your relationship with your cycle your PMT will decrease.
Some women struggle to recognise their PMT time- this is where charting your
cycle can help. Knowing that our mood swings or food cravings are just a
symptom of our cycle can empower us to overcome them or allow us to

11. surrender to them.
Charting your cycle can be done in many ways- some women use it as a tool for
awareness of fertile times- a natural contraception or useful if they are trying to
become pregnant. Others use it as a means of being conscious of their connection
to the moon’s cycle, others just so they have an idea of when they will bleed.
Whatever your reasons it is a wonderful way to reconnect to your cycle.
The most basic way to chart your cycle is to keep a diary- noting in it when you
bleed. With this you can go in to as much or as little detail as you like. Some
women like to write things like- how heavy their loss is, how they feel, physical
symptoms; cramps, back ache etc. you may want to prompt yourself with some
questions- with relation to your Inner life, ask yourself- Do I take time alone?
What do I dream? What are my feelings? What do I need to say- and to whom?
And your Outer life-What am I eating? When do I play? When do I exercise? How
does my body feel? What am I wearing- do I feel attractive?
Or you may simply put a cross next to your bleeding days!
To chart your cycle next to the phases of the moon it is helpful to have a diary
that shows the moons cycle.
You can make a ‘moon dial’ by dividing a circle in to 28/29 sections (make it a
large circle!) and putting a full moon in one section, count 13/14 sections and put
in your new moon.
Use your diary to see what date the full moon or new moon is (whichever is
nearest to the date you make your dial) and then plot out the rest of the months
dates (and if you like- put in the whole cycle of the moons ebbs and flows) next
to your segments. Then when you bleed it will be easy to see where about the
moon is in relation to your cycle. In each day segment you can write about how
you are feeling or dreaming or bleeding. If you count day 1 as the first day of your
period you should notice that around day 14 you will be ovulating. Some women
bleed on the dark (new) moon and ovulate on a full moon- but this isn’t always
the case, our cycles can change. And since most of us live in cities with so much
artificial lighting our bodies can become alienated from the moons influence- so
for some women they feel no connection at all. I have found just noticing the
phases of the moon helps me to be more aware of my moods. We all seem to go a
little bit ‘crazy’ around a full moon- this is where the name ‘Lunatic’ comes from!
There are some physical ways to chart your cycle. One is to notice the position of
your cervix, or you can also chart your cervical mucus.
Another way to chart your cycle is Charting your Body Temperature.
Of course along with bleeding comes sanitary protection. As women we do 80%
of the house hold shopping- this gives us a lot of consumer clout! But still our
supermarket shelves are stocked with pads and tampons that are harmful to us and

12. the environment (see the Women’s Environmental Network page for facts about
pads and tampons- chapter 10 Warrior Moon). Points to bear in mind with
regards to ‘disposable’ sanitary items-Toxic Shock Syndrome, a rare but potentially
fatal illness which particularly affects younger women, is linked to tampons.
Tampons and towels are NOT sterile, despite their glowing white appearance.
Dioxins released during chlorine bleaching and plastics manufacture have been
shown to cause cancer, miscarriages and damage to the immune system. There is
another concern- Some products are made with cotton- this brings up the issue of
GM and fair trade. Tampons and pads are available made from organic cotton that
don’t have the non-biodegradable plastic- so use your consumer clout and
choose the best for the environment and yourself.
There are of course other alternatives- washable pads, sponges and mooncups. You
may wonder how using these alternatives can help heal our wombs wounds? I
believe that the physical act of washing our pads, cups or sponges connects us to
our blood and our cycle. Washing your blood out can be a mini ceremony each
month- taking the time to connect to your blood as you wash, maybe singing a
goddess chant?
Or you can use your moon water (the water your pads/cup/sponge have soaked
in) to feed your plants- once again singing to your plants as you feed and nurture
them with your own blood.
Many women don’t like the idea of washable pads- so they use a sponge or
menstrual cup. Personally I feel these are too much like tampons and promote the
idea of ‘stick it in and forget you are bleeding’. I like the washable pads- they are
about honouring your body, your menstruation and the earth. For not only can
you feed the earth with your blood- by using washable pads you are cutting down
the amount of waste we women produce using ‘disposable’ sanitary products.
Washable pads are not a step back in time but a positive step towards our planet’s
well being- even using washables just at night will reduce the amount of sanitary
waste we women produce with ‘disposable’ products. We spend an average 6.5
years of our lives bleeding. Most women in the world have no access to the luxury
of disposable sanitary towels and tampons but the average women in the
'developed' world uses about 15,000 of these products during our life.
If that isn’t enough to persuade you to try washable pads this might; I found that
my bleeding became lighter when I switched to washables. I have no idea why but
my belief is that the chemicals used in disposables actually make us bleed more-also
insuring we buy more products.
Pregnancy and birth are of course the main function of the womb and an amazing
opportunity to connect to your inner wisdom. A positive pregnancy and birthing
experience can be an excellent healing experience. The whole process of pregnancy

13. and birth is a complete reconnection to your body and yourself. We become and
embodiment of the Goddess, a bountiful creator! Women tend to rest and reflect
more during pregnancy, the tap in to their natural instincts- whether its following
a food craving or making their home ready for the baby (nesting)- this is
instinctual behaviour.
I found after the birth of my first child I began to notice more of my body’s
messages, become more empowered as a woman and have a complete awe of the
miracle of my body. Through birth we become a channel for a new spirit and we
can choose to surrender our self to what our body has to teach us.
Like with menstruation, pregnancy is a special time when we have a chance to take
care of ourselves, to rest and allow our bodies to surrender to the huge task of
creating life- If we don’t do this we could be setting ourselves up for exhaustion,
premature labour or toxemia. Studies show that women who are not supported or
who are highly stressed have a higher incidence of adverse outcomes in their
pregnancies.
Our modern society values women more during our childbearing years. Caroline
Myss says:
“Woman literally illustrates the on-going life pattern of how energy becomes
matter though pregnancy, labour and delivery.”
Nothing could be more powerful. This is one reason why women should relish
and celebrate pregnancy.
Our baby is part of us- therefore it is ideal if a positive inner communication
between us and our child is set in motion as soon as possible. This will aid us to
deepen our trust in our self that will continue after birth. Our western society has
lost touch with our natural birthing knowledge. A study of the differences
between women who had chosen to have their labours induced versus those who
chose to let labour come spontaneously showed that those who chose induction
did not trust in their own reproductive systems. They were also more likely to
complain during their menstrual periods, had more complications in their
obstetrical histories, and were more anxious about labour.
Trusting the birth process and our instinctive knowledge of how to tune in to the
baby and give birth truly empowers us if we can embrace the experience. If
nothing else, the pain of labour demands we pay attention! Learning to let go and
allow the process to happen is also great training for the give-and-take of
parenting. It is truly an opportunity to tune in to our instinctive mothering skills.
Birthing a baby can be an empowering experience when we trust our body, when
we love and want our baby, and we are comfortable with our sexuality. For many
women, having a baby is their first experience of being connected to other women
and with their own creativity. It is the miracle of being “one with every woman

