Embracing the Maga Woman

My hair was wild this week. I wasn't sure what to do with it.

The last few years have thinned my hair and given me silvery streaks. And then I had a moment of “F!ck it, it's just going up.”

Exposing the changes I usually keep hidden underneath.

The Maga within... 🌹

There are a few things I'm doing to prepare for the years ahead. One of them is investing in serenity within myself.

And one of my greatest teachers is my menstrual cycle.

I've come to see the premenstrual and menstrual days as little glimpses into Magahood and Cronehood.

Inner Autumn, the week before the bleed, is an incredible opportunity to listen to the woman who emerges when our tolerance for what isn't working begins to wear thin.

As estrogen and progesterone decline, we may find ourselves more sensitive, less patient, and less willing to tolerate things we've been putting up with all month.

Wild, unruly hair. A few blemishes. A sudden urge to purge, clean, tidy and nest before the descent into Inner Winter.

And perhaps a few things to SAY.

Sometimes the people around us might call us hormonal, bitchy, or accuse us of not being ourselves.

But what if this woman deserves to be heard?

What if the things that surface every month are showing us where our lives need attention, where boundaries are missing, and where change is overdue?

Of course, not every passing emotion needs to be acted upon. But when the same frustrations return month after month, perhaps there's something worth listening to.

I'm currently living in a rhythm that feels like too much for my system. My cycle has been unusually long, and it feels like I've been given an extended invitation to pay attention.

Lucky me. And lucky everyone around me. 😅

I'm learning to listen without letting every passing emotion take the reins.

To embrace the wild hair, the thorns, the fierce honesty.

To speak up. To uphold my boundaries. To get a little wild.

And I'm beginning to see these monthly encounters with my Inner Maga as preparation for the woman I will become after menopause.

I don't want to arrive at my Maga years suddenly expected to embody wisdom, serenity and sovereignty. I want to cultivate those qualities now, little by little, cycle by cycle.

And another way to prepare?

Learn to love and appreciate the Magas already in your community.

Seek their company. Listen to their stories. Honour their gifts.

We live in a culture that celebrates the Maiden and Mother while too often overlooking the profound contributions of our older women.

Yet every season of womanhood carries its own light and shadow, its own gifts for the woman herself and for her community.

The Maiden discovers.The Mother cultivates.The Maga discerns and transforms.The Crone preserves and transmits wisdom.

We need them all.

Mugwort, rose and nettle are three plants I'm drawn to for accompanying this season. More on them another day. 🌿

For now, I'm embracing the wild hair, the silver strands, and the woman emerging beneath them.

What are your tools and tricks for navigating your Inner Autumn? 🌹