The Worshiping of My Sacred Blood by Luna

Being born and growing up as a girl in a very traditional atmosphere in India 20-25 years ago, was almost a disgraceful experience. The message was: “You have done this sin of taking birth as a girl; so better follow the rules now”.

I have this strong memory of restrictions, rules of appropriate behaviors - the way we walk, sit, dress up, guilt and shame around body. And menstruation somehow was one of the major things that brought immense embarrassment to me and the women around me. My home was such that I wasn’t allowed to touch anything or anybody when I was bleeding. So I myself hated menstruation, and even my vagina. I remember hearing from a well-educated girlfriend in her early 20s saying to me that we women should obey men because our vagina is dirty.

Years later, I had already been exploring my life in Osho’s world, having been in very liberal communities and been walking the path of neo-Tantra, once it happened that I was in one Tantra festival in Goa and there were Baul mystics present as teachers. The Baul mysticism is a very interesting spiritual stream whose approach is that of celebration and devotion; and they are devotees of the great Goddess Kali and have immense respect for the play of feminine energy and thus menstruation of any woman sannyasin in their ashram is a day of celebration and rituals.

So, the last day of the festival, I got my period. It was the closing ceremony and the whole place was so beautifully decorated with flowers and soft lights and people were dancing and hugging. As I was dancing, Guruji, the chief Guru of the Bauls (one of the most innocent beings I have met in this life) was next to me. Knowing how much he gets excited about menstruation, I mentioned to him I got my period. Oh! God! His eyes brightened and spirit lifted in extreme ecstasy. With a big smile like that of child, he was pointing out to me and telling in his broken English to his wives and disciples. “Her Period come! Period Come! Joi Ma! Joi Ma (Hail Goddess).”

As the closing ceremony was finishing, the main Ma told me Guruji would love to have some blood from me. I didn’t quiet understand what and why, but soaked in his ecstasy I went to the bathroom to remove my tampon and came back to the hall. By then most people had left. Guruji asked me to sit down with my legs apart. As I sat down he offered flowers at my feet. He applied my blood on his forehead and bowed down at my feet. What I clearly remember is such innocence and neutral energy had never been connected with my yoni until then. He then asked the rest of the people who were still in that space to come to join the ritual. One by one offered flowers and bow down to my feet and they all got my blood on their forehead as blessing through Guruji.

I still cannot explain how I was feeling in that moment. Happy, surprised, honored, healed, empowered? Yes, all of these. I was for sure in a trance. That evening for me is one of those unforgettable blessed days of my life. A powerful few minutes of such honoring of my femininity through the worshipping of my sacred blood have not only healed me from the unpleasant moments of my childhood but created a bond with my yoni and femininity at a very deep level. I am sure such an incredible incident might have even been healing for my ancestoral line as well as the collective. What to say? It was indeed a great blessing that has happened to me. I am eternally grateful for that.

Today I am a lover of my blood. For me menstruation is one among the most mystical and divine experiences of being a woman and my life is dedicated to experiencing and sharing this joy of living in a woman’s body in its totality with my sisters and brothers. Jai Ma! 

Luna, 29, Australia