14. who had ever given birth.” This is the power of birth.
Negative birth experiences can be just as useful and healing. Although I became
more aware of listening to my body during and after my first pregnancy, my
actual birthing experience wasn’t so good. But I was young, uninformed and I
handed myself over to the care of ‘professionals’-in hind sight they weren’t so
caring. I was one of those anxious mothers; my daughter was induced- although
not by choice, I was doped up on pethadine, cut (given an episiotomy) and I came
away feeling almost taken advantage of and abused. But had I taken the time to be
informed, gone to ante natal classes, empowered my self with some knowledge of
what to expect maybe I would have felt more confident to be in control. But as a
frightened 18 year old I just did what the doctors and midwives suggested- even
though I didn’t really want to.
With my second child I felt more confident about the process of birth, I allowed
myself more time to ‘be’, to listen to the baby inside me and commune with him.
This time I knew more or less what to expect with the birth and I wanted it to be
an enjoyable experience. I loved the ante natal yoga (I’ve been yoga-ing ever
since!) and had a great midwife who helped me prepare my birth plan. Whilst I
would have liked a home birth- these were rare up north, all the rage in the South,
in London and Bristol, it was still seen as very weird in Liverpool! So I opted for a
water birth. I did the whole bohemian thing- whale song playing, incense, candles!
The midwives thought I was slightly weird- but I felt totally empowered. Two
totally different birth experiences but both absolutely incredible!
To gaze upon your new born child with awe and amazement that you created this.
What a miracle our bodies are!
Being sexual with a partner who respects you and embraces your female power is
an amazing union of god and goddess. Women’s sexual energy has been ignored,
shamed and hidden due to our cultural influences. Our Patriarchal society has
influenced how women see themselves and how men see women.
We have an inherent double standard with regard to sexuality in our culture. Look
at the number of Internet sites that sell Viagra to men without a prescription.
(Women still cannot get birth control pills anywhere without a prescription.)
While there is no question that Viagra can increase the quality of life for couples
in which the male partner suffers from erectile dysfunction, our culture is quick to
overlook the holistic nature of sexual function and how profoundly it is enhanced
when a couple is truly connected in all ways. But because our patriarchal culture
associates sexuality with genitalia, it is easier to create a pill that allows men to
have reliable erections without having to connect their hearts with their penises.
Sacred sex is lovers coming together and embracing their bodies, their minds and
their spirits. It is holistic loving. It is conscious sex. It is a transcendental sexual

15. experience that produces a sense of merging with your source of energy, losing
your physical boundaries at the moment of orgasm. This is often described as
“being in the moment of boundless bliss”. Many ancient and modern visionary
experiences have been described as feelings of being “bathed in pure light.” This is
cosmic orgasm, the direct experience of the self as pure energy, in union with a
divine source.
Although there are many rituals and meditation techniques can sometimes allow
you to be more open to such transcendent experiences, you do not have to spend
years in training to experience spontaneous, spiritual sex, but it may be necessary
to be receptive to the possibility of connecting higher states of awareness with
peak sexual experiences.
Many women already experience sex and a spiritual experience. I know when I have
had a sex with a great lover I have been very aware of my energy rising and have
felt awake and present in my body. When spiritual teachers talk of being in the
‘now’ – this is what I experienced. Feeling present, feeling open and feeling a
connection to the divine life force that runs though me- and everyone. I felt
myself and my lover surrounded by a great, golden light, and felt myself as
transparent, luminous energy. I saw seven vortexes lined up in my body.
These I realised where my chakras. (Seven main energy centres often mentioned in
Eastern spiritual practises and therapies) my energy centres looked like radiant
lights in my body. This was my life force, freely flowing through all centres, which
were illuminated and energised by my orgasm.
However, such experiences of sexual energy that go far beyond ordinary reality
can be terrifying to some people.
One women I knew experienced a negative response from her partner. She had felt
her energy strongly dancing though her body and described it as a feeling of not
knowing where she ended and her partner began.
It was way beyond anything she had experienced before and beyond her
knowledge of what she described as ‘genital’ sex. She was having full body orgasms
that she sensed as moving though and swirling around them both. Her body had
been a perfect conductor of life force energy and she had transmuted this power
effortlessly, but her partner’s body had been overwhelmed by the surge of power
she had been capable of handling. He felt sick the next day. Her partner was clearly
operating at a different level of energy and therefore, the experience felt dissonant
to him. He chose not to participate in any further sexual relationship with her,
which wounded and confused her.
This illustrates the spontaneous link between sex and spiritual state, and highlights
a common dilemma with partner sex. Many women have had similar experiences
with a partner who has reacted negatively to the overwhelming intensity of such

