In the realm of witchcraft, the term ‘red witch’ is often tied to the natural rhythms of your menstrual cycle and its synchronization with the lunar cycle. If you find that your period aligns with the full moon, you might be considered a red witch. This means that when the Moon reaches it’s peak, your cycle is just beginning…
Understanding your relationship with the lunar cycles can shed light on the rhythm of your energies, as well as indicating the best times to undertake certain spiritual practices, personal development, healing, and spellwork.
In fact…being in tune with nature’s cycles is a gift that can empower your witchcraft, allowing you to flow with the lunar energies rather than against them. Embracing the red witch identity is about recognizing and celebrating this special alignment between your menstrual cycle and the waxing and waning of the Moon. By doing so, you harness a type of synergy that ancient cultures have observed and revered for millennia.
Medicine women, healers, and red Moon witches…
The red witch cycle is sometimes referred to as the “Wise Woman” cycle because in ancient times, it’s thought it was embodied by wise women, medicine women, and healers.
In the past, before patriarchy took hold, medicine women were often regarded as the custodians of female human biology, midwifery, and natural remedies. They harnessed their unique connection to nature to heal and protect those in their care. Their knowledge of herbs and natural medicine was profound, yet society began to ostracize them for their extraordinary abilities.
Today, many women still have extraordinary power to heal, transform, and manifest with the cycles of nature, and the red witches are some of the most mysterious (and feared) of all.
What does getting your period on a full Moon mean?
If your periods start during the full Moon, it can mean you’re a red Moon witch. Red Moon witches, or red witches are women whose menstrual cycles begin when the Moon cycle reaches it’s peak, and who ovulate when the Moon is dark.
What is the lunar connection to the menstrual cycle?
Whether the Moon cycles and menstrual cycles are connected is a highly contentious issue. Whether lunar phases influence menstruation is even more disputed.
Some scientific studies find correlations, while others don’t. So as a red Moon witch, you’ll need to take matters into your own hands and track the menstrual and lunar cycles for yourself.
The average menstrual cycle length is between 27 and 30 days, which is very close to the length of the lunar cycle, which is 29.5 days.
This means that the Moon completes a full cycle from new Moon to full Moon and back to new Moon again in about the same time the average menstrual cycle lasts. This is why some people refer to the menstrual cycle as the “moon cycle.”
Lunar cycles move through four distinct phases:
- New Moon
- Waxing Moon
- Full Moon
- Waning Moon.
Human menstrual cycles also move through four phases:
- Menstruation (bleeding phase)
- Follicular phase (pre-ovulation)
- Ovulation phase
- luteal phase (pre-menstruation)
The phases of the Moon cycle and the phases of the menstrual cycle share a similar rhythm, and whether or not they align in real time, their energy corresponds.
BUT… these cycles become mirrored for women who are experiencing red witch Moon cycles. Red Moon witches bleed when the Moon is full, and ovulate when the Moon is dark.
What is the Red Moon Cycle?
If you get your period at the Full Moon, then you have a red moon cycle.
Understanding the Red Moon Cycle provides insight into a unique alignment between your menstrual cycle and lunar movements. This concept not only charts your reproductive health but can also hold cultural and personal significance.
Also read: Harness the Power of Your Red Moon Cycle
What is a red Moon witch?
The terms red witch, red Moon witch, and red Moon cycle woman are interchangeable, yet the red witch tends to describe a woman who engages in magickal workings, and times her spellwork with both the lunar cycle and her menstrual cycle.
Rituals and practices associated with being a red witch
The rituals and practices associated with being a red witch are deeply rooted in connecting with the natural world, embracing divine feminine energy, and harnessing your authentic power to step into roles of leadership.
Red witches often step away from the traditional gender roles ascribed to women, to fulfill their calling. (That’s not to say you can’t be a mother and also a red witch! But the childbearing woman is likely in a white moon cycle, purple Moon cycle, or Pink moon cycle).
Also read: What’s the Meaning of the Purple Moon Cycle?
The red Moon witch honors the cycles of the earth and the moon, conducting rituals and ceremonies aligned with lunar phases and seasonal changes. She may engage in moon gazing, energy work, and meditation, as well as healing, shadow work, and divination.
Additionally, red witches often incorporate herbalism and natural remedies into their spiritual and magical practices, using the healing properties of plants for both medicinal and ritual purposes.
She may also work with “blood magic,” a mysterious and esoteric strand of magickal practice that uses the elixir of menstrual blood as a potent ingredient, and symbol of life force and vitality.
Also read: The Witch Archetype Re-Examined for 2024
Blood magic and red witches
The concept of “blood magic” holds significant symbolism in the practices of red witches, representing the life force, vitality, and a sacred connection to the cycles of nature.
For red witches, blood is a potent symbol of life, fertility, and dark feminine energy. While the literal use of blood in rituals varies among practitioners, the concept of blood magic usually involves the idea of harnessing personal energy and intention.
Menstrual blood may also be used as an offering, to anoint sacred objects or sanctify the self. It may also be used to paint sigils or as protection, or as a component in any number of rituals, and spells.
Red witches may hold rituals during menstruation as a way to honor this natural cycle and connect with the powerful liminal energy associated with it.
Some women work to harness the transformative aspect of menstruation, and the sense of rebirth it offers. Others drop deeply into partnership with Spirit, tapping into the intuitive and psychic energies that are heightened during this time.
