“The foundation of the feminine spiritual path is the relationship with oneโs cycleโcaring for it, understanding it, and consciously cooperating with the energies moving within it.”
Hello Beautiful Souls,
Iโve been writing a lot lately, but here I posted less and less. The good news is that beginning of this year I have started a Substack where you can read an inspirational piece every โmoonday.โ In my latest post, someone asked me to share more about cyclical planning.
So hereโs a resource to help you begin your discovery.
Since preparing for having a child, the importance of planning in alignment with cycles has supported me in approaching my daily tasks with more elegance. One of the greatest benefits of cyclical planning is that it tunes you into the true rhythm of lifeโsomething the female body is naturally much more receptive to than linear, calendar-based planning.
Itโs important to understand that countless cycles can influence the harmonious functioning of our bodiesโfrom micro- to macro-cycles. The more one understands and experiences these, the more precisely and sensitively one can fine-tune and align with them.
As a first step, itโs important to observe where you live. What natural cycles surround youโwhere are you physically? Are the changing seasons part of your life? Personally, I align with the four seasons.
The second step is to observe and become aware of where you are in your own life. I would highlight three stages:
- the years before the fertile period (from girlhood to first menstruation / maiden),
- the fertile period (the menstruating years / mother),
- and the time after the fertile period (crone).
During the first and third stages, itโs worth aligning with the โouter moonโ (the visible moon in the sky), while in the middle stage itโs more useful to adapt to your own cycle and observe its characteristics.
We can divide our cycle into 2, 4, 5, or even 6 phases.
Cyclical planning begins by observing two key phases: the phase of rising energy and the phase of quieting energy (2 phases). In terms of lunar phases, this corresponds to:
- rising energy (from new moon to after full moon),
- decreasing energy (from after full moon to new moon).
Of course, as mentioned earlier, many micro-cycles also influence us, so within a single day you may experience both increases and decreases in energy.
Itโs also important to recognize that if youโve been adapting to a calendar-based cycle since childhood, or living a lifestyle that ignores your bodyโs natural preferences (working when tired, not resting when your body needs it), you may have placed your body under the control of your intellect and become disconnected from your bodyโs wisdom. In this case, you might experience:
- menstrual irregularities
- frustration or extreme emotions
- difficulty creating
- loss of inner integrity (between your โlightโ and โdarkโ sides)
- masculinization (rejection or suppression of femininity)
- female functional disorders (PMS, cycle irregularities)
- gynecological conditions (polyps, fibroids, endometriosis, etc.)
Even in this case, thereโs no reason to panic. You are here now, gaining this knowledgeโso you have the opportunity to change.
In my therapeutic work and introductory courses, I work with the following phases of the cycle:
- Turning inward โ menstruation days (1โ5/7 days)
- Awakening feminine power โ post-menstruation to ovulation (3โ10/14 days)
- Tuning into and experiencing creative energy โ ovulation (10/14โ14/16 days)
- Gradual withdrawal and quieting โ from post-ovulation high-energy days until menstruation begins (14/16โ25/29 days)
- Pre-menstrual days (25โ28/32 days)
(The duration of each phase can vary depending on cycle length.)
Some womenโs cycles align with the lunar cycleโmenstruating at new moon and ovulating at full moon. For others, it may be reversed or entirely different. While the lunar cycle is about 28 days, the female cycle can range from 25 to 35 days.
Understanding and applying this comes through consistent self-awareness and observation, as every body is different.
I personally love creating a so-called โMoondala,โ where I track lunar phases, my own cycle, and note my emotional, mental, and physical states for each day. After about three months, you can begin to observe energy patternsโwhen you are at your strongest, more sensitive, or mentally sharp.
Of course, we are not machines. Observing energy patterns can be influenced by life events and environment (weather, family, work, etc.).
So start by observing the moon in the sky (you might use a lunar calendar) and write down daily how you feel. Use colors or emojis. Keep it simple. Make it playful, and be prepared that answers wonโt come immediately.
I suggest tracking:
- your energy (physical body: M = medium, H = high, L = low)
- your emotional states (sad, happy, angry, etc.)
- your mental state (clarity, dullness, etc.)
With greater self-awareness comes greater freedom.
Calendar planning:
- New moon: journal about what you are releasing and what you are keeping (habits, routines, tasks) + keep a dream journal
- Rising energy phase: list, prioritize, mind-map what you want to accomplish in this lunar month
- Full moon: time for celebrationโcelebrate successes, practice gratitude journaling
- Waning phase: finish tasks
In practice, this might mean consciously scheduling activities you can control so that most demanding tasks fall into the rising energy phase (e.g., dentist appointments, important meetings, high-energy visits), while nurturing activities fall into the waning phase (e.g., hairdresser, time with close friends, restorative activities). If you exercise, you can align that tooโrunning during rising energy, walking during the waning phase.
If you practice yoga, then do Vinnyasa/Ashtanga Yoga around rising energy phase and Hatha/Restorative /Sangraha Yoga around waning phase. You can play with the breathing pattern you use, and the fastness of the movements.
You can also adjust your personal approach to tasks: during rising energy, you may accomplish more in a day; during the waning phase, you may do less and need more rest.
Observe yourself and your bodyโs needs. All the answers are already within you.
Sat Nam,
Viki
I used to teach this course in Hungarian, and Iโm now planning to offer it in English. If thereโs enough interest, Iโd love to run a course on this.
Would you be interested?
viktoria maczo 