Black & Gold: Menopause as Initiation.

The first series of The Alchemy of Menopause workshops end on February 3^rd, coinciding with the astrological point of Imbolc when the Sun is at 15 degrees of Aquarius.

The Alchemy of Menopause is a rich exploration of the mid-life transition of women, collectively known as peri menopause or menopause, it is unique to each woman. My intention for the group was to create a platform, or alchemical alembic as I like to call it, where women could feel supported on their journey and to offer a psycho-spiritual approach to menopause.

What do I mean by psycho-spiritual?

In terms of menopause, it means looking beyond the purely physical and biological experience to incorporate psychological, emotional, symbolic, mythological and astrological perspectives; there is much to say about the Astrology of Menopause. While our physical being mediates, expresses and manifests the inner changes taking place, this is only one dimension of the complex process of menopause, an experience that affects us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The condition of our soul, the vehicle for transformation will determine what kind of experience we have. Therefore, The Alchemy of Menopause, as with all other “women’s work” I am or have previously been engaged with is at its core soul work.

Through a psycho-spiritual lens, menopause may be viewed as a gateway, or an initiation in which we die to the parts of ourselves that may have served us in younger years but that now need to be released so that new growth can occur.

Previously I offered a course called Meetings With the Dark Goddess and Finding the Seeds of Renewal; reflecting on that now I see that this work was a vital part of my own peri-menopausal journey. Now I am working with women to find and nurture the shoots of renewal as we transition into the wise woman phase of life. We are strengthening our inner sun so that it illuminates the darkness and brings forth new growth.

Earlier, as a graduate student, I worked with menstruation as a symbol of renewal. My master’s dissertation- The Red Death: Menstruation as a Symbol of Renewal was an exploration into not only the spiritual meaning of menstruation but also the cultural meaning. A key topic in my thesis was the trend towards menstrual suppression in young women, and the advertising campaigns created by pharmaceutical companies who manufactured the medication. The message inherent in these ad campaigns promoted ideas of cleanliness, productivity, and freedom. Implicit in these messages were darker currents hinting that menstruation could prohibit women from achieving at the same level of success in the workplace as their male counterparts. Moreover, within these ads there exists a subtle suggestion that always being ready and prepared for sexual intercourse was an attractive and preferable state.

As well as the modern cultural context, I sought material from the Christian- Judeo tradition on religious beliefs about menstruation and uncleanliness. This investigation led to an enquiry of what has come to be known as the Witch Hunts of the late medieval and early modern period in Europe. From there it was a short step into the disturbing world of early gynaecology and the roots of psychiatry that revealed the dark stain of misogyny with its inherent attitudes and beliefs in relation to the female body. These beliefs were particularly noted in medical and psychiatric practices in the field of female reproduction, sexuality, and the controlling of what was considered non rational or hysterical behaviour.

I began this work in 2017 as part of my academic thesis; at the same time, I started running women’s monthly moon lodge. With an interest in archetypes, symbolism, and astrology, I wove these strands into monthly workshops that took place on the new moon. The keystone to the work was not only to provide a safe space for women to share and to bring all themselves (including the parts that were hidden or subdued in the day-to-day world) but also to create and strengthen continuity throughout the year. This developed an attunement to the seasonal cycles, Wheel of the Year, and lunar cycles. It also created resonance and a strong bond between the participants.

In working with myths, it was important to extract the essence of the myth and weave it into our own lives in meaningful ways. It seems to me that while myths are fluid and subject to differing interpretations throughout time, the core of the myth remains. In this way, through shamanic journeying, inner visioning and guided meditation we were able to reach beyond time and space and connect to a perennial core of feminine wisdom.

I continue to work with some of these women now even although I have since moved away from Canterbury and returned to Scotland.

By consciously engaging the processes of alchemy and overlaying them onto the process of menopause, there is a natural affinity which places the transformative experience at the centre. What is becoming clear is that while menopause is undoubtedly a time of change, inner change does not necessarily happen unless the Prima Materia, that is the undifferentiated, chaotic, unconscious and raw material of our psyche is known and worked with, at least to some extent.

Throughout the workshops, we carefully unravel layers of self that have been created or conditioned, often as survival or coping techniques to function in a largely patriarchal system which as history tells us has not always been supportive of the ways of women. Menopause is a time when this shedding or unravelling of the self is naturally aided and accelerated by biological, hormonal, and psychological factors. In attempting to prevent this process of psychological evolution we may fall prey to what Jung calls the “regressive restoration of persona”. If overwhelm, crisis, or collapse is too much to cope with there may be a tendency to revert to the comfort of our old mask, but this can lead to stagnation or bitterness as we attempt to hold on to a version of ourselves that we have outgrown.

Holding on to a past version of ourselves may also include holding onto resentments, old wounds, ancestral trauma or victim consciousness. In our last workshop we explored forgiveness, asking the question “What is forgiveness”. At the beginning of this new year, astrologically at least set to be a powerful one, it may be timely to ask what if anything we are holding onto and if there is someone, we could find our way to forgive. Even to be aware of who or what we have not yet forgiven and why will be of enormous value as we move through this year of change. However, as we discussed in our group, forgiveness rarely comes through will alone.