~ May 22
She should realize that the change which has taken place
in her is sacred, for now she will be as Mother Earth, able
to bear children which should be brought up in a sacred
manner. She should know that each month when her
blood arrives she bears influence.
—Lakota holy man Black Elk,
on women’s initiation rites
Today, a woman’s first menstruation often passes unmarked, although most other cultures have recognized the depth of this change in a woman’s life. The sacredness of menstrual blood was recognized by most traditional societies; women during their moontime were believed to have great power. And nothing was so powerful as a woman’s first blood flow. What once was cause for celebration-that a new woman could now bring new life to her peoples today something hidden, perhaps even shameful.
Finding a way to reclaim menses from the negativity shrouding it is a difficult and challenging task. But as long as women shirk from reclaiming the power that participation in the great universal cycles once brought us, we will not be fully empowered as women within our families and our society.
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