16. sexual energy. Sexually, the heart is a source of healing for the self and one’s lover.
The shift from the attachment of desire into selfless love for another is facilitated
through communion with your lover. Personal desire generates sexual
attachment-the feeling of ‘owning’ -loving communion extends beyond personal
attachment. Your lover is no longer perceived as ‘yours,’ but as a beloved gift of
the Divine. To have this awareness, you need to choose to come to your sexual
union with a consciousness of healing and shared agreement to honour each
other as divine God/Goddess.
Sometimes when couples have counselling it is because they have lost their sexual
connection. Women can feel that there is something missing, they feel sexually
incomplete, even when they are easily orgasmic. Often this is because sex is often
genitally focused and becomes monotonous without holistic discovery of the
emotional and spiritual side of sex. This spiritual connection is what is missing.
Exploring spiritual sex opens you up to a loving sexual energy that you may never
have encountered- true communion with our lover.
Our daughters, nieces, cousins, god daughters… all need to be guided thought the
transition in to womanhood with as much awareness and sensitivity as possible.
We have to be there for them to guide them through the emotional waters of
their menarche and share our wisdom with them and be a living example that our
menstruation doesn’t have to be a curse! It can be a wonderful time of renewal
and powerful magic!
Mentoring is an increasingly popular concept and has become an important way
to pass on our experience and wisdom to the next generation.
This is what the national Mentoring Network says about it : Mentoring is:
"a one-to-one, non-judgmental relationship in which an individual voluntarily
gives time to support and encourage another.” (Active Community Unit, Home
Office);
"support, assistance, advocacy or guidance given by one person to another in
order to achieve an objective or several objectives over a period of time" (SOVA);
"an adult who can provide a pupil with the benefit of their life, school or work
experience with a view to encouraging them to move confidently through a range
of new experiences" (Salford Business Education Partnership);
"off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in
knowledge, work or thinking." (Megginson and Clutterbuck);
"a process by which an older and more experienced person takes a younger person
under his/her wing, freely offering advice, support and encouragement. The older
person (the mentor) becomes among other things, a role model who inspires the
younger person (the mentee)" (North London College).
Mentors are:

17. "people who through their actions and work, help others to achieve their
potential" (Shea, GF);
"someone who helps another person on a one to one basis, usually younger,
through an important transition" (The DIVERT Trust);
"many things - a positive role model, an adviser, an experienced friend. Somebody
from outside a person's immediate circle taking a special interest can make an
enormous difference."(Excellence in Schools, 1997).
You don’t have to join a scheme to be a mentor- it’s just about being a friend
who has a little more experience in life and can offer support, advice and practical
help. It can be as simple as being available (and approachable) to friends of your
children, children of your friends, relatives, colleagues and work mates.
Healing the wounds of the womb is about taking every opportunity to listen,
nurture and embrace our womanhood. Its about sharing and supporting our
sisters, educating our sons and our brothers, connecting to our inner magic and
reclaiming our natural birthright.

18. Massage and Essential Oils for Menstrual Health
Your bleeding time is a time to look after yourself, to focus inwards. Massage
provides an opportunity for deep relaxation and revitalization. It is a wonderful
treatment for women as they pass through their cycle in to the bleeding phase. It
is a time to lie and just be. Taking time out in today’s society is difficult, we have
so much to do- whether we are mothers, workers, students- we are all women and
need to take time to rest and reflect.
Massage can be extremely beneficial both before and during your menses. Deep
abdominal massage just before and through the first few days of your period can
increase the flow, but a firm loving massage can ease away the aches and pains and
entice you in to yourself.
If you feel uncomfortable about seeing a massage practitioner while you are
bleeding here are a few simple techniques you could ask a partner or friend to try.
Use a little almond oil and a few drops of essential oils if you wish.
Essential oils-
For scanty periods- chamomile, clary sage, basil, lavender or rose
For irregular periods- melissa, rose or clary sage
For excessive blood loss- cypress or rose
For painful periods- chamomile, clary sage, cypress, jasmine, marjoram, Melissa,
peppermint or rosemary.
Try different pressures in the techniques to find which is comfortable for you- a
strong pressure may be good on your back but a gentle pressure might be better
on your front.
1. Stroking the abdominal area in the direction of the arrows.
2. stroking in a clockwise direction around abdomen and pubis

19. 3.“Wringing” action- moving one hand gently in one direction as the other
hand moves at the same time in the opposite direction.
4. Turn over! Wringing action as before across the lower back.
5. Circular movements using the heel of the hands beside the spine* and down
the sides *never press on the spine itself.
6. Using the thumbs or 3 fingers together make small circular movements
along either side and around the buttocks.

20. 7. Using the heels of the hands, firm movements in circular motion (taking
care not to spread the buttocks!)
8. Again, thumbs or fingers- circular movements from the base of the spine
up to the side of the lower chest.
9. Standing at the head, using a downwards stroke with both hands to the base
of the spine and pulling up the sides putting on more pressure at the base of
the spine.
All of the movements can be done as many times as you wish and in whatever
sequence you prefer. Start with light pressure and see how deep you feel is
comfortable or beneficial.

21. Yoga positions to ease menstruation
1. Supta Virasana (hero pose- supine)
Use a bolster for support. Kneel with the buttocks resting between the heels,
roll your calves outwards to be more comfortable. Exhale and recline the trunk
back and rest the elbows one by one on the floor. Relieve the pressure of the
elbows by releasing the arms by the side of the feet and thighs.
This asana stretches the abdominal organs and pelvic region.
2. Supta Baddhakonasana (cobblers pose- supine)
Sit with the feet together, lined up with the soles touching- bring the heels as
close as possible to the pubis. Relax the knees, keeping the torso lifting, extend
the spine and open the chest. Exhale and recline back in to a bolster- placed
sideways across the mid/lower back. Rest on the elbows the slowly release the
arms over the head and let them gently rest. (to keep the feet in place this can
be done with your toes pushing against a wall)
This asana stretches the hips and increases flexibility.

