We live in a world where women are constantly bombarded with data and information. We have been conditioned since birth to look outside of ourselves for the answers. And the truth is that a lot of the time, many of us feel lost.

This would never happen in ancestral tribes and villages where women were centred in their communities, where they were taught from a young age the feminine arts and intricate ways of women, and where the sacred blood was revered by wise elders who guided you through the beauty and burden of life.

We live in a different way now - the places where we gather information about our bodies are mainly online, not through the direct wisdom passed on by a beloved matriarch.

The Digital Age and the Disconnection from Our Bodies

Our communities are mostly made up of likes and follows, and listening to our bodies is something we often only arrive at when the compiled moments of non-listening grow into disease or diagnosis, leaving us with no choice but to finally face ourselves.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Each of us has our own unique, powerful inner guide - one who is wise as wisdom herself, and wants only the most incredible life for us. We indeed have a wayshower, and her name is Blood.

By reconnecting with our bodies and tapping into ancestral wisdom, we can prevent the disconnection that leads to illness and instead live a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Menstrual Blood as Our Sacred Guide

Our sacred blood initiated us into womanhood the very first time she flowed through us, and she continues to beckon us deeper on our path every time she comes around. Many of us were taught that our blood was a curse; the pain, the exhaustion, the mess, the smell, the sight. Once we begin to consciously work with our blood, to be with her, is when we realize she is not a curse at all - she is the cure.

With every cycle of our menstruation, we meet death and rebirth. As we become more intimate with our blood, we become more intimate with the grand arc of death and birth as well. The closer you are capable of listening to your blood, the more she will have to say, and the more nuanced each message will become. She is the microcosm of the macrocosm of our lives, and within the days she graces us with her presence, she is able to provide a map for us and our health and wellbeing - if we are willing to listen.

The First Three Days: A Portal to Inner Knowing

During the first three days of our bleed, we often find ourselves in an altered state due to the sacred blood. If we allow ourselves to sink into our blood, she lets us know that we need more stillness and rest, more nourishment via proper fats and minerals, and more quiet time for self-reflection and contemplation.

When we honour this, our blood will release with ease and gift us with a knowing of what is to be birthed through us in our next cycle. When we push ourselves, pack our calendars, and prioritize checking off our to-do lists instead of checking in with our blood, she will raise her voice via pain, moodswings, colour, smell and heaviness in womb and flow.

When we experience cramps, it is our womb’s way of saying “slow down”. Instead of popping a Motrin in hopes to shut her up, allow yourself to rest laying down with some heat and your hands on your womb, and breathe slowly and deeply. Pain is a call for presence, and when we honour this call the body will soften, relax, and the pain will melt away.

Understanding the Body’s Natural Signals

Our body also makes hormone-like lipids called prostaglandins that control inflammation, blood clots and flow, and cause our uterus to contract when we shed our uterine lining. Unbearable cramps can also show us that we have inflammation or high levels of histamine, which can be caused by an overabundance of estrogen. Natural relief can be found in:

Magnesium
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cramp bark tea
Hydration with coconut water

Another way we can assist the body's natural process is by not blocking her.

Choosing reusable pads, a Free Bleed® Blanket, or free-bleeding panties made from natural, organic materials will support our blood to flow out of our bodies in a harmonious way. After all, our blood is truly a small death each month, detoxifying us of toxins, heavy metals, and excess iron. Using toxic tampons dams the flow of our inner waters and can lead to blood clots, and the use of menstrual cups that suction to our cervix can pull at our fascial networks and lead to prolapse. This can be extremely uncomfortable or painful for our cervixes. If our blood cannot flow, she cannot speak. Our blood is an intimate part of who we are as women, and taking time each month to be with her, listen to her, and learn from her is our sacred work.

Blood as a Messenger: The Importance of Color

The color of our blood is a way that our womb speaks to us.

Bright crimson red: Healthy and balanced cycle.
Dark red or brown: Old blood from the last cycle is clearing out.
- Solution: Yoni steaming after the cycle can help cleanse excess blood.
Light pink or very little blood: Possible signs of malnourishment or stress.
- Solution:
  - Cut out PUFAS and hormone-disrupting chemicals.
  - Eliminate unnecessary stress.
  - Ensure proper hydration, nourishment, and sun exposure.

Yoni steaming is a powerful way to cleanse any excess blood from the vaginal canal and uterus if done once or twice after our cycle has ended.

