What’s all this about ‘Moon Time’?

‘Moon Time’ refers to a woman’s menstrual cycle. Nowadays we refer to the event as as ‘menstruation’, ‘menses’, or ‘period’. Traditionally, a woman’s Moon Time is a sacred time…a time when she would be honored as a mother of the Creative Force, a time when she trusts her body’s natural rhythm of purification.

The connection between our bodies and the moon also includes the movements of the tides. As the Moon travels around the Earth, the oceans move with it. Due to the fact that our bodies are made up of mostly water (80%), the moon has a ‘pulling’ effect on the watery parts of the body. The moon is a weaver of tides, and a woman’s cycle follows the rhythm of that weaving. The world over, Indigenous societies recognized the connection between the moon and a woman’s cycle, and regarded Moon Time as a time of honor for women. It is a time for renewal, a time for trusting our intuition and connecting with ourselves. It is a time for letting go of that which we no longer need, a time of cleansing, reflection, and creativity.

“All women carry the cycle of life and death within us. It’s centre spirals in and out of our wombs and it manifests in our monthly bleeding cycle. In ancient times, women carried this knowledge and knew how to use and flow with the energies of the moon cycles. There was no shame or taboo around women’s blood. In fact, it was the source of women’s power, and the monthly rituals they practiced around their bleeding time were the first rituals in human history.” Kelly Rose Mason: The Way to Spirit Through our Bleeding Cycles

Alternatives to Conventional Menstrual Products
There are a number of alternative and organic products out there to choose from, that are a much healthier choice for our bodies and for the planet (compared to what is widely available at any given supermarket or drug store). To get to know what is available, take a look at your local health food store, organic foods market, or a small, local, conscious-living type of store. Often these places will carry things like the ‘Keeper’, the ‘Diva Cup’, re-useable menstrual pads, or organically made pads and tampons. The internet also has quite alot of information about these products, so you can get a good overview of what choices are available.

Why choose cloth menstrual pads?
So many reasons!! And ultimately, how a woman chooses to bleed is a very personal choice. Myself, I have tried almost everything out there on the market and have come to appreciate the simplicity and ease of using cloth. Personally, I have never been a huge fan of tampons (except for maybe the last couple of days of my Moon Time) and the thought of ‘blocking the flow’ seems to go against nature. If you are still unsure about re-useable pads, here are some things to consider:

1) Cloth pads are a healthy choice for our bodies. They are free of the harmful toxins that are found in conventional, disposable products. The cotton and the wood pulp that is used in disposable pads & tampons is chlorine bleached, which means that it contains and creates dioxins - a carcinogen that is harmful to humans and wildlife.

2) Choosing cloth is a good environmental choice and a good alternative to wasteful, disposable products. Cloth pads avoid plastics and it’s production that is associated with disposable products. They not only help to reduce the solid waste that goes to the landfill, but they save trees!

3) Cloth menstrual pads are a good economical choice. Designed to be used and enjoyed for many years, one can easily say that they save alot of money!

4) Cloth pads are sexy! Let’s be honest…would you rather be caught with your pants down wearing stinky plastic between your legs, or something breathable, colorfully patterned, fun and pretty?

Health Issues

Women who are prone to sensitivities like thrush or yeast infections, may find relief in choosing cloth menstrual pads. Cloth pads are soft and gentle on sensitive skin, and cloth is comfortable due to the breathability of the fabric. The benefit of air flow with cloth pads also inhibits fungal or bacterial growth and cloth is superbly gentle for tender parts in postpartum bleeding.

Because of the synthetic nature of the chemical-laden ‘throw-aways’, disposables tend to be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. This can obviously lead to problems for women who experience these sensitivities.

The way I see it, no matter how you choose to bleed, whether it be on a cloth menstrual pad, an organic cloth pad, a reusable menstrual cup, a natural sea sponge, or organic pads and tampons….just make sure to ask these two important questions: “Does this feel right for MY body”….and….”Is this a good choice for OUR environment?.”

If you are still ‘on the fence’ when it comes to reusable pads, I would encourage you to do some research and consider your impact on the planet. A huge amount of waste from disposables end up in our waterways, polluting oceans and rivers…they DO end up somewhere! The following quote from Recycling and Waste Reduction Statistics gives an us and eye-opening, jaw-dropping idea of just how much waste we create:
“In the US and Canada alone, more than 12 BILLION pads and tampons are tossed annually. The average woman throws away between 10,000 and 15,000 tampons, pads, and applicators over her lifetime”. From P2Pays-Recycling and Waste Reduction Statistics: The Disturbing Truth

We live in a beautiful and bountiful world, that is being threatened daily by the choices we make as consumers. Let’s keep it beautiful for the sake of our communities, for the sake of the earth that provides so much abundance for us all, for our children, and for the generations to come.

*To order some beautifully made cloth menstrual pads* please e-mail: [email protected]

Meaghan is co-creator of the Gingerbread Thread Company, and mom of a busy toddler. When she has time to work in her studio, she enjoys making useful, beautiful, and high quality items for moms (cloth menstrual pads, all-natural hand & face cream) and babes (recycled & felted wool diaper covers & pants).