22. 3. Baddhakonasana (cobblers pose)
Sit with the feet together, lined up with the soles touching- bring the heels as
close as possible to the pubis and let the knees relax down. Keep the torso lifted
extend the spine and open the chest. It may be more comfortable to do this
asana against a wall or with a block underneath the sitting bones.
Again this asana stretches the hips and increases flexibility.
4. Upavistakonasana (wide angled seated pose)
Sit upright and spread the legs as wide apart as possible. Keep the front of the
legs facing the ceiling and feet upright. Straighten the knees and pull the thigh
muscles back towards the groin. Draw the torso upright, extend the spine and
open the chest. Breathe evenly. This pose opens the pelvis.
5. Janusirsasana (head to knee pose)
Sit upright, bend the right leg, lean forward and catch the left foot- use a belt
if necessary. Stretch the torso up, make the spine concave and look up, keeping
the left leg straight. Repeat on other leg. This asana tones the abdominal
organs and keeps them free from sluggishness.
6. Triang Mukhaikapada Pascimottanasana (forward bend with leg bent back)
Sit upright, bend the right leg back placing he foot beside the hip, lean forward
and catch the left foot- use a belt if necessary. Stretch the torso up, make the
spine concave and look up, keeping the left leg straight. Repeat on other
leg.This asana tones the abdominal organs and keeps them free from
sluggishness.
7. Ardha Baddha Padma Pascimottanasana (half lotus forward bend)
Sit with the legs stretched in front of you, bend the right leg and place the foot
on top of the left thigh, in the groin. bend forward, hold the left foot, stretch
the torso forward. Again this is great for the abdominal organs.
8. Maricyasana (simple twist with forward bend)
Sit with legs stretched in front of you, bend the left knee up and bring the foot
in front of the pubis. Place the inner edge of the foot against the right inner
thigh. Keep the right leg extended. Turn to the right ad bring the left upper
arm in front of the left knee. Place the right hand behind the right hip. Press
the fingertips of the right hand in to the floor, and left arm against the knee,
turn the torso more. Rotate the left arm inward so that the palm faces back.
Bend the elbow, take the arm around the leg and then behind the back and

23. catch the left hand, lift the torso and now stretch forward over the straight leg.
Keep the abdomen soft. Repeat n the other side.This asana tones abdominal
organs, and is good for the spine and hips.
9. Pascimottanasana (full forward bend )
Sit with legs stretched in front of you, lean forward, catch the feet- use a belt if
needed. Stretch the torso up, lift the chest and look up. keep the knees straight.
Now bend forward over the legs, catching further with the hands, stretch the
front of the body and spine to go further. Maintain an even extension of both
legs and both side of the body. Take the head down.
This once again tones abdominal organs, as well as the kidneys and rejuvenates
the spine. It massages the heart and gives increased vitality.

24. Wise Women Allies
Here we focus on herbs- women’s allies!
Moon Time Allies: Raspberry – a moon time favourite
Herbs are amazing allies to support us
through out our cycle.
Many herbs are considered ‘foods’ – as they
are high in mineral and vitamin content-
Raspberry is one of these herbs. Raspberry is
one of my favourite herbs for Woman’s
Health -this wonderful herb has been used for centuries for its beneficial health
properties. Raspberry Leaf is rich in vitamins- B, C and E, minerals-manganese,
calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium and other essential nutrients. This
herb has long been used for woman’s gynaecological health issues, like PMS,
uterine toning and balancing.
It has a long history of use with women for women’s problems in Europe and it
was used as a remedy by the women of the Cherokee, Iroquois and Mohawk
nations of North America. Raspberry Leaf is most commonly known as a herb
for pregnancy- it’s used throughout pregnancy for its high mineral content but
also because of its properties of strengthening and toning the uterus, whilst at
the same time enabling it to relax. It’s used during labour, as a nutritional
postpartum and for overall menstrual health. Raspberry is a tonic for the
uterus- increasing the tone of flaccid uterus muscles and relaxing ridged ones-which
ever action the body needs!
The tonic action of Raspberry regulates action of the uterine muscle-aiding the
reduction of menstrual pain. The high Tannin content in Raspberry strengthens
the capillary beds and mucus membranes helping to curb excess bleeding and
mucus discharge. This power packed plant is helpful for building strong bones
and teeth, it tones the digestive system and is a great remedy for diarrhoea in
young children.
Raspberry Leaf:
o strengthens and relaxes the uterus
o reduces cramping and excess bleeding
o provides nourishment for the whole body

25. Raspberry Leaf infusion- Put a large handful of Raspberry leaf in to a heat proof
container (a large flask would work well) cover with a approx 1 litre of just boiled
water, cover and leave for at least 4 hours- or over night. Strain and drink- up to a
litre can be drunk each day- 3 to 5 days a week. You could also add other herbs to
increase the nourishing properties- such as Nettle (high in vitamins and minerals
and will curb excess bleeding) or Peppermint (high in vitamins and will add flavour
to the infusion)
Here is a recipe to increase Mothers milk when nursing.
Mama Milk: 1 part Blessed Thistle (also known as Mother Milk Thistle) 2 parts
Nettle (Nettles are one of the most widely applicable plants we have. They
strengthen and support the whole body. Throughout Europe they are used as a
spring tonic and general detoxifying remedy. Rich in Chlorophyll, Iron,
Calcium and it increases breast milk and energy)
2 parts Raspberry Leaf (Rich in Calcium and Iron) 1 part Fennel Seed
(Increases flow of milk)
½ part Fenugreek (Strong milk increaser) Crush the Fenugreek and Fennel
seeds.
Mix mixture together and add 2 teaspoons to cup of gently simmering water
and simmer for ten minutes because of all of the leaf matter.
Moon Time Allies: Lady’s Mantle
Lady's-mantle owes its scientific name and a
certain pseudoscientific reputation to the fact
that its leaves are efficient collectors of dew.
The alchemists believed that the dewdrops that
gather on the leaves had magical powers to
help them in their search for the philosopher's
stone, with which they expected to turn base metals to gold. The name lady's-mantle
refers to the plant's shapely, pleated leaves, which resemble a medieval
lady's cloak-one suitable for the Virgin Mary, hence the plant's original
common name, Our-Lady's-mantle.
Generations of folk healers have prized the plant for its astringent properties.
They have used it externally and internally to stop bleeding (including excessive
menstruation), to heal wounds, to relieve vomiting, and in a host of other
cures. Early herbalists believed that the plant had such strong contractile powers
that it could "restore" lost virginity and give new firmness to flabby breasts.