Also read: 33 Spiritual Things to Do on Your Period
17 ways to work with your cycle as a red witch
As a red witch, the lunar influences on you are different from the majority of other women, especially the white Moon witches who bleed around the new moon. You need to do things slightly differently to get the most out of your menstrual cycle. Here are some ideas –
1. Ritualize Menstruation
Embrace your menstrual cycle as a sacred time for deep and clarifying introspection, and creativity.
Engage in rituals that honor your sacred blood, as well as the potency of the full Moon.
2. Get creative in how you align with the Moon’s phases
The general advice given on how to work with each lunar phase may not work for you and your body. For eg. Going out socializing and dancing at the full Moon may not be what your bleeding body needs. And when you’re ovulating at the new Moon, the R&R usually recommended probably won’t feel right either… So get creative, and try new things!
3. Work with herbal remedies
Work with herbalism to support your menstrual health and well-being. Incorporate herbs such as red raspberry leaf, chamomile, and ginger to ease menstrual discomfort and promote balance within your body.
4. Do dreamwork
Pay attention to your dreams during different phases of your cycle, as they will likely offer insights, messages, and symbolism related to your inner journey and spiritual growth as a red witch.
5. Practice divination
The bright illumination of the full Moon, combined with your own heightened intuition during your menstrual phase can be harnessed to engage in divination practices, such as tarot readings or scrying. The insights received will be unreal. Trust them.
6. Channel your creativity
When you are ovulating, harness the new Moon’s influence to give creative form to your ideas, thoughts, and dreams. Whilst most people are deep in their introspective, dreaming phase, your body is in manifestation mode, so don’t be afraid to make things happen!
7. Moon Gaze
Spend time under the light of the full moon, connecting with its energy beaming down from the night sky, and using this quiet bleeding time for meditation and stillness, in the presence of Old Grandmother Moon.
8. Take a sacred bath
Embrace the restorative power of water by taking ritual baths infused with herbs, essential oils, and crystals, tailored to support the specific energies and needs of each phase of your cycle.
9. Cultivate ancestral connection
Honor the wisdom of your female ancestors and their experiences with menstruation, drawing strength and guidance from their collective knowledge and resilience.
10. Explore elemental magick
Explore the elemental correspondences of each phase of your cycle, integrating earth, air, fire, water, and spirit into your magical practices to align with the natural forces at play.
11. Practice Sacred Somatic Dance
Explore the energy of your cycle and the medicine that each phase offers you through somatic dance. Allow movement and music to become a form of ritual, celebration, self care and embodiment of the divine feminine within you.
12. Do your shadow work
Use the introspective energies of menstruation, along with the most light and clarifying energy of the full Moon to delve into shadow work, exploring and integrating the aspects of yourself that may be hidden or repressed, fostering inner healing and empowerment.
13. Explore plant spirit communication
Modern lifestyles rarely allow time and space for working intuitively with plant Spirits. Experiment with the full or new Moon phases, to see when your channels of communication are more open and receptive for working with plant allies that call to you.
14. Make Moon water infusions
Harness the energy of the Moon by creating Moon-charged water during different lunar phases, using it for ritual cleansing, blessing, and amplifying your magical intentions.
Also read: How to Make Moon Water
15. Track your menstrual cycles
Keep a detailed record of your menstrual cycle, incorporating astrological and elemental correspondences, to gain insights into the patterns and rhythms of your body and spirit.
16. Explore sacred sexuality
Explore the sacred and spiritual dimensions of sexuality and intimacy. Honor the connection between your cycle, sensuality, the divine feminine, and the lunar cyle, whether through solo practices or with a partner.
17. Find sisterhood and community
Connect with other red witches and women who honor their menstrual cycles, sharing experiences, wisdom, and support to deepen your connection to the divine feminine and the cycles of nature.
Can you temporarily synchronize with the red Moon cycle?
Your menstrual cycle can seem to temporarily synchronize with the red Moon cycle under specific circumstances. If you begin to ovulate around the new Moon and it’s unusual for you, this temporary shift could be caused by –
- A change in lifestyle
- Entering a new phase of womanhood
- Emotional and physical stresses caused by modern life
- Sleep patterns
- A lunar eclipse (blood Moon)
- Underlying medical conditions (e.g. PCOS)
- Medications, including birth control pills
- Artificial light and exposure to narrow light spectrums (i.e blue light)
- Pregnancy, postpartum period or breastfeeding
- Menopause transition
- Environmental toxins or chemicals
So for some women, the red Moon cycle may be a response to external factors, whilst for others, it may be a manifestation of her entering a new phase of her life.
This new alignment may be temporary, or longer term. But keep in mind that every woman’s body is unique and this synchrony may keep changing as life does. This is normal.
What makes you a red witch?
A red witch is a woman who bleeds at the full Moon phase, and aligns her spiritual beliefs and practices with the cycles of the earth and the phases of the Moon. embracing the divine feminine energy and honoring menstruation as a sacred time.
This may involve working with rituals, herbalism, and intuitive practices, as well as incorporating the symbolism of blood, life force, and vitality into their craft. Red witches often connect with the transformative energies associated with the color red and may engage in practices such as moon gazing, energy work, and ritualizing menstruation as part of their spiritual path.
