every phase #21 - follicular - the 6th cycle

something blue

Mercury Retrograde is over 🙏 & we are beginning the 6th cycle of this visual journey.While there was some recharging and rest, there was more "rethinking" & redoing."  This piece took quite the transformative journey before becoming what you see here.

The follicular phase is an opportunity to embrace new ideas, try adopting new practices, concepts, etc.  Plus, any activity with a partner that amps up the reproduction of oxytocin and nitric oxide in the brain (like sex!) makes you feel closer to each other. 

If you linger in the orgasmic plateau phase, the nitric oxide and oxytocin released will actually strengthen your emotional bond.  Sharing these new experiences serve as a reminder of not only the connection to your partner and why you love them but it is a reminder of the connection to yourself, and what you recognize (or don't) within.

The Cyanotype, which is also known as ferroprussiate, blueprint, or sun-print is a very old and simple form of photography employing the organic aspects of light, glass (or a negative), and time. It is one of my favorite camera-less photographic techniques I learned when I first started learning about photography.

Of those incorporated elements, time was not on my side.  I will spare you the technical details, but I failed throughout this week at creating this piece the traditional and formal way, so I combined it with my scanography technique, and still, 'something blue' was born.

Yes, I fail.  A lot.  It is a large part of my success and has led me to new inventions and much deeper understandings. You could even say that because of my past mistakes with my health, I have created the series I am showing you now. 

To make great art, you must be willing to make bad art.

Putting so much emphasis on everything made having to be 'great' makes it hard to create anything at all.  Because creation is a discovery, a journey you go on, and the resulting image is revealed to you as a part of this process.  It requires the growth and expansion of 'messing up' along the way.  

So were those 'mess-ups' really mistakes?  

Not at all.  They were actually the pathway leading me to what was desired, and even better ideas.

As you try new things, whether it's new sexual positions, tantric massage or a new recipe go forth and embrace the possibility that you just might fuck everything up and make a lot of mistakes along the way towards what you desire.  This means you're paving the pathway and that much closer to it and much bigger discoveries.

View a timelapse of one of my failed attempts below :)

The Little Known Issue Almost All Menstrual Problems Have In Common...

Women of all ages, histories, and “official” diagnoses complaining of the exact same symptoms. Whether they’re dealing with ovarian cysts, fibroids, or conditions like PCOS or endometriosis (or they don’t know what they’re dealing with), they’re battling the same hormonal issues every day — from PMS and hormonal acne to crazy periods and weight gain, and more. 

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you’re unfortunately in good company and you’re dealing with an unbelievably common, root cause of hormonal dysfunction called estrogen dominance. 

What Is Estrogen Dominance? 

You probably know that estrogen is the female sex hormone and it’s mainly produced in the ovaries thanks to your fat cells and the adrenal gland. It’s a super important chemical messenger that — when in balance — helps regulate your period. It also plays a big role in pregnancy, bone formation, blood clotting, and more. 

So yes, estrogen is a beautiful thing when it’s in balance with your other hormones. But when too much of it builds up in the body or there’s too much in relation to progesterone, it results in a condition called estrogen dominance. There are lots of reasons your levels of estrogen can be tipped in this way, including stress, poor sleep, the use of synthetic estrogens like the birth control pill, pesticides in your food, and chemicals in your environment. And even if you do your best to ensure absolutely stellar self-care, you may still be exposing yourself to all sorts of excess estrogens because we’re all constantly surrounded by endocrine disruptors – in everything from our furniture to our nail polish. Scary, right? 

Why Is Too Much Estrogen Bad For You? 

Again, hormones are all about balance. When your levels are thrown off in any direction, it inevitably initiates a dangerous chain reaction that can have devastating effects on your health and happiness. In the case of estrogen dominance, the imbalance can cause all kinds of unpleasant symptoms like irritability and fatigue, but it’s also been linked to major, permanent problems like infertility and even cancer. if you have estrogen dominance, there are long-term health effects for those struggling with this hormonal imbalance. Over the years and decades, a persistent estrogen overload increases the risk of many diseases and health issues including: 

- Female cancers, particularly breast cancer

- Hypertension

- Diabetes

Finish reading the rest of this extraordinary article here

More info on the Follicular phase here

More info on infradian rhythm + hormonal health: Womancode + In the flo