In numerous indigenous cultures, there’s a history of menses being linked to the new moon. During a woman’s period of menstruation, she was thought to be spiritually and mentally powerful. In Ancient Greece, physicians believed that the moon and the monthly menstrual cycle were linked. The word “ menstruation” derives from the Latin and Greek word for moon, mene. The ritual is named after a 1997 novel of the same name that recounted how women in biblical times were ordered to conceal themselves from society during menstruation. ![]() In a gathering called The Red Tent, women come together on the new moon to reflect and bond. There are even modern rituals linking menstruation and the moon. While the scientific community is still undecided on the potential synchrony of the moon and menstruation, numerous traditions and cultures believe there’s a spiritual link. ![]() Spiritual and cultural traditions linking the full moon and menstrual cycle “If lunar effects exist, they are probably small or infrequent, making them difficult to validate statistically,” notes the study. In another 2017 study, however, no link was found between the full moon, or any lunar phase, and increased numbers of psychiatric episodes. Two of the study participants exhibited links between their mood cycles and their menstrual cycles, with both frequently starting on either the full or new moon. Around the time of the full moon, most people slept fewer hours and went to bed later, while during the new moon, people were more likely to sleep longer hours.Ī 2017 study found that there may be a link between the moon and mental health, specifically bipolar cycles and the lunar cycle. While it’s unclear whether the moon really does influence the menstrual cycle, other types of moon synchronicity have been noted.Ī 2021 study found that both rural and urban communities experienced distinctive patterns of sleep oscillations throughout the lunar cycle. What else (if anything) does the moon influence? It’s plausible that ancient humans were more in sync with the moon, but there’s no clear answer without further research. “Statistically speaking, assuming that periods start at random times, about 1 in 2 people will have their period start ☓ days from either the full or new moon,” the study notes.Įvidently, there is a discrepancy in the research.Ĭlue’s study explains that statistically, every woman will sync up with the lunar cycle at certain points in their lives, but this could simply be a random coincidence. ![]() However, a 2019 study by the period tracking app Clue used data from 1.5 million users and found that there was no discernible link between the moon and natural menstruation.Īccording to the study, while around 30 percent of women do begin menstruating on or around the new moon, this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s meaningful connection. For three of the women, the periods of synchronization occurred most frequently with the full or the new moon. Five of the women studied synced up with the moon intermittently. The study evaluated eight women who tracked their periods for 19 to 32 years. After testing 826 women, the researchers found that 28.3 percent of women began their periods “around the new moon.” Another study in 1987 supported this study’s findings.Ī 1977 study found that women who began their cycle on the new moon had a greater chance of becoming pregnant.Ī 2013 study that analyzed 74 women over 1 calendar year found that there was “no evidence of synchrony.”Įven more recently, a 2021 study suggests that human menstrual cycles may once have been synchronized with the lunar cycle, but that artificial light and modern lifestyles have disrupted that link. ![]() Since then, numerous studies have attempted to draw a conclusion about whether there’s proof of a real connection.Ī famous 1986 study claimed that there was in fact a link. One of the first people to suggest a link between menstruation and the moon was none other than Charles Darwin, who observed the link between the length of the menstrual cycle and that of the lunar cycle.
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