The Retort

Letter to the Editor

April 19th, 2010 by Nicole Maas For The Retort

How refreshing and inspiring to read an article like Jen Gross’s “Every Woman Should Have a Mooncup.” That is, an article about menstruation that does not include crude, sexist jokes, abrupt scientific details or a tone of apologetic embarrassment. The shame women feel in even discussing menstruation, most especially with men, can be traced (surprise, surprise) to patriarchal religious philosophy. The Bible and the Koran, among their many misogynistic pronouncements, agree that menstruating women are “unclean” and that men should steer clear of them lest they become contaminated, too. Jewish custom dictates that girls be slapped across the face at their menarche.

Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all patriarchal religions. On the contrary, in ancient matriarchal societies, menstruation was considered a sacred gift from the Goddess. Menstruation blood was often collected and then mixed with wine and drunk to increase spiritual power, or mixed with corn and spread across the fields to increase the fertility of the land. Modern female pagans also often collect their own blood and use it to heighten the power of their rituals (in fact the word “ritual” was derived from the Sanskrit word “rtu” which means “menses”).

Whether or not you wish to revere menstruation to the degree the ancients did – I personally see no reason to get that carried away – you might consider why a monthly biological event that affects over half the world’s population should induce “ewwwww”s and “yuuuuuck”s in people simply because unquestioned patriarchal religious philosophy tells us without good reason that it ought to. Perhaps the next time you hear a joke about menstruation that includes the oh-so-predictable mocking, superior overtone, you’ll stop to consider the influences behind the overtone and reconsider the authenticity of your amusement before you laugh without thinking.