26. Lady's-mantle is still used in herbal medicine, but its chief function is as a
garden plant. The leaves usually have nine lobes, which account for the name
nine hooks.
Lady's mantle is said to have an affinity for the female reproductive tract. Its
astringent tannins help to reduce heavy periods, particularly useful around the
menopause, while as a uterine stimulant and emmenagogue it stimulates
menstrual flow and can be used to stimulate contractions during childbirth.
Lady' mantle can be used to relieve period pains and to regulate periods, and
was a traditional remedy for inducing sleep. The astringent properties useful for
treating diarrhoea and gastroenteritis, while the salicylic acid reduces
inflammation in the digestive and reproductive systems.
Lady's mantle can be used externally as a douche or lotion (mixed with rose
water if you wish) for vaginal discharge, irritation and infection. It also makes
good skin lotion for rashes such as eczema, cuts and wounds, sores and insect
bites.
Moon Time Allies: Cramp Bark
Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) – as you
can probably guess from it name it is
mostly used as a muscle and nervous
relaxant for cramping pains, it aids
menstrual cramps and general aches and
pains!
Cramp Bark goes by many names; Guelder Rose, Snowball Tree, Red Elder, Rose
Elder, and Water Elder, to name a few. It resembles the common elder in its
growth habits. Cramp Bark is especially helpful with cramping of PMS and our
menstruation. The part of this herb used medicinally is the dried bark or the
root or stem. Cramp bark has antispasmodic (relieves muscle spasms), anti-inflammatory
(relieves inflammation), nervine (calms and soothes the nerves),
hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), astringent (causes local contraction),
emmenagogic (induces menstruation), and sedative (reduces activity and
excitement) properties. The berries of cramp bark have antiscorbutic (effective
against scurvy) properties due to their vitamin C content. Cramp bark is used
to treat excessive blood loss during menstruation and menopause, and to
induce menstruation in women with light or delayed periods. A woman may
treat dysmenorrhea prophylactically (before symptoms appear) by taking
cramp bark the day before painful menstruation is expected. Cramp bark is also
used to treat endometriosis and threatened miscarriage- this wonderful herb

27. has been successfully used by millions of women in cases of threatened
miscarriage.
The Meskwaki Indians of North America took Cramp Bark for cramps and pains
throughout the body, while the Penobscot Indians used it to treat swollen
glands and mumps. Cramp bark is sometimes erroneously called Black Haw.
Even though Cramp Bark effects are milder than those of Black Haw, the two
can be, and often are, used alternately in treating various conditions.
!!Avoid Cramp Bark in cases of blood clotting impairment!!
Cramp Bark is commonly used in herbal medicine as a nerve sedative and anti-spasmodic
in asthma and hysteria. It is also used to relieve muscle tension in
the intestines, airways, uterus, and striated muscles in the limbs or back. It can
be taken internally or applied externally for those conditions. This herb also
works well in treating the symptoms of menstrual pain, back pain,
constipation, colic, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the physical
symptoms of nervous tension. Cramp Bark has also been effective in treating
arthritis where joint weakness and pain have caused the muscles to become
almost rigid. It has also been used in treating high blood pressure and other
circulatory conditions.

28. Take a Sacred Day Each Month.
I see PMT as a modern day disease/dis-ease. In cultures where women are more in
tune with nature and their cycles, where they eat 'real' (natural) foods, where they
work hard but not in offices, not in front of computer screens all day- PMT
doesn't exist!
So if we break it down in to simple steps perhaps we too can eradicate PMT!
Your Sacred Day...the first thing I strongly suggest is keeping your first bleeding
day as SACRED! This is the time to retreat, ignore the outer world, switch off your
phones, facebook, the TV, the radio, and instead go within yourself, ask yourself
what you need. This is your time to GET CLEAR, RELEASE and LET GO of whats
not needed in your life!
On the first day of your moontime your intuition is higher than ANY OTHER
day of the month!
When we take this time out to go within, we tune in to our inner power, which
then releases dreams and ideas for us to use later in the month.
After nurturing ourselves in this way we will feel replenished and feel as if we have
a fresh start; a chance to begin again. We are so lucky to have this chance to
rebirth EVERY MONTH! WHAT A BLESSING!
If every woman started to take this time out we will CREATE CHANGE IN THE
WORLD!
So you may have to be 'selfish' to make this happen for yourself. Be clear that this
is a day to REST and SELF NOURISH. You are being selfish now so you can be
selfless later in the month!
At this time you are sensitive and vulnerable, you need this sacred day to protect
yourself. Even if you only have 5 mins before you get out of bed, do something
that nurtures you and helps you develop an inner attitude of rest and renewal for
the rest of the day.

29. Some ideas of what you can do:
journalling
meditation
silence (allow your insight to come though the silence)
yoga
movement
tai chi
chi gong
Take this time to allow your body to detox and purify, by eating nourishing
foods; root vegetables are grounding, leafy greens are detoxing, eat healthy fats-coconut,
avocado, seeds and nuts.
Drink water and gentle herb teas such as raspberry leaf. (raspberry leaf gives
strength and is beneficial even to menopausal, non bleeding women)
Avoid toxifying foods; processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, fatty fried foods.
Keep your diet simple to support your body to cleanse itself.
If you are no longer bleeding- perhaps because of pregnancy, breastfeeding,
menopause, a hysterectomy, I urge you to still watch the moon, notice the
gentle nudges she gives you. On the dark moon take time out, retreat and look
after yourself. On the full moon; engage more in the world, do all the things
that turn you on, get your creative juices flowing!

30. Healing Moon - Embracing our Moon Times when living with health
challenges. By Grace Quantock
This is an urgent SOS sent directly to your hopeful heart. The way things are now
is not the way they must stay. There is a place between cured and always sick, and
you can play there.
I always wanted to embrace my moon time, but when it was also the time of the
month in which I was in the most pain, this was a challenge.
For some of us, menstruation can be a time of fear and pain - not because we
worry about menstrual myths, or not being able to swim or have sex (gasp) but
because if we have an illness or disability related to our reproductive organs,
menstruation can make it all the more present and in focus.
'I just want to be ok', it felt like my mantra. From keeling over in pain and
collapsing down a flight of stairs, hours in gynaecologist's waiting rooms and days
in the bath just keeping the hot water topped up and trying to stay awake, I'd
gone through the rigmarole when it came to menstrual problems.
In the early days, all I wanted was not to be in constant pain. I enquired about
hysterectomies, long term contraception, anything to stop me bleeding and
hurting.
I didn't want to tune in to my cycle and count the days until my internal organs
tried to tear themselves apart once again.
The one cold February day my kind Doctor looked up from my notes and told me
he thought I might have sarcoma, and I needed to go for tests - now. I was 22
years old, and oh, I was scared.
I'll skip to the ending, it turned out I didn't have sarcoma, I had extensive
osteoporosis (now reversed, hooray), but I had decided if I got to keep on
breathing I was going to live not just survive.
We made a plan for healing and radically, this began with acceptance.
Radical Acceptance.
There is a dichotomy here - if I want to build a right relationship with my body, I
have to love it as it is now.
If I want to heal my body, I have to love it as it is right now. But if I want my body

