By Dr Eeka King (Chinese Medicine)

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to be so completely in tune and aware of your fertility, that you had complete control over whether or not you conceive during intercourse or not, naturally?

Have you pondered why is it that humans are creating new beings when in fact they should not, and have no desire to; terminating them even though it doesn’t feel so good to do so or alternatively filling their bodies with toxic chemicals to override the natural working of nature? With the sophistication of our human biology, surely there is a natural in-built design that would enable us to have conscious choice over our family planning.

Ancient knowledge from our distant forbears was actually re-discovered in the 1950’s by a Czechoslovakian Doctor regarding the fertility of Woman. It is my pleasure to share with you about the research that was done and my personal experience regarding the natural & cosmic cycles that govern fertility and conception.

Understanding the Moon and Fertility
In every culture, religion and indigenous society the moon has always been a linked to woman and the feminine qualities she represents and fertility- reproduction in the animal world and growth in the kingdom of plants. The moons influence has always been considered as necessary for growth. This applies to a woman’s capacity to bear children in relation to both conception and birth, the reproductive ability of animals, and the germination and growth of seeds and plants.

Indeed modern research demonstrates that different phases of the moon have different influences on plant growth and germination and these beliefs have become part of agricultural practice today.  The waxing moon is known to coincide with a period of growth for all things and the waning moon as being the time to gather, prune and harvest and prepare the ground for the nest planting. This also corresponds with the common experience of ovulating in tune with the full moon and bleeding at the new. I can just sense now how powerful and healing it would and should be sharing the ‘Red Tent’ with other woman, bleeding out the old and immerging refreshed, cleansed and renewed to create at the beginning of a new moon.  Women’s connection with the moon is undeniable.

Francesca Naish, wrote “let us, as women-‘cyclical lunatics that we are-use this connection with the moon to understand our bodies better. Let us use it to create a situation where we can express ourselves sexually without detriment to our physical and psychological health and in tune with natural cycles, both personal and planetary”.

To be fully in tune with the moon, with nature, your body and your own cycle is to be totally in the power of woman.

The effect of the moon on breeding cycles in animal life is clearly apparent. The metabolic and sexual activity of cows, monkeys, bats, rats, mice, worms and even some vegetables has been found to vary with the moon. It is now obvious that animals as well as plants, respond directly to the moons phases. Many different forms of marine life such as fish, seaweed and coral breed with specific phases of the moon. Dr Eugen Jonas in the 1950’s who gave rise to our understanding of the lunar cycles effect on human reproductive capacity said,
Up to the present, science has recognised the influence of the moon on lower order animals. This influence affects their capacity for existence and reproduction…This possibility has not yet been investigated in respect to Man. However, should the possibility that the moon affects the reproductive function of man be completely excluded?…The unicellular ovum of the mother’s womb in no way differs from the most minute living creatures which are so strongly affected by the moon. On this basis alone, it no longer appeared impossible to establish a correlation between the influences of the moon and the reproductive ability of Man.

After several years of research it was possible for him to verify and demonstrate this connection.

There are 2 Cycles of Conception within 1 lunar Month
There is a reason why so many women conceive outside their normal mid-cycle ovulation. It is the same reason why there is a common notion that Catholics tend to have such large families! Woman who abstain from intercourse during their personal cyclic ovulation are still falling pregnant. It is also common for a woman to conceive during the time she thinks she is the safest-menstruation. Why?

Our personal fertility cycles are extended into the cosmos to include the cycles of the phases of the moon- the lunar phase cycle.

The time of a woman’s fertility depends on the recurrence of the angular relationship between the sun and the moon that occurred at the moment of the woman’s own birth. In other words a woman is fertile at the same phase of the moon that she was born at, e.g. I was born 4 days before the full moon (when the sun made an angle of 132 degrees ahead of the moon) and I will experience fertility 4 days before every full moon regardless of where this falls in my regular hormonal menstrual cycle. Wow!

This is a recurring biorhythmic cycle which affects your body. The cycle commences at birth, becomes effective at puberty, and will continue to influence your fertility throughout your entire fertile life. The moon-phase cycle has an effect on the hypothalamus, pituitary, glandular hormones and nervous state and it is possible that increased levels of agitation aroused from physical sexual activity can trigger a spontaneous ovulation and lead to conception.

