This article is reprinted with permission from Leslie Botha, Author, Trainer, and Counselor, and I’m proud to say, my Holy Hormones! writing partner.
Health, Healing & Hormones —The Greatest Story Never Told™
“In our last issue, we carried an interview with Margaret Starbird contending that Mary Magdalene was in fact the Holy Grail…in this issue, writer Leslie Botha counters that the reason that Mary Magdalene is viewed as the “Feminine Archetype” – is not solely because of the sacred union with Jesus – but because of her goddess wisdom in honoring cycles. It is Botha’s belief that women’s hormone cycles are in fact, the Holy Grail and the fount of the Divine Complement.”
For years I have been wondering why women are such a threat to men. Why have we continually been suppressed: from the witch burnings during the Crusades – to synthetic hormone suppression in the 21st century.
The book and movie, The Da Vinci Code finally opened a glimpse of understanding of the power of the divine feminine. I realized that Mary Magdalene is not the Holy Grail; – she is the female archetype who represents the principles and natural order of life that She and other women of all times accepted because they understood the power of living with cycles.
Rosalind Miles, states in her book, “The Women’s History of the World”, [1] “For woman, with her inexplicable moon rhythms and power of creating new life, was the most sacred mystery of the tribe. So miraculous, so powerful, she had to be more than man, more than human. As primitive man began to think symbolically, there was only one explanation. Woman was the primary symbol, the greatest entity of all, a Goddess.”
Where Has All Our Power Gone?
What happened to these ancient women of power? Why are contemporary women not taught about their important contributions? Why are the knowledge, wisdom and well being our foremothers intuited touted as “old wives tales”? Perhaps it is because the patriarchy fears that women would seek to reclaim their feminine heritage if they knew the power that women achieved many moons ago.
Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English in their book “Witches, Midwives and Nurses” [2] assert that, “The witch hunts left a lasting effect: An aspect of the female has ever since been associated with the witch, and an aura of contamination has remained – especially around midwives and other women healers. This early and devastating exclusion of women from independent healing roles was a violent precedent and a warning: It was to become a theme of our history. The women’s health movement of today has ancient roots in the medieval covens, and its opponents have as their ancestors those who ruthlessly forced the elimination of witches.”
According to Margaret Ruby, author of “The DNA of Healing” [3]”Our ancestral stories, hidden deep in the memory of our DNA, influence us in ways we are not even aware.” What DNA imprint was encoded by the witch burnings? Surviving culturally authorized genocide meant denying the power of the feminine — the knowledge, wisdom and status that comes from living with natural cycles.
Living with Cycles Is the Holy Grail
According to Miles, women were the first to note the relationship between their hormone cycles and lunar cycles. As early as 25,000 to 20,000 B.C.E they used antler bones to mark the different days of the lunar cycle. These women were the first mathematicians and agriculturalists. They understood the ebb and flow of life energy, and became the venerated healers, the midwives and prophets.
Honoring the menstrual cycle was an integral part of “Goddess worship”. Matriarchy was founded on the life-giving power of blood and the wisdom manifested in honoring natural cycles. On the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, patriarchal power is defined by control, manipulation and destruction. Blood became the symbol of triumph, greed and avarice.
Not only do women have the “burning times” embedded in their cellular memory, their fear is re-enforced by the patriarchies’ negative message about “the Curse” — menstruation. Is it any wonder women have become disconnected from their menstrual cycle, and hence their well being?
The Medicalization of Women’s Bodies
Since the “burning times”, the patriarchy has demanded and received dominion over women’s bodies. Through the centuries, women who survived, adapted and took on the battle to gain their rightful place in society. We have struggled for hundreds of years for the right to own property, to vote, to be equal with men in terms of pay, promotions, to engage in warfare side by side with men, for the right to independence and success, for the right not to be abused, be considered property, or to be chatteled. We have been so focused on these social and political gains, that we have ignored the pharmaceutical and medical industries intrusions on our bodies.[a]
Germaine Greer makes a poignant statement in her book titled, “The Whole Woman”, [5]”A woman’s body is the battlefield where she fights for liberation. It is through her body that oppression works, reifying her, sexualizing her, victimizing her, disabling her.”