31. to heal I need to love all of me without the healing. Without the caveats of 'when
I've lost that 1/2 stone', 'when I've got back into yoga', or 'when I am well' etc.
Not Broken
I'm not broken, I am so beautiful. My life and my body are a testament to the
truth that scars can turn into shooting stars and bodies are just the canvas we
begin with.
I know you've probably let go of the image of the idealised super-skinny
photoshopped model, but are you still struggling with idealised beliefs around
'healthy' and 'normal'?
You are not lesser. What if you aren't broken and don't need fixing? We often
push and struggle towards an unspecified 'normal' which exhausts us and shows no
results.
Perhaps if we just let go of all the pushing and say, 'ok, right now my body is
showing endometriosis, infertility, poly cystic ovary syndrome, fibroids, or
cancer'.
Then ask, 'what can I do to support my body to heal?'. How can we create the best
possible environment in which to heal. Let's take away everything blocking our
healing and see what happens.
Build Your Healing Moon Map
What better place to begin your healing than in your moon-time?
Get a little quite now, and tune in. What do you and your body need?
* Maybe when the cramps and cutting right through you've noticed that they ease
when you curl up with warmth and rest.
(So perhaps taking some time to create that from the beginning is a good thing?)
* Is it the case that you feel achy and never really feel 'well' enough to exercise?
(Maybe dedicating some time to gentle Feldenkrais or restorative yoga during
your moon time will help ease the stiffness and release any stuck emotions.)
* You want to eat differently but just don't know where to begin? You are full to

32. the brim and exhausted by conflicting messages over what you 'must' do to live
well.
(Can you let your moon time silence guide you? See the kitchen as a temple and
your stove as an altar to brew or bake up some healing. Ask your body what it
craves now - it could be porridge like when you were little, a fresh sweet orange or
a salad tangy with fennel. Listen and use your moon time sacred space to prepare
this offering to your healing body.)
* If pain is your overwhelming experience then maybe a pain plan with layered pain
relief, a TENS machine, massage techniques or osteopathy might bring some
relief.
(Make a list of what you want to explore and set dates to research or book
appointment to learn more. If money is an issue as about students, sliding scale,
barter and keep asking until you find a way.)
* Are you a woman who is no longer menstruating, who has not yet begun, or
whose periods have been affected by your health challenge?
(You can still have your moon time. Creating a time to connect to your inner
Goddess and your healing magic is powerful and essential. Choose yours with care
- a regular day every month, or a retreat when you feel the need. Build a box filled
with lovely things, soft blankets, beautiful music, funny books, favourite foods,
perhaps a moon time journal. Dive in and luxuriate.)
* Emotions raging out of control can feel quite terrifying, for us and those around
us. This can be further complicated by chronic and invisible conditions. Often we
'put up' with things until breaking point.
(Let's take action now and prevent cracks and shattering happening, rather than
trying to fix struggles after the fact. Your emotions need care and your
relationships deserve compassion, for your loved ones and your struggles. See
resources for more info.)
Turn Trail Blazer
The fact that you are doing this, creating this, living well with struggles and
shining - that's radical. It's creating change in your body and our world. I'm really

33. proud to be on this healing journey with you.
Thank you for healing along with me.
Grace's Radical Resources
Yoga: http://marianne-elliott.com/free-yoga-for-writers/
I love Marianne's work and a free sample of her yoga is here. Her 30 Days of Yoga
class helped me build a daily practice which served me well during deep pain and
built up my internal muscles to allow me to cope better with contractions.
Feldenkrais: http://www.feldenkrais.co.uk
Feldenkrais is incredibly healing and suitable for almost everyone, including those
who are bed bound.
Healing Boxes CIC: www.healing-boxes.com
We run this non-profit and make boxes of love, support and healing goodies for
anyone struggling with pain, illness or life crisis. If you want us to make you a
moon time box, just email and we will get it to you!
Emotional support: http://gracequantock.com/home/170-how-to-navigate-the-
emotional-tangles-of-serious-illness-with-free-e-guide
My blog series on dealing with emotions when ill or in pain is here. My years of
experience living and thriving with illness is what I want to share with you.
Moon Times Pads: http://moontimes.co.uk
Using washable menstrual pads was instrumental in my healing as it allowed me to
choose what felt best for my body, not what I felt were the 'normal' options.
Sacred Yoni: http://www.moontimes.co.uk/blog/yoni-cushions/
mine was made by the lovely Rachael Hertogs herself.
* Healing Uterus: http://www.etsy.com/shop/primavera777
I have a uterus plush which really helped when I was in a lot of fear about my
healing. It helped me to connect in joy and humour to my body plus it had to be
shipped from the USA and everyday I would ask 'has my uterus arrived yet?', well
it made us laugh.