The Discovery of the Lunar Cycle                                               
The lunar cycle was discovered (or re-discovered) by Dr Eugen Jonas in the 1950’s in Czechoslovakia. He was a practicing psychiatrist, a Catholic, with an interest in astrology. It was this exact combination of interests that fuelled his discovery. He started to wonder about what seemed to be a cyclical emotional problem afflicting some of his more high-strung female patients, an edginess that did not seem to follow the recognised pattern of pre-menstrual tensions. With the pill still in the experimental stages and the recent legalisation of abortion he began to get concerned about the emotional trauma that these practices might reflect in his patients. Jonas pondered how the creation of a new human being could just be a matter of chance and found solace in the astrological dictum ‘as above, so below’. In a library of very old astrology books, Jonas discovered an Assyrian-Babylonian claim, ‘Woman is fertile during a certain phase of the moon’. After spending a long time researching, testing, re-working, and finally verifying, he formulated 3 rules:

  1. The time of a woman’s fertility depends on the recurrence of the lunar phase cycle
  2. The sex of the child depends on the position of the moon at conception
  3. Certain configurations of the nearer celestial bodies at the time of conception can affect the viability of the embryo.

The aspect of Jonas’s work which has received most attention worldwide and been tested most thoroughly is Rule 1 and its use for natural contraception and conception methods.

It is with great luck that I first became aware of the lunar phase fertility cycle whilst studying astrology when I was 18. I totally disregarded the application of this form of natural birth control then until some years later when I met a woman whilst studying acupuncture, a fellow student (also a gynaecologist and obstetrician) who had an extremely successful career helping seemingly infertile women conceive via the Jonas’s method of fertility. She introduced me to Francesca Naish’s book ‘Natural Fertility- the complete guide to avoiding or achieving pregnancy’. It was just the extra nudge I needed from the universe to step into the connection with my fertility as I was at the beginning of a new relationship. For 5 years my partner and I successfully used the Jonas’s system of natural contraception until the time we were ready to consciously conceive our first child. We conceived that very first moment.

Evidence & Effectiveness
Jonas was amazed by the patterns he uncovered. For 2 years he collected data to investigate this cycle. As well as receiving much support he was also met with a great deal of opposition; the unconventional nature of his ideas touched a few raw nerves.

In 1958, Dr Kurt Rechnitz, a professor of gynaecology in Budapest, tested the combination of abstinence at the lunar phase return with the rhythm method and verified Jonas’s findings. The normal success rate of the rhythm method (between 30 and 85 percent) jumped to approximately 98 percent. In 1968, Jonas opened the Astra Clinic, a centre for Planned Parenthood in Nitra, Czechoslovakia. In the first few months of the Astra Clinic opening, almost 10 000 applications flooded in, 2300 of which was for birth control.  Evaluation indicated the success rate was 98.5 %. In 1970, the board at Astra evaluated 1252 cases of women using its method of contraception for a year. These women abstained at both their lunar days and at mid-cycle as calculated by them using the rhythm method. Only 28 cases proved negative, which gave a success rate of 97.7 percent.

Nowadays, by combining observance of the lunar cycle with the more scientific and precise sympto-thermal method (vaginal mucus analysis and temperature readings) instead of the rhythm, we can expect an even greater degree of reliability.  Several other findings are also of interest…

  • Many if not most, of the pregnancies reported in the tests on the use of the method for contraception were in woman whose menstrual cycles were not regular and who were relying on the rhythm method to calculate when ovulation occurred. Since rhythm method relies on regularity
  • Woman who were trying to conceive were also asked by Astra for information regarding the times when intercourse occurred. Many who were successful (often after years of failure) had intercourse only on the lunar cycle days, showing that some ovulation must have occurred at that time.
  • Monthly charts kept by woman attending F. Naish’s Clinic, the Jocelyn centre for Natural Fertility Management also show that a significant number of conceptions seem to be due to the lunar peak. These charts also often show symptoms of ovarian activity (such as changes in mucus and temperature, and ovulation pains) that normally accompany mid-cycle ovulation, recurring at a woman’s lunar return.

The benefits of woman being aware of her lunar phase fertile time and being able to assess her mid-cycle fertility is immeasurable. Some of these include self-sufficiency (go anywhere and do anything without relying on manufactured goods), self-knowledge and mind-body awareness, no side-effects, shared responsibility (no need to harm health for sake of relationship), no danger to future pregnancies or fertility, morally and ethically impeccable, reliability (same success rate as the pill when used correctly), no overkill of contraception when it is not needed, low cost maintenance free method (once system is established) and most of all having children when they are wanted.

