PHASE GUIDES
The follicular and luteal phases take up most of the month, and they ask for almost opposite things. These two guides gather what each phase feels like, what steadies it, and what the older traditions say about it — in plain language, with no tracking of how you feel.
Roughly days 6–13
The follicular phase begins as bleeding ends and runs until ovulation. Oestrogen climbs, the uterine lining rebuilds, and most people notice appetite for the new returning — for projects, for company, for movement. Inner spring is the usual shorthand, and it is a good one.
Read the guideRoughly days 18–28
The luteal phase runs from ovulation to the first day of bleeding, and it is the longest stretch of the month. Progesterone rises, body temperature lifts slightly, appetite grows, and attention turns inward. Inner autumn: a harvesting, finishing season rather than a starting one.
Read the guideIf you only remember one line per phase, remember these. Everything else in the guides is elaboration.
| Follicular | Luteal | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Lighter and fresher — sprouted grains, greens, fermented things, eggs and fish to rebuild. | Warm and grounding — root vegetables, oats, seeds, dark chocolate, meals at steady times. |
| Movement | Build volume: longer runs, heavier lifts, new classes. Capacity is climbing. | Steady and slower: walking, strength at lower intensity, mobility, earlier nights. |
| Work | Start things. Learning, planning and first drafts land easily here. | Finish things. Editing, admin and detail work suit an inward attention. |
| Ease off | Skipping breakfast, heavy dairy, over-planning the whole month at once. | Sugar spikes, alcohol, late nights, and treating irritability as a character flaw. |
Menstrual and ovulatory phases are covered in the full cycle syncing guide, along with how Western astrology, Bazi and Vedic Jyotish read a month.
Read the cycle syncing guideMembers get a daily phase reading that combines your cycle day with your birth chart in three traditions, plus a weekly reading each Sunday.
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Print them, pin them, follow along. No account or payment needed.
A one-page wheel of the four phases with the traditional wisdom for each — a gentle map for the whole month.
A printable tracker to mark your days beside the moon's, and watch the two rhythms line up over time.
Traditional wellness guidance for general education only. Not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak with a qualified clinician about your health.