34. My story of how the raw food diet healed my severe pre menstrual
syndrome and connected me back to my inner goddess
By Ashleigh Patterson
Six years ago I started a miraculous journey into health and well being. I decided
enough was enough and that I needed to sort out my health as I could not
tolerate my menstrual pain any longer.
I started to menstruate when I was eleven years old, I remember my first day when
I saw the blood. I was overjoyed as I believed many girls in my class at school had
already began to menstruate, this made me feel like a woman and from that
moment I felt all grown up and alive. This all changed however when I began to
suffer the pre menstrual syndrome also known as PMS. My mother had informed
me prior to starting menstruation that PMS was a part of this process and on a
monthly basis I had seen her taking tablets to relieve her pain, so I had a
understanding that I could experience pain with the bleeding. I never for one
minute released the extent of the pain which I experienced.
Every month I would have a vast amount of PMS symptoms, I would suffer from:
stomach cramps, headaches, dizzy spells and on many occasions, fainting. I would
blackout for a few minutes before coming back round to full consciousness.
I had spots all over my body. I suffered depression and isolation, I would isolate
myself every month and did not want to connect with anyone.
Mood swings; one minute I would be happy and full of life and then the next
minute would cry and start to bite at the people around me. It felt I had no
control over my moods and actions.
Skin discolouration; I would develop a yellow shadow on my chin when I was due
to menstruate this is how myself and my family knew I was due on my period.
Very heavy blood flow and bloating
All of these symptoms had a major effect on my life as I would be physically,
mentally, emotionally and spiritually debilitated for the full seven days of my
period. I missed a lot of school as I was unable to attend for at least three days
every month when I was menstruating. I would lie in bed or on the couch/sofa
with a hot water bottle placed on my stomach and my paracetamol and ibuprofen
next to me. Not only would I take these pharmaceuticals I would also take
codeine on occasions if the other tablets did not work.
At the age of twelve my mam decided to take me to the doctors to see why I was
experiencing so much pain. I had heard other women in my family mentioning
the contraceptive pill and how it can eliminate pain and also regulate the bleeding.
I had a feeling that the doctor would start me on the pill to help with my
symptoms, but before he could decide this he sent me to a gynaecologist to make

35. sure I had nothing untoward developing in my womb and ovaries. I underwent
scans which showed that all my symptoms were just part of my menstruation, I
was therefore commenced on the contraceptive pill. I took the pill until I reached
the age of 21. After a few month on the mini pill I was changed to the combined
pill, as I was continuing to develop menstrual pain. I was on this tablet until the
age of seventeen when I was changed to another pill, as the one I was previously
taking had been banned and discontinued as it was to strong of a dose and was
causing a lot of problems in women, for example; fertility problems and deep vein
thrombosis.
The contraceptive pill is a pill which a woman takes everyday for 21 days then she
will have a seven days break to enable her menstruation to take place. As I did not
want the pain involved with my menstruation I would carry on my pills, therefore
would not have a seven day break, meaning I would stop my menstruation until I
was ready to deal with the whole process. This was a very dangerous action to take
as I realise now all the damage which could have been done by not allowing my
cycle to take place.
Time to change.
Six years ago I came across the raw food diet. I witnessed my partner loose a
substantial amount of weight in a short period of time and thought I would use
this to loose my weight also. As i was a size eighteen to twenty clothes due the
effects of the pill and my lifestyle at this time. When I began to implement the
principles of this lifestyle into my diet I began to notice a positive effect on my
menstrual cycle. My pain would reduce significantly, my bleeding would become
lighter and I would bleed for only three to four days as appose to seven full days.
My headaches, fainting, bloating etc, stopped. I began to have no PMS at all. This
was completely a shock for me as for ten years I had never had a period which did
not involve intense pain. I decided to stop the contraceptive pill and all other
pharmaceutical pills. I thought enough is enough it was time to take control over
my health, to embrace my menstrual cycle and to love my womb. This diet and
lifestyle change also helped my loose weight I dropped from a size eighteen to
tweny to eight to ten in less than one year.
The raw food diet.
At first I was confused on what I could actually eat as I thought I would have to
live off salads the rest of my life. I soon learned that I could make a vast amount
of nutritionally dense dishes. I began to eat fruits, vegetable, nuts, seeds, seaweeds,
sprouts, seaweeds, medifoods and tonic herbs. As the months passed I soon
released what food aggravated my monthly cycle and which ones encourage a
regular flow. I soon realised that sugar played a major part in my menstrual flow
and pain, if I ate sugar whether this being fruit sugars or coconut sugar I would

36. experience pain during my next period. Although I found I was ok with honey, as I
find honey to be very healing. I also found that introducing flax seeds and aduki
beans near to my period would exacerbate the pain during that cycle, I therefore
do not consume these when I no I am due to menstruate.
This diet has changed my life not only do I not suffer from PMS, my periods are
so regular I have came on my period on the 11th of every month at 10am for the
last five years. Only when I consume foods which effect my cycle will my bleeding
start earlier or later than the regular date.
My spiritual journey
Previous to starting this lifestyle I had no spiritual connection to my womb and
menstrual cycle, I had never for one minute thought of the Devine energies that
run though my body everyday and the power within our womb. Once I started to
eat Livefood, medifoods and herbs I began not only to change and heal physically
but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. No longer would I have mood
swings and feel depressed around certain times of my cycle, I would be full of
energy and life for the full 28 days of my cycle. My mental clarity began to
improve, although on the first day of my menstruation I can become slightly
confused this is nothing compared to my thinking previous to this health
transformation. I no longer experience mental fatigue, frustration and exhaustion.
Once I began to accept my menstrual cycle and had rid my body of the toxins
from the pill, analgesics and artificial foods I began to open up to the spiritual
aspect of my womb and womanhood. I purchased Miranda Grays red moon book
and optimized woman and these changed my whole perception of menstruation
and how woman can connect energetically to there cycle and womb space. This
opened my eyes to a whole new word of femininity, connecting to our inner
goddess and seeing your womb as a spiritual portal. I began to express my
femininity and goddess, I no longer hid my body and my moon times. I began to
understand the true concept of menstruation and how special and sacred this time
actually is, and realised if you connect to your own individual power, you can do
whatever you desire, you can make all your dreams and ambitions come true.
My mission
I now spread the word of connecting to femininity and embracing our womb and
menstrual energy. I feel every girl and woman should know that there is no need
to suffer on a monthly basis and that we have unlimited power within us. All
young girls also need not fear their menstruation as this is wonderful and
beautiful process which women are blessed to have.