To Suppress or Not To Suppress
Thirty years ago I was amongst those who lauded the introduction of the birth control pill introduced to the market as a “magic” pill providing women a great opportunity to plan their families – and giving women freedom to gain equal standing with men in all areas of their life. However, what began as a Nuevo method of family planning has turned into an uncontrolled medical experiment [6] now spinning towards elimination of the menstrual cycle altogether. Proponents of synthetic menstrual suppression are stating that having a monthly period is unnecessary and well, “so last year”. [7] In the last 15 years, women have been bombarded with synthetic contraception reducing menstruation to every three months: Depo Provera, four time a year: Seasonale, Lybrel: once a year, and now Implanon, approved by the FDA this past summer, a single rod inserted into a woman’s arm that that will emit enough synthetic hormones to eliminate the menstrual cycle for up to three years – depending on a woman’s weight.
What women are unaware of is that even though there is a placebo effect so that we may occasionally experience a “period”, this is a “chemical” [8] bleed in reaction to the drop in synthetic hormones. It is not by any means a true menstrual bleed. In theory a woman’s normal menstrual cycle may be suppressed for years at a time.
Today, I stand with a growing number of academicians, researchers, educators, and activists who are concerned about this trend to extend synthetic contraceptive use to eradicate a normal menstrual cycle.
The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, [9] concerned about the artificial elimination of the menstrual cycle, issued a press release after their15th Biennial Conference in Pittsburgh in June, 2003, emphasizing: “While we recognize that menstrual suppression may be a useful option for women with severe menstrual cycle problems such as endometriosis, we do not believe that continuous oral contraceptive use should be prescribed to all menstruating women out of a rejection of a normal, healthy menstrual cycle.”
If women were given accurate information about their hormonal changes and the tools to understand those changes, many of the problems we experience would be less severe, or could be prevented. Instead we have opted for the quick fix in lieu of re-connecting with the life power of the menstrual cycle.
Health Healing and Hormones
Ever since Descartes * handed our “souls” over to the church 300 years ago, and medicine took eminent domain over our “bodies”, women became crippled. Our hormone cycle is so integral to our sense of spirituality; to our knowingness, intuition and wisdom. The menstrual cycle was denigrated to a sanctified medical practice known as gynecology; which is nothing more than the intervention and manipulation of the natural hormone cycle. [10] Mary Daly Gynecology
All of life cycles – from the planets in our solar system to the cellular functions in our bodies. [11]. This is a law of nature in our universe – and one that must be recognized. Living with one’s hormone cycle is integral to women’s health and well being. Not doing so is a recipe for disaster.
When a woman is able to understand her hormonal changes and how they affect her behaviors – she becomes a powerful entity: a goddess. She knows when to act and when to reflect….when to make changes and when to refrain. She knows when she is most powerful and can move mountains – and when to resonate with what she has accomplished in the last cycle – as well as foreseeing visions of accomplishments for the next cycle. [12] The Faces of the Moon Mother: an archetypal cycle.
Living against the normal ebb and flow of our cycling body causes a great deal of exhaustion on all systems that are striving to maintain equilibrium and harmony. I have observed many women in their 30’s and 40’s whose look incredibly older than their age – due to chronic fatigue and exhaustion. When the body becomes fatigued, a myriad of pathological problems ensue. [13} NSWHE
When a woman lives with her hormone cycle she becomes healthy and balanced and in doing so slows aging. Hasn’t reversing the aging process been the elixir of the Holy Grail in times past?
Our Goddess foremothers did not biologically age as quickly because they lived with the natural ebb and flow of cycles.
Women blame their chronic fatigue on our lifestyles: stress, pressure – juggling families and careers. Albeit these are important factors, the single source of our demise is not honoring the ebb and flow of our hormone cycle. This is the dance of life. This is our dance. And it is a beautiful one.
Health, healing, wisdom, spirituality; connection with life and the universe – this is what women in matriarchal society’s knew – and were honored because of it. I envision that Jesus also recognized the sacred power of cycles and was guided by the Goddess Magdalene as much as he guided her. This is the essence of the “Divine Complement”.
There is great power that comes with living with cycles. Simply put – when any specie on the planet lives outside its natural order it becomes extinct. Living within the natural order is crucial to survival.
Female Mystique: The Three Phases of Eve ©
After Betty Freidan and Anna Quindlen published their groundbreaking book “The Feminine Mystique” in the early ‘70’s, – I coined the concept “Female Mystique” citing that the three hormonal phases that women experience throughout their menstruating years – are innately tied to all women….and the lunar phases that guide all of life.
