The Ecology Of Being Female

We have often heard that women are somehow intrinsically closer to nature and all of its attendant nurturing abilities -- that women are linked to a dark, mysterious, life-giving nature, but rather than embrace and affirm and celebrate the coalition, women have been taught to (and often do) disparage these qualities and challenge our fundamental and physiological biology by ignoring or pretending not to be so intrinsically connected to natural cycles, reproductivity, and the base energy of planet Earth -- all of which are of a feminine nature.

In fact, modern-day feminists often believe that linking women to "mother earth" and special care-taking abilities, etc. is a dangerous sort of biological reductionism that does not really challenge patriarchy's (mostly biologically based) definition of women.

Yet, when this "femi-patriarchal" stance is taken, women become further damaged because a complete denial toward our very personal and special ecology system is further rendered.

As an Eco-feminist, I have learned that I am simply a conscious extension of nature, of Mother Earth, of life, and that through my body -¬through this vehicle that carries my spirit and soul -- I contain a very remarkable system that allows me to perpetuate life, and that allows me to get very intimately in touch with natural cycles.

The connection of the female body to Mother Earth allows us to embrace an almost abstract form of energetic metabolism linkage. That is, the base energy of the Earth is of a feminine nature; i.e. all organic life is birthed from the body of our planet. Therefore the woman human being is an extension of the woman body Earth in biological genetic.

I believe that almost every woman senses this connection, this seemingly invisible umbilical cord between her own body and that of Mother Earth. This theory expresses the quintessence of woman being closer to nature.

Rather than challenge this foundation, causing a severance from our psyche, we need to affirm this connection, this association. A very easy and practical application of this relationship can be achieved daily by visualizing an invisible umbilical cord running from the belly button and grounding down into the core of Mother Earth. To maintain a healthy attitude about the female connection to Earth, we can become actively aware of " walking " on a woman body, or Mother body, and that with each step we take we can become more grounded in our true nature; that rudimentary ecology that our body is.

Women can become more intimately in touch with the natural cycles through the elemental actuality of the physiological functioning of our bodies -¬menstruation.

The term "as above - so below" takes on a totally new meaning when women look at our cyclic nature and observe one of the most natural and obvious cycles evident to the human eye - the lunation cycle of Grandmother Moon.

The lunation cycle is a cycle of transformations. With careful observation and comparison, it becomes perfectly clear that the physical body of women mimics the lunar cycle of the moon. Since the lunation cycle is a "cycle of periodic changes" (changes in the soli-lunar relationship) it is important to understand what the periodic changes, or phases, of one cycle are. There are basically four major phases: 1) Dark/New Moon - when the moon is not visible to our eyes; 2) Waxing Moon - when the first crescent appears and continues to rapidly increase in size; 3) Full Moon - when the moon has reached its zenith, and 4) Waning Moon - when the moon seems to decrease her light and size.

As women, we experience this same "moon" phase through the physiological ecology system of our biology known as menstruation. Our bodies "imitate" the moon's natural cycle: 1) menstruation; 2) hormonal changes; 3) ovulation, and 4) pre-menstrual changes.

During the New Moon phase of our cycle we have finished our time of bleeding, and are "starting" a new cycle; preparing to ovulate and bleed again. This becomes a time of regeneration emotionally, mentally as well as physically. This is a time of balance and strength. Like the moon, our bodies are in a state of change.

As we move into the Waxing Moon phase, we can feel our body shifting not only energy wise, but in fluid content. Mentally, we can be more active as new concepts and possibilities are revealed. This is the phase of spontaneous and instinctual action.

At the Full Moon phase, our bodies also swell to fullness. It is the time of ovulation, the time of fertility.

During the first part of the Waning Moon phase, our bodies may reach a point of crisis known as "pre-menstruation". All energies seem to turn inward. We become introspective, focusing on the physiological changes taking place within. Toward the middle or end of the waning phase the blood releases. In essence we move into conscious growth in meaning and immortal selfhood because we are reaching, and/or have reached that phase of our cycle where we "die and are reborn again." During this waning phase we consciously form our tomorrows and prepare to birth forth into the light of the New Moon those hidden unconscious seeds that will shape our future.

The practical application of this theory is to begin "moon-watching" and allow the light of Grandmother Moon to trigger our inner moonlight so that our bodies can ground into their deepest ecology and become balanced and whole.

Begin moon-watching at the next Full Moon. Each night check the sky for the moon and monitor the change in her shape and position in the sky. Moon watching triggers your eyes which triggers your physiological cycle. Once you get into the habit of using the sky as your calendar, your bleeding time will begin to adjust and eventually you can flow according to the actual moon's cycle.

As women, the cyclic character of our life is the most natural thing in the world.

To choose to experience this cyclic nature deeply and fully subjects us to a spiritual perception of life. In fact, the great mystery shrouding women and our changeability becomes elementally defined. With dependence on an inner principle whose chief characteristic is change, it is our moonlike character that reveals the secret to our mysterious nature, and gives insight into the law of change which governs the female psyche (and all phenomenon, of course).

Rather than ignore or pretend we do not intimately experience natural cycles, by returning to the relationship we have with nature we can begin to recenter our spirituality, tuning into the inner dependence we have upon change so that this dependency does not control us but we in fact can move in harmony with it.

As an Eco-feminist, I believe it is vitally important for women to accept and embrace our bodies and the intimate relationship we have with Mother Earth and natural cycles. The denial of and alienation from these feminine spiritual realities have reached an epidemic crisis level. Women have been deeply conditioned to believe that the menses are an inconvenience, something to be a shamed of and hide. Many women still view this most natural and sacred aspect of our biology as "the curse" inflicted upon us by the mythology of the current patriarchal religions. If women can break through this "enforced" stupidity, collectively we will heal the deep wounds that continue to fester weakness in our ideas and creativity and attitudes about being a woman. The healing of the female psyche will be the greatest gift to humankind. It is this wholeness that will aid our evolution to the state of balance and peace that is so desperately needed on our Mother Earth.