37. Womb Blessings, my experience.
On the full moon in Feb 2012 I experienced my first Womb Blessing; Miranda
Gray's website had put out an offering to any women to take part in receiving this
free distant healing- a 'Womb Blessing'- the name called to me, I had no idea
what it would be, but it called to me, as if speaking to my inner core, my inner
woman- my inner womb?
I had decided to tune in to the evening blessing, and spent the day wondering
what the blessing might bring up. I had also noticed myself being 'aware' of my
womb and also looking at mothers with babies as they passed me in the town, and
was feeling rather broody- but was also keeping an inner dialogue going of “oh
no, I'm not having any more babies!”
When the time came to 'tune in', I settled on to my bed, with a tray holding a
vase of flowers, a large candle, my 2 'womb bowls' one holding a tea light and
another filled with water. I wrapped myself in a shawl, my toddler was with me as
daddy was at work, but she was absorbed in her own activity. I went through
Miranda's Womb Tree visualisation and immediately felt a 'reiki like' shift in my
energy and the connection with the full moon, bringing its energy and light into
my womb just felt so right, one of those sighs of relief 'I'm home' feelings. I felt a
oneness with all women and connection to the Divine Feminine in such beauty! It
blew me away and I wanted more!
Miranda soon posted on her site about up coming Womb Blessing training in
London and I just knew I had to do it...there was one snag though- the info said it
wasn't suitable for pregnant women...and I had just found out I had conceived
very soon after the womb blessing!! (Did you know you can ovulate when the full
moon is in your sun sign?! I knew it but hadn't ever put it to the test until that
Feb full moon!) Luckily Miranda allowed me to decide for myself- she trusted me
as I have been working with energy as a Reiki teacher and since I had attuned so
many people during my last pregnancy, (including some pregnant women) I
didn't see a problem with attuning to the Womb Blessing energy, especially since
this new soul had come in on the energy anyway!
At the end of the weekends training, I had such a feeling of completion, after
years of working with Reiki and Yoga, following very male spiritual trainings, it
felt like I finally had the missing piece, the feminine side of spirituality! All we
learned I felt I already 'knew', so it clicked into place perfectly!

38. Miranda talked about how in male spiritual practices its all about 'getting out of
your head, reaching nirvana, enlightenment', where as for women, our spiritual
home is being embodied in our hearts and our wombs.
What could be more spiritual than bleeding, birthing, loving?
Once trained, Miranda named us Moon Mothers, and we were now qualified to
give one to one womb blessings and healings, as well as offer groups and take part
in her 'World Wide Womb Blessings' (which have grown from 3,000 participants
in Feb 2012, to 45,000 in Feb 2013!).
Since training I have given many blessings and participated in many groups and
world wide blessings and as a pregnant woman they have felt so healing, and such
a gift to my unborn baby. At each blessing I have felt strongly connected to my
female lineage, to women in my community and at times all women across the
world! I have witnessed women healing old wounds through these blessings, from
guilt around miscarriage, to eased menses, to deep connection with a womb that
is no longer there. These blessings are doing powerful work- gently but deeply!
The Blessings after my birth have felt so different – although I had a beautiful
home pool birth, as with most birth there is a residue of trauma that the blessings
helped with and a hands on womb healing was a wonderful post natal gift!
I urge ALL women to participate in a Womb Blessing, find out if there is a group
near you or sign up for Miranda's free World Wide Womb Blessings here
http://www.wombblessing.com/

39. Contributors & Artists:
Suzi Edwards Goose (front cover art) paints and creates from her heart, inspired
by the Earth, Nature and the Land. She is touched by forests, stirred by landscapes
and blessed to be able to honour the land and her children with her creations.
https://www.facebook.com/ArtworkOfSuziGoose
Grace Quantock is a wellness provocateur, writer & founder of Healing Boxes CIC
& The Sick Chick to Trail Blazer Project. She is thriving with multiple autoimmune
illnesses & lives in Wales. Join the Trail Blazers' Movement & get your free
Healing Super Star Secret Training by signing up to the newsletter at
www.sickchicktotrailblazer.com
Ashleigh Patterson six years ago started to explore natural healing methods to
heal severe menstrual problems. She healed her severe PMS with a raw food diet
and natural therapies.
She know spreads all her knowledge and expertise on natural healing methods to
all women around the world. She has a passion and love for helping women and
young girls rid the taboos of menstruation and to connect to their cycle, natural
fertility methods, to express femininity and connect to the inner goddess within
every women.
Ashleigh has a vast knowledge in the menstrual process and connecting to your
womb space, she has studied reflexology, holistic fertility therapy and Iridology.
She hosts red tent around the uk for women to women connection and gathering
of the goddesses. With a vision to expand to all areas around the world.
http://www.lovenlotus.com/
Donna Raymond Artist and Co-Founder of InfinitUS Art Studio and Gallery
Queensland Australia
http://www.infinitusart.com

40. About Rachael
Rachael Hertogs is a mother of 4 gorgeous children, 2 beautiful daughters;
Tabitha 23 and Dorothy who is just 3, and 2 shining boys; Jericho just turned 21
and Emrys her womb blessing baby, 6 months old!
Rachael, her husband and 2 youngest live in the Wilds of West Wales where they
run a small holding; growing veggies and playing with their chickens and ducks in
the puddles and the sun!
She began her 'menstrual journey' when she started making cloth pads while
Tabitha was a baby! This led her to explore her cyclical nature and find healthy
ways to ease her PMT and work on her relationship to her body.
She became a massage therapist in her 20's, a Reiki Master in her 30's and trained
as one of Miranda Grays Moon Mothers (giving Womb and Yoni Blessings and
healings) and a doula in her 40's - along side working with addicts and single
mums teaching relaxation techniques, massage and Reiki, running her Moon
Times business, putting on menstrual health workshops, Mum and Daughter Days
and running full moon womens groups and dark moon red tents!
She has had articles on celebrating our young women, natural contraception and
positive menstruation published in Juno -natural parenting magazine.
She is a dedicated women’s menstrual health advocate, business woman, workshop
facilitator and member of The Red Web Foundation. Rachael is also the designer
of the most environmentally friendly sanitary wear imaginable! Moon Times cloth
Pads are made from organic cotton and hemp- and are pretty as well as kind to
Mother Earth.
Her aim is to empower women in body appreciation, environmental awareness
and self-respect through the use of eco menstrual products.
She believes a healthy appreciation of our bodies and ourselves as women can be
learnt through menstruation and when women are aware of the benefits of a
sustainable, healthy, economically viable and comfortable alternative, they
appreciate the contribution they can make by choosing alternative menstrual
products.
She also believes women deeply appreciate learning about alternative and positive
ways to think about their bodies.
Her websites:
Http:// www.rachaelhertogs.co.uk
http:// www.moontimes.co.uk
http://www.moontimes.co.uk/blog