PHASE GUIDES
A month is not one weather system but four. These 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 1–5
Day one of bleeding is day one of the cycle. Oestrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, the lining is shed, and energy is genuinely low rather than lazily low. Inner winter: the phase asks for warmth, iron and permission to do less.
Read the guideRoughly 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 14–17
Ovulation is the shortest phase and the loudest. Oestrogen peaks, luteinising hormone surges, an egg is released, and most people notice it in their voice before their body — more warmth, more words, more appetite for other people. Inner summer.
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.
| Menstrual | Follicular | Ovulatory | Luteal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | Warm, soft and iron-rich — soups, congee, beetroot, dates, cooked greens. | Lighter and fresher — sprouted grains, greens, fermented things, eggs and fish to rebuild. | Light and cooling — raw and lightly cooked vegetables, fruit, quinoa, plenty of fibre. | Warm and grounding — root vegetables, oats, seeds, dark chocolate, meals at steady times. |
| Movement | Least, gently: walking, restorative stretching, rest without guilt. | Build volume: longer runs, heavier lifts, new classes. Capacity is climbing. | Peak output: intervals, sprints, heaviest lifts, team sport. Warm up properly. | Steady and slower: walking, strength at lower intensity, mobility, earlier nights. |
| Work | Review and reflect. Protect the first two days from anything you can move. | Start things. Learning, planning and first drafts land easily here. | Talk to people. Pitches, interviews, hard conversations and launches. | Finish things. Editing, admin and detail work suit an inward attention. |
| Ease off | Cold food and drinks, intense training, and packing the calendar full. | Skipping breakfast, heavy dairy, over-planning the whole month at once. | Overcommitting on the strength of one very good week. | Sugar spikes, alcohol, late nights, and treating irritability as a character flaw. |
Once each phase makes sense on its own, the next question is how to arrange a month around them — work, training, food and rest — and how Western astrology, Bazi and Vedic Jyotish read the same weeks.
Read the phase-based living guideIf you want one food habit that follows the two halves of the cycle, the seed cycling chart sets out which seeds to eat when — and what the evidence does and does not support.
See the seed cycling chartMembers get a daily phase reading that combines your cycle day with your birth chart in three traditions, plus a weekly reading each Sunday.
Start free trialFree to keep
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.
