Hey Bianca!
This is a great question. I had to reach out to some other Aunties for this answer. My tribe is not considered a ‘saging’ tribe. My Auntie’s have told me that we learned to sage from the Northern Pueblos.
When you’re on your ‘moon cycle’ or ‘moon time’, it is considered to be an incredibly powerful time for a female and is often a time to recharge when a true cleansing of the body is taking place.
The moon time is considered a time of power, second only to the ability of the Great Spirit to give life. That is how strong that power is. Women can ask Grandmother Moon for direction in life, for wisdom and for help for her children and others. Grandmother Moon can give her healing and balancing energy to women.
Some teachings say that when women are on their moon time the Creator comes closer to them. When women are on their moon time their power is at its strongest, this is acknowledged in that they do not prepare foods or medicines, take part in ceremonies or use the pipes and other sacred items.
The moon time is a ceremony of life for women and a time for renewal. The moon time is a time for women to relax and take it easy (if that’s possible!). All the chores are done by other family members. It is a time for women to think about themselves, their family, their relatives or anyone they think needs help. It is a time of reflection
So to answer your question, it’s been advised to not practice in ceremonies during your moon cycle. However, not all tribes have this belief about practices around women’s moon cycle, but a good rule of thumb is to honor the practices of the people you are visiting.
You can read more here: http://www.northernc.on.ca/indigenous/moontime/.
Hope this helps. Thanks for writing in!
Take care,
Auntie Manda
