The women using period blood for face masks14 Images
Isabella Greenwood is a priestess, sorceress and spellcaster.
Menstruation has been revered as a symbol of fertility and feminine strength for centuries by cultures ranging from the ancient Greeks to Dianic cults. Cis-male initiation rites in the Neolithic era even expressed envy of menstruation, with many rituals often involving the symbolic cutting of their genitals to simulate menstrual bleeding, or war-like human and animal sacrifices to emulate the act of bleeding in hopes of harnessing its perceived power.
Sadly, despite these ancient practices, most modern societies have come to fear or stigmatise menstrual blood. It’s because of this that many eco-feminists and pagans have embraced the practice of ‘earth bleeding’ – the ritual of returning menstrual blood to the soil. To them, merging (private) bodily fluids with the public space of the earth becomes a profound gesture of reclamation, reaffirming the sacredness of the body.
Dr Lara Owen, a specialist in menstrual rites, says that earth bleeding connects you to the origins of the earth (in her book, Her Blood is Gold, she cites the Kogi people of Colombia, who believe the earth was formed by God during their period, with the blood becoming the Earth’s rocky interior). For Owen, the best way to earth bleed is to visit a private place in nature, offering a few drops with intention to the ground when you are bleeding (straight from the source), remaining mindful of images that may arise. Menstrual blood, replete with essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, can potentially benefit plants and soil, thus making earth-bleeding an earth-affirming practice and an act of empowerment.
Jessica Mckasson, a holistic healer and advocate for menstrual positivity, tells Dazed that she sees earth-bleeding as a way of expressing gratitude to the earth. Given its ongoing contamination by heavy machinery, pollutants, plastics and waste, soil is far from apolitical and – like other natural resources – it is in crisis. For Mckasson, reintegrating menstrual blood into the earth is an eco-feminist act, rooted in the belief that patriarchal control over marginalised groups parallels the exploitation of nature. Reclaiming our relationship with the earth through something as politicised and socially stigmatised as menstrual blood is both empowering and transformative, forging new connections between the body, the earth and the collective.
Essayist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Susan Griffin underscored the liberatory significance of marginalised groups reestablishing their bond with the earth, stating in her book Woman and Nature (1978): “We admire the strength in each other, all that we have suffered, all that we have lost, all that we know.” To reconnect to the earth is to reestablish a positive bond from the violence inflicted onto both the earth and body. For Mckasson, earth bleeding is a significant part of her practice for this reason. “It’s incredible to realise that the process of menstruation can also nurture the earth,” she tells Dazed. “Embracing this practice has helped me transform my monthly cycle from something dreaded into something revered, alleviating pain and allowing me to enjoy my cycles.”
“When you offer your blood to the earth, it is as if you are lowering your blood into a vessel that connects with the earth” – Estrella, Mary Magdalene pilgrim
Returning blood to the earth is, for some, a way to reconnect. Arne Naess, ecologist and significant member of the deep-ecology movement of the late 20th century, said true environmental care emerges from recognising ourselves as an integral part of nature, and by merging menstrual fluids with the earth, we foster a sense of unity where nature is no longer perceived as an “other”, but as an extension of the self.
Earth bleeding also bears religious undertones. Annually, groups of women undertake pilgrimages to shrines dedicated to Mary Magdalene in the south of France to offer their menstrual blood. Mary Magdalene, revered both as a companion of Jesus and as a priestess of a pre-Christian goddess, is venerated by these groups as the “guardian of the blood”. As group member Estrella tells Dazed, “When you offer your blood to the earth, it is as if you are lowering your blood into a vessel that connects with the earth.” Estrella contends that through this act, one merges their bodily fluids with the earth, tapping into its transformative powers. Another pilgrim, Maria Antonia, describes the act of offering menstrual blood as a “total liberation,” marking a transformative shift in her connection with menstruation and the earth: “From that point on, there began to exist a before and after.” In other words, returning menstrual blood to the earth – whether through these Catholic-inspired rituals, eco-feminist practices, or with spiritual incentives – is a way of reframing menstrual blood as a symbol of vitality and empowerment, rather than as a mark of the body’s impurity.
