Could the lunar rhythms of the moon actually play a role in the natural rhythms of the menstrual fertility cycle in women? According to some, the answer is absolutely yes.
For thousands of years, across many cultures, women, the menstrual cycle and fertility have been associated with the moon. The moon is a symbol of femininity and fertility in many cultures. The average menstrual cycle length is approximately 28-30 days. The lunar orbit around the earth takes 28 days. It takes 29.5 days from one full moon to the next, known as the lunar month. This is almost identical to the average woman’s monthly fertility cycle.
BioRhythmic Lunar Fertility Charting
A while ago I listened to an interesting talk on natural fertility management for couples diagnosed with infertility, by naturopathic doctor Jaclyn Chasse of the Northeast Integrative Medicine Clinic in New Hampshire. As part of her talk she brought up a subject I had heard of, but never really learned anything about: the Lunar BioRhythmic Fertility Cycle. According to Dr. Chasse the Lunar BioRhythmic Cycle is similar to how the moon affects the ocean as seen by the changing tides. This ebb and flow the moon has on the ocean also affects all living things on earth, including the female menstrual cycle. The effect the moon has on the female menstrual cycle may also affect a woman’s peak fertile time. It has been observed that many women conceive away from their expected and charted hormonal ovulation period, but rather in line with their lunar peak.
What is the lunar peak? The Lunar BioRhythmic Cycle is a calculation of the natal angle (phase of the moon) at the time of the woman’s birth. The lunar peak is the return of this natal angle each month. Dr. Chasse challenged her listeners to cross check the lunar phase of the moon on the date of conception of their own children, with the lunar phase on the exact date and time of their own birth. She notes that she and many other natural healthcare practitioners have observed many conception dates aligning with the lunar peak rather than a woman’s typical expected hormonal ovulation date. Today, many natural healthcare practitioners help their clients learn to chart their natal angle to optimize their chances of natural conception.
This idea piqued my interest. Though I have never actually worked with a client who has done this, nor do I know anyone who has conceived during their lunar peak, I find the subject fascinating. This fascination led me to learn more about BioRhythmic Lunar Charting and where this concept came from.
Where Did This Concept Come From?
In 1956, Czech psychiatrist and gynecologist Dr. Eugen Jonas began researching a way to help Catholic women avoid pregnancy who were following the rhythm method. He was curious as to why many women were conceiving outside of their charted mid-cycle ovulation date. He observed that the rhythm method had a very low success rate. Dr. Jonas wanted to help these women avoid abortion. He was also interested in astrology. This led Dr. Jonas to study and calculate the patterns of conception dates of many of his patients. He found that many women conceived well outside of their charted mid-cycle ovulation. According to Jonas’ findings, a woman is most fertile when the sun and moon are at a relative angle as they were at the exact time of her birth.
His clinical observations led him to conduct studies based on the premise that women can only conceive during their lunar cycle. Because his theories were largely based on astrology and cosmobiology, his work has not been taken seriously by the larger scientific community. Despite the skepticism from some, his clinical success rate for preventing conception through abstinence during the lunar fertile period only was 85%.
Dr. Kurt Rechnitz took Dr. Jonas’ work a step further by combining the rhythm method charting practices and lunar fertility charting. The rhythm method typically includes taking basal body temperature and noting cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Dr. Rechnitz used the knowledge of hormonal ovulation and lunar fertility by creating a two fertile period rule. He implemented this rule in his clinical practice with a 98% contraceptive success rate. This is an astounding finding and is comparable to the success rates of modern birth control such as condoms (90-98%) and the Pill (93%-99%).
How to Optimize Your Chances of Conception with BioRhythmic Lunar Charting
It is pretty simple, first, learn the phase of the moon at the date and time of your birth. You can easily do this by going to this great moon phase catalog at the NASA website. Second, get busy trying for a baby during your lunar peak.
To optimize your chances of natural conception, be sure to combine this method with BBT, OPK or cervical mucous observation charting. Couples may increase their chance of successful natural conception by trying during their mid-cycle hormonal fertile time and during the lunar peak fertile time.
There are a variety of websites that offer computer software to help you chart your exact lunar peak. While I am not 100% sure about this method because I know so little about it myself, I thought that I should share its positive possibility for aiding in natural conception efforts.
Dr. Jonas’ findings have been tested and evaluated for over 50 years. BioRhythmic Lunar Fertility Charting has been established as a way to enhance conception efforts, while also aiding those women in avoiding conception should they so choose. What is nice about lunar fertility charting is that it doesn’t require you to take any kind of hormonal medications and it is simple to do.
I would love to hear from anyone who has tried this method or thoughts from those interested in trying it. I hope to hear from you!
- Eugen Jonas. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.drjonasmethod.com/services.discovery
- Best time to conceive a baby. (n.d.). Retrieved from: astro-fertility.com
- The Art of Lunar Fertility. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.ovatel.com/the-art-of-lunar-fertility/
- The Lunar Cycle – Natural Fertility. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.naturalparenting.com.au/blog/article/the-lunar-cycle-natural-fertility/
