Trace the cross-cultural threads that linked witchcraft, menstrual cycles, and lunar lore—and see what holds up under the light of evidence.
Many communities noticed that an average menstrual cycle (~28–29.5 days) resembles the lunar month (~29.5 days). This coincidence fueled beliefs that the moon governs menstruation—and fed fears that “moon-touched” people had strange powers.
In periods of social stress, people accused of witchcraft were often women outside local norms. Bodily processes—pregnancy, lactation, and menstruation—were folded into anxieties about hidden influence and pollution.
Records rarely prove a direct causal link between menstruation and specific trials, but rhetoric about “uncleanliness” and “female contagion” appears in sermons, pamphlets, and medical tracts of the time.
Motivations varied: hygiene, rest, spiritual purity, or community rules.
Reality Cycle lengths vary widely, and population-level synchronization with lunar phases isn’t consistently supported. Similar lengths don’t prove control.
Reality Menstrual fluid is a mix of blood, mucus, and endometrial tissue—biologically ordinary. Harm and power claims often reflect cultural taboos, not physiology.
Reality Witchcraft accusations historically tracked social rifts, gendered expectations, and crises—not biomarkers.
The Drop: Menstrual fluid—ordinary biology.
The Moon: A calendar in the sky; a metaphor often mistaken for mechanism.
The Star: Fate and fortune—systems once used to explain bodily rhythms.
Notice pattern-matching. Similar durations invite cosmic stories; evidence decides mechanisms.
Separate care from stigma. Seclusion or rest might be comforting—coercion isn’t.
Context matters. Practices labeled “witchy” can reflect hygiene, privacy, or social order, not sorcery.
Result: any apparent “sync” tends to drift over time—undermining claims of strict lunar control.
This infographic is a seasonal, educational overview. Practices and beliefs are diverse; avoid stereotyping any culture. When discussing menstruation—past or present—center dignity, privacy, and access to care.