Feeling friskier as the moon gets fuller? Check a lunar calendar: Your menstrual cycle (and with it, the hormonal root of sexual desire) might have synced up with the moon.

The evolution from full moon to new moon and back again takes about 29½ days—not far off from the average length of a menstrual cycle. So it’s totally possible for your hormones to line up with the moon’s phases by happenstance. While scientists haven’t found a causal link between the moon cycle and menstrual cycles, you might find the alignment of your own rhythm with the moon’s to be spiritually and sexually fulfilling.

HOW TO FIND THE CONNECTION

In modern spiritual practices inspired by folklore, there are two commonly identified ways menstruation and sex drive align with the lunar cycle.

A white moon cycle occurs when you menstruate around the time of the new moon and ovulate with the full moon. This menstruation pattern is typically associated with fertility and nourishment. (The days surrounding ovulation are the most fertile period of the menstrual cycle.) In a white moon cycle, you may feel a surge in sex drive in sync with the full moon: Ovulation coincides with your cycle’s estrogen peak, which promotes sexual desire.

If you bleed during the full moon and ovulate with the new moon, you have a red moon cycle. This phase has been called the wise woman’s cycle and is linked with self-development, creativity, and growth.

WHAT MIGHT THROW OFF ALIGNMENT

In a 2021 study published in Science Advances, women exposed to artificial nocturnal light reported shorter menstruation cycles. From that data, the researchers hypothesized two things: First, that the light of the moon may have strongly influenced the reproductive physiology and habits of primitive humans. And second, that artificial light and light pollution may have disrupted our synchronicity with the moon’s cycle.

THE SEX TOY SHOP

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.