Want to predict the future? Chart your cycle.

In my decade+ of channeling messages and reading tarot, I’ve found that one of the best ways to predict the future in your day-to-day life doesn’t involve cards, crystals, or even clairvoyance—it involves cycles.

Specifically, the menstrual cycle.

If you’re a human who sheds their uterine lining approximately every 28 days (and even if you’re not…keep reading), the four stages of menstruation can divine your wants, needs, and desires on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. True, you may not be able to predict if you’ll meet the love of your life or win the lottery, but your cycle can give insight into your moment-to-moment emotions, energy, and limitations—tools that are invaluable for planning your desired destiny across all areas of life.

I began charting my menstrual cycle—and by that I mean all 28-33 days, not just the week of my period—approximately six years ago after devouring Lisa Lister‘s manifesto on the topic aptly named Code Red. This practice involves writing down your emotional and physical state every day from the first day of your period to the day before the next one. Your notes don’t have to be lengthy—more like a scientific chart in the laboratory of you—but over time (after 2-3 months) you’ll start to see unique patterns emerge. 

This practice can be done by non-menstruating individuals as well! Both the moon and the sun affect our natural cyclical patterns so chart from one new moon to the next to find similar energetic patterns for yourself. Obviously, we each have a uniquely individual cycle, but there are some general predictions for each of the four phases that generally apply to most. I highly recommend charting your own experience to get the full picture, but as a cheat sheet to get you started, here’s a breakdown of the four phases Lisa Lister lays out in her book—plus a few insights I’ve learned throughout my years of charting.

Phase 1: Menstruation

Days 1-7 (ish) of your cycle kick off with a bloody bang (sorry—not even British, but Lisa Lister is so I couldn’t resist). Day 1 is marked as the first day of your period (or, if you don’t menstruate, the occurrence of the New Moon) which, for some of us, can be hard to define. If you tend to spot for a few days before a full bleed, I recommend counting day 1 as when you actually need to break out the cups, tampons, thick pads, etc to take over for that flimsy panty liner/whisper of toilet paper you’ve been using to make do. This phase is when you’re meant to go into your metaphorical cave. Your intuition is heightened which also means your energetic field is more porous so, if you can, be extra mindful of the individuals you allow in your space during this phase. I find that my irritations and heightened emotions during the start of my cycle are actually helpful bullshit alarms. Cramps are often a sign I’m either doing or thinking about something that doesn’t deserve my energy while feeling overly emotional can indicate I’m in the wrong company or worse—stuck in an old version of my life. To make the most of this phase, do what you can to treat it like a spiritual retreat. Meditate, sleep, journal, and wait for insight and inspiration to strike. Consider any classic “lady troubles” that arise as a sign to rest physically, mentally, or emotionally. I know it’s not always possible, but try to slow down. Oh, and please drink more water.

Phase 2: Pre-Ovulation

Days 8-14, or from when your period ends until approximately a week later, are when you start to exit the cave. If you’ve been lucky enough to have made good use of your downtime during the last phase, you’ll probably find yourself feeling pulled towards one of those insights or ideas that floated in on your intuition. Give yourself the green light to take action, but don’t get carried away. As the momentum builds towards the Ovulation phase, you’ll feel more and more capable, inspired, and able to take on the world, but burning the candle at both ends isn’t always recommended. Pace yourself. It’s a good time to break down a step-by-step action plan for what you want to accomplish (personally, professionally, or otherwise) and try to stack the bulk of the action during this phase and the next when you’re likely feeling the most energetic. 

Phase 3: Ovulation

Days 15-21 (approx.) are when things really kick into high gear. If you’re riding the wave of female hormones, this will be the week you’re scientifically looking your most attractive—you’re ready to see and be seen! This works out well because you’re also still deep in that “get shit done” mode that started the last phase. For some, this energy can become overwhelming. If you’re like me, you might find yourself climbing the walls with sexual frustration if you’re sans a suitable partner during this week. Thankfully, channeling that intensity into a creative project (or a little self-love) also helps to disperse the energy. For those tracking by the moon, this is Full Moon week! Think of the electric click in the air on a crisp fall night under a full moon sky and you’ll get the idea of what this feels like—anything’s possible. It’s both an exhilarating and sometimes unpredictable energy, but learning to channel it according to the plan you made in the last phase will help to keep your werewolf-like impulses relatively under control. 

Phase 4: Pre-Menstruation

With every upswing, there’s an inevitable downswing—that’s how life keeps moving forward. Days 22-28 (ish) are when you’ll notice the energy burst of the past two weeks has started to fade. Accept it. Don’t try to push through it. Use your time wisely to wrap up any loose ends that must be done before you retreat back into the cave, but forgive yourself if you can no longer “push through” as you have been for the past two weeks. If you’ve pushed too hard in the previous phases, you might be feeling more PMS or PMDD symptoms this cycle. Charting will help you find how to best distribute your energy and avoid any unnecessary fallout at this phase each month. The no-bullshit meter is also starting to rise so distance yourself from loved ones you know can’t handle you at your most truthful. In fact, if you chart carefully for a few months, you might be able to narrow this no-filter phase down to 2 to 3 days per month that you know you are NOT to be messed with. Mine’s one day somewhere between days 25 and 27, that’s when I know to avoid anyone who can’t handle me without a politeness buffer. You can always reschedule that touchy conversation for pre-ovulation when your energy is more palatable.

Tell Me: Have you observed any of these qualities in your own cycle? When are you at your best? When are you at your most blunt and brutal?