It is my theory that before girls enter menarche they are influenced and guided by the fluctuating phases of the lunar cycle. At the onset of menarche and then for the next 30 – 40 years, the endocrine system – including the pineal gland that is influenced by circadian rhythms and external influences [14] begins it the natural cycle of its own production of reproductive hormones.
Once women finish this phase of their life cycle, they enter menopause – and the lunar cycle once again becomes their guide. Living with this natural transition eases the stress of premenstrual tension as well as the hormonal change to menopause. It is only in industrialized nations that these two conditions are considered “syndromes” or “disorders” that need to be treated. Women in third world countries are more innately tied to natural cycles and move through these hormonal changes with ease.
The model above describes the three phases of the lunar cycle, a woman’s life cycle and the hormone cycle. It is important to note that the attributes associated with each of the phases are similar to the others.
Understanding this model and the natural phases that women experience is crucial to our health and well being. The model also explains why mothers and our daughters: our Hormonal Honey’s often clash – whereas the grandmothers – wise women, since they are beyond the “mothering” or nurturing phase are often the peacemakers.
This model can be adapted to work, weight loss, sexuality, mother/daughter and partner relationships a guide for activities and projects – and most importantly to learn how to be preventive for cyclical medical ailments.
The Cycling Female
In 1978, Dr. Allen Lien published a book, now sadly out of print, titled: The Cycling Female: Her Menstrual Rhythm. [15] Dr. Lien did a fabulous job describing endocrine system changes that occur during the menstrual cycle. It is a small book – and can easily be grasped by any woman wanting more information about the cyclical nature of menstruation.
In his conclusion, Dr. Lien makes the most amazing statement.
“The higher centers of the brain have impact on the (menstrual) cycle and can even stop the cycle and prevent ovulation and the menstrual period. This great influence of the brain leads me to speculate about the possibility that the menstrual cycle might someday be brought under the control of the conscious and deliberate will. Such an idea may seem preposterous, but in recent years evidence has been presented to show that such things as heart rate and blood pressure, earlier believed to be completely under automatic regulation, may be subject to some willful control. This kind of control is, in fact, under exploration for the treatment of certain types of heart disease. Imagine the importance of discovering a way of willfully preventing LH surge and ovulation and thereby creating anovulatory cycles. Such an idea may sound like science fiction, but knowledge of the menstrual cycle has reached a point where this may be worth thinking about.”
Are you beginning to understand the power and the glory of womanhood; of living with cycles? Cycles are never-ending…they are the timeline of life. Even a nuclear explosion is a blip on this timeline. Cycles are what the Christians call “life never ending” and eastern religions, “Chi” energy. When one taps into this higher energy source, the scales tip the other way: instead if our toxic environment becoming stronger than our bodies, we now become stronger….and healthier.
Women are the Healers
You do not need a prescription to live with your cycle and honor it…nor will it cost you money.
Living with your cycle will bring you health and well being. When women begin to live with cycles – we will also affect all of those we love and interact with as well. Imagine that you are the nucleus of an atom….and the protons and electrons cycle around you which empowers them. If the nucleus does not live within its natural order the system becomes chaotic. When these smallest particles are unable to maintain the synchronicity of the body clock, imbalance occurs. [16] Research Highlight Nature Reviews Neuroscience 7,328 (May 2006) doi:.10.1038/nrn1913
Hormone Cycles are the Foundation of our Being
The menstrual cycle is the foundation of women’s being. To suppress this cycle, is to suppress our fundamental nature. Dan Brown’s depiction of the Magdalene as the Holy Grail may be fiction; but the archetype the Goddess Magdalene represents is the “Greatest Story Never Told”.
To the religious and political hierarchy, awakening the feminine is an uncomfortable prospect. It is a blatant threat to all that has been created by man.
It is time to reclaim our bodies and our power, if not for ourselves, then for the sake of our daughters and for humankind. Understanding the power of the hormone cycle is a crucial step in eliminating the suppression of women in all its forms.
*René Descartes (1596-1650) is sometimes referred to as the “father” of modern philosophy. He changed the relationship between philosophy and theology by attempting to integrate philosophy with the “new” sciences, thus changing the relationship between philosophy and theology.
Reprinted with permission.
© Holy Hormones Honey! 2000-2006
[a] In the Name of the Goddess, Holy Hormones Honey!
