Episode 42:Exploring Menarche and The Menstraul Cycle with Jane Hardwicke Collings
In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by Jane Hardwicke Collings — international speaker, author, and pioneer in the field of rites of passage for women.
Together, we explore how we can begin reframing Menarche and the menstrual cycle, moving away from shame, silence, and purely clinical education, and towards a culture of understanding, respect, and embodied wisdom.
This episode is especially for parents who feel like they’re starting from scratch — those who were never taught about their own cycles in a holistic way and now want to do things differently for their children.
Jane Hardwicke Collings
Jane Hardwicke Collings is a post-menopausal grandmother, former intensive care and operating theatre nurse, and a homebirth midwife of over 30 years. Her work now focuses on teaching and writing about the Women’s Mysteries, with a special emphasis on rites of passage across the female life cycle.
Jane facilitates workshops on mother–daughter preparation for menstruation, the spiritual practice of menstruation, and the sacred and shamanic dimensions of pregnancy, birth, and menopause. She is the founder and director of The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women’s Mystery School.
Together We discuss ;
- How to educate both daughters and sons.
- When these conversations can begin, and how to create a supportive household culture around the menstrual cycle.
- Jane shares her beautiful framework of the cycle as seasons, explores the emotional, mental, and physical rhythms across the month, and offers practical insights into hormones, and the body’s innate wisdom.
- We discuss the significant role fathers play and how they can support their daughters.
- We also dive into rites of passage, honouring menarche in meaningful ways and what society could look like if we truly supported cyclical living.
This episode is an invitation to help remove shame, empower families, and create a cultural shift so the next generation grows up informed, respected, and deeply connected to their bodies.
*********Book Giveaway**********
To honour Jane’s work, I’ll be running a giveaway of two of her beautiful books:
- Becoming a Woman: A Guide for Girls Approaching Menstruation and
- Blood Rites: The Spiritual Practice of Menstruation
Head over to the “What If We Were Taught” Instagram page HERE to find out more.
Resources Mentioned
The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson- Jack
Websites mentioned -Fertility.com
Listen Here
Follow me on ;
Instagram: @whatifweweretaught and @the_pregnancy_collective
Facebook: The Pregnancy Collective
Follow Jane Hardwicke Collings
Instagram — @janehardwickecollings and @schoolofshamanicwomancraft
Facebook-Jane Hardwicke Collings
Website — www.janehardwickecollings.com and www.schoolofshamanicwomancraft.com
Affiliate Disclosure
Some of the links shared in these show notes are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
These commissions go directly towards helping keep the podcast running and freely available, and support the time, energy, and resources that go into creating each episode. Thank you so much for supporting the podcast in this way.
Please note: All information shared in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.
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