WomansMoontime2of4

of their needs. Food, water, house cleaning were done by the other members of the family or community, such as pre-menstral girls or post-menopausal/elder women. This is the best time for these women to connect with their creative and nurturing spirit; to replenish themselves for future interaction with others.

There are several ways to accomplish this:
1.   meditation, using some of this time to connect with Mother Earth and Her wisdom and strength
2.   pampering themselves and other women there on their Moontime such as grooming, counseling with
      each other, building camaraderie with the younger ones who are on their Moontime
3.   this is a good time to write in a journal your experiences and dreams
4. long leisure times for oneself to rest and reflection

(for further clarification about Moontime, see Women’s Moontime Ceremonies section)

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WOMAN’S MOONTIME AND CEREMONY

Just as Grandmother Moon has a monthly cycle which culminates every 28 days with a full moon, a woman also has a monthly cycle culminating in a similar timeline with menstruation. This is why a woman's menstrual flow (period) is called her Moontime. During her Moontime, a woman is going through her own natural purification process since conceiving a new life force did not occur during her previous 28 day cycle. While her body is going through a natural purification, she is also recharging her own powers and energies, so it is a cleansing and restorative time for her. Because a woman's power is being renewed during this process, she must stay away from all Sacred Ceremonies, including Eagle Feathers, Sacred Pipes, Sacred Bundles, all Drums (unless she has one put away in her sacred Moontime space to use only during her Moontime), and other Sacred Objects, including the food 'preparation process' which is to be eaten following a ceremony.

All women on the Red Road want to be respectful of the Sacred Ceremonies and Sacred Bundles/Items. It is important that they stay away from the Sacred Sweat Lodge and the Sweat Fire and those other precious Objects during this time, namely 6 days before, during, and 4 days after. Women cannot participate in two ceremonies at the same time. It would be as if they were going down the river with one foot in one canoe and the other foot in another canoe.

If they must attend, it is critical that they stay a good distance from the Sweat Lodge, for instance 100 yards or more. They must not cook or handle food (cooked, uncooked, or store bought) used for the feast following Ceremony. If a woman wishes to contribute, she can give money to another sister to buy something for the feast following the ceremony. It is really best that she stay in her special place that she has set aside for this time and focus on her own ceremony.A woman's power during her moon time is so strong that it can draw the power away from the Sacred Sweat Lodge, Sundance, and Pipe and other Sacred Ceremonies, through distractions, since at this time, her pheromones and her sexuality are at its height, which attracts attention, especially from the opposite sex. The intensity of this power is because she is preparing her body and spirit to create new life. All other ceremonies that we do, relate to life already created so this is the difference. Her power and sensuality during this time is at its peak and can interfere with the power in the Sacred Pipe, Eagle Feathers, and the food preparations offered for the feasts following ceremony due to any minute distraction, can change of focus during the Ceremony by any one person in the Ceremony. This interference can sometimes cause others to become sick. All it takes is a distraction of a split second during the course of the Ceremony.

In the past, traditionally, women never smoked the Pipe or participated in the Sweat Lodge ceremony until after menopause. During the early 1900s, the men were becoming weak from alcohol abuse. This caused a decline in the participation at the Sundance and other Ceremonies. The Elders had a meeting to resolve this problem and during this time, they opened up the Sundance for women to dance behind the men. This helped to bring back the men into the Sundance. Why? Think for a moment.   Also at this time, it became possible for women to have pipes given to them at an earlier age, and to participate in the Sweat Lodge Ceremony because the Elders saw that the women were also suffering from the negative effects of alcohol abuse. With this change, it became necessary to be mindful of the effects of the woman's Moontime, so rules were developed to protect the people from those harmful effects.

Men do not have their own natural purification and renewal process, so they must come to the Sweat Lodge Ceremony for purification. It is also necessary for men to sacrifice and suffer for their people through the Sundance and other Sacred Ceremonies that men traditional participated in so that our people will live. Woman, be proud! We do not have to do any of this, but we choose to. It makes our Grandfather, the Great Spirit, and our Grandmother Moon very happy!

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There are many aspects of the Indigenous way of life that can be successfully reintroduced into our modern culture. Many of the ceremonies and rites of initiation help to define the passage of one's journey and create a sense of belonging. Women are intimately linked with the passage of time through the menstrual cycle, or Moontime. So too, is the cycle of life marked by the first blood at puberty rites through the last menses. A woman's journey is forever linked to the Grandmother Moon, the ebb and flow of the universe, and the ancestral chain of all that has come before.

You hear a lot about the changing times as the return of the God/dess Within - the balancing of the masculine and the feminine. Understanding the teachings of the Moon Lodge helps the men and women to embrace the power of the sacred blood that unites us all. Each stage or process of a woman's evolution has its own mystery and beauty and can be met with serenity, awe and anticipation.I just wish I had known all this when I was a young lady. When I became a woman, I was very uncomfortable. I was embarrassed, and ashamed, and I did everything I could think of to hide the fact that I was flowing.

Most recent revision by Xielolixii 6/28/2008