A Relationship with Our Blood Rituals: The Ultimate Gift

We haven’t been taught to love our sacred blood, but if we choose to have a relationship with our monthly cycle, the effects it can have on every facet of our lives is nothing short of magical. Invoke child-like curiosity and let yourself get to know your blood and the way she moves though you intimately. It may take months and maybe even years, but coming into right-relationship with our wombs is one of the most powerful things we can gift ourselves with as women.

The devastating cramps you once felt will become a soft song of the earth that your whole body rejoices in hearing. The heavy periods and dark clots will become a gentle river that ebbs and flows as you do. What once was something that fell out of the sky and ruined festivals, camping trips and lovemaking will become a monthly sojourn into your soul.

Each month, our bodies offer us a chance to come back to them and relax, fully embodied, present, & deeply listening. A chance to sit with ourselves and release who we thought we were in order to become who we truly came here to be. We are cyclical beings, and we die again and again, to be birthed anew.

The wayshower with kind eyes and a lantern in the dark you have always dreamed of lies within you; the question is, will you allow her to guide the way?

FAQ

What is the spiritual meaning of blood?

In many belief systems, sacred blood represents the essence of life, linking the body, soul, and spirit. Menstrual blood, in particular, has been revered in ancient societies as a symbol of creation, fertility, and the cycle of life and death. In Christian faith, human blood signifies sacrifice, redemption, and eternal life, as seen in the symbolism of Christ’s blood shed for humanity.

Throughout history, blood has been used in rituals, both white magic and black magic, as a way to connect with the divine, seek protection, or invoke power. Blood is often linked to transformation, suffering, and healing, symbolizing both pain and purification.

In many traditions, pure blood is considered sacred, while blood rituals have been performed to honor gods, ancestors, and spirits of the earth. Whether seen as a sacred fluid or a sign of sacrifice and suffering, blood remains a powerful symbol of human existence, transformation, and spiritual awakening.
What is the symbolic representation of blood?

Blood carries dual symbolism, it can represent both life and death, creation and destruction, protection and violence. Menstrual blood has been viewed in some cultures as a taboo, while in others, it was used in rituals of power, fertility, and protection.

In religious traditions, human blood is often associated with sacrifice and atonement, from animal sacrifice in ancient religious practices to the sacred blood of Christ in Christian faith. In a society where blood is frequently connected to war, disease, and suffering, it is also seen as a symbol of resilience and survival.

In magic and mysticism, blood rituals are believed to strengthen the connection between the physical and spiritual realms. Whether used in white magic for healing or black magic for control, blood remains a sacred substance that embodies the contrast between life and death, purity and violence, protection and harm.
What is the symbol of blood in literature?

In literature, blood is a force of raw emotion, carrying layers of meaning that stretch across cultures and time. It is often used to represent life, vitality, and passion, serving as a reminder of humanity’s fragile yet enduring nature. In religious texts like the Bible, blood is the mark of sacrifice and redemption, a means of atonement and divine connection. In stories of war and conflict, blood becomes the embodiment of suffering, a stark reminder of the pain endured by victims of violence.

Menstrual blood, though rarely acknowledged in classical literature, carries the weight of transformation and womanhood, marking the cycles of birth, death, and renewal. In the world of the supernatural, blood takes on a mystical quality, linked to the power of vampires, blood magic, and the eternal struggle between life and death. The contrast of blood, both as a source of nourishment and destruction, as an agent of purification and disease, makes it one of the most potent symbols in literature, reflecting the complexity of the human experience.
What is the symbolic value of blood?

In the Christian faith, the blood of Christ represents redemption, an eternal offering of salvation. In magic and ritual, blood is seen as a sacred material, used to invoke protection, healing, and supernatural assistance. Across history, it has been a marker of suffering, a fluid that flows in times of war and sacrifice, binding humanity to its past through the collective experience of pain.

Menstrual blood, often misunderstood, holds the power of transformation, guiding women through cycles of renewal and connection to the natural world. The process of bleeding is not just a biological function but a form of release, a shedding of what was in preparation for what is to come. Blood is a language of the body, a message that speaks of health, balance, and the intimate relationship between life and death.

Written by Autumn Rose

Autumn Rose is a mother, writer, storyteller & women’s embodiment guide devoted to empowering the feminine frequency and midwifing her back to her rightful home - in the body. Follow Autumn on Instagram @embodyjaguar.

Blood Symbolism: Blood as a Wayshower