Natural Contraception
For natural contraception to be highly effective you must avoid unprotected intercourse when the moon is in the same phase as it was at your birth and also avoid unprotected intercourse at your mid-cycle ovulation. You must also have the desire to be in tune and in touch with your body and have the dedication to learn the fertility awareness techniques and rules which tell you when you can and can’t have unprotected sex.

The first step is to have your natal lunar phase calculated (by an astrologer and/or someone familiar with Lunar phase fertility calendars) Safety margins will also be added for sperm and egg life, giving a total of 4 days each lunar month where protection is necessary for this phase.

Learning how to read and assess the signs of your mid-cycle fertility can take at least a few months (cycles) as experience is what gives you confidence in your ability. Natural fertility awareness involves the observation of the changes in your cervical/vaginal mucus to tell you when you are fertile, the charting of your at rest basal body temperature (timing of your hormonal cycle) and understanding of the rhythm method as a back-up and fail-safe role. You can also teach yourself through reading the right material or by having a consultation with a natural fertility awareness practitioner to help you on your way.

A Conscious Conception
Every child deserves to be created with intention and love.

If your lunar time does not coincide with your with your mid-cycle ovulation, you have two chances per month to conceive. If it does coincide then you have one super chance. If you do want to conceive, fertility seems to be greatly enhanced if the mid-cycle ovulation coincides with the lunar peak. Also menstruation, far from being an infertile time, is a likely time for conception to occur-if it coincides with the natal lunar phase. This is important information for those who are trying to avoid or achieve pregnancy.

The lunar peak combined mid-cycle ovulation is the most fertile combination and the menstruation/lunar comes second.
In certain circumstances there is a marked tendency for the two cycles to synchronise. There is a higher tendency in….

  • In women who are trying to conceive, especially when efforts have been ongoing for at least 6 months. Conception is often successful when the synchronisation finally occurs.
  • In women who are in tune with their bodies with their bodies (especially those using natural birth control methods involving body awareness) who are unstressed, in good health and have rhythmic lifestyles, there is a marked trend towards the hormonal cycle ovulation occurring at the lunar phase fertile time.

The lunar cycle is of course fixed, however your hormonal cycle is constantly affected by all manner of influences. Stress, trauma, travel, ill-health, sudden changes in weight or diet, drug taking and excessive exercise are some of the things that can affect timing of ovulation and therefore, your cycle. It is also common that women tend to tune into the cycles of other women in their environment- friends, house and workmates and can begin to ovulate and bleed in synch with each other.

The lunar cycle may well be a blueprint for the hormonal cycle. If this is so, it would mean that in a truly natural state we would only have one fertility cycle. It seems that when the rhythms of life are disturbed and the hormonal cycle subjected to the stress and strains of our modern lifestyle, the cycles are less likely to come together.

It is possible to consciously synchronise your cycles. The most effective way is to raise awareness of your lunar peak time consciously, and use suggestions to affect your subconscious such as auto-suggestion, watching the moon and looking for ‘your moon’, and having your lunar calendar on the wall.

The Future of the Powerfully Aware Woman
It is not known exactly what happened to Jonas and the Astra clinic in Czechoslovakia. It was shut down in 1969 and it is not known if it was political repression or medical backlash. In Astra’s last announcement in 1970 from Hungary, the Astra scientific board published statistics that the wide-spread practical use of astrological birth control proved highly effective. Even though Jonas is no longer working with these ideas any longer his systems of birth control and sex selection continue to be used all over the world including Australia, USA, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Germany, England, Italy, The Netherlands and many more.

When I first learned this ancient knowledge and started to apply it in my life, my first thought was- Why is this not mainstream knowledge and why is this not taught to every woman and man?

Well as you can imagine there has been much opposition in medical and scientific circles to accepting Jonas’s theories and findings and the main reason is that there was reference to it being termed ‘Astrological birth control’, even though it really has to do with the phases of the moon and not to do with personal growth and fortune telling. As how could the stars really influence us, human beings? Surely we are beyond and completely separate to the motions of the world above. These suggestions are simply an attack on certain scientific viewpoints. Most women know that their cycles are connected to the moon and find nothing strange in his ideas. Perhaps if science and medicine were less-male dominated there might be less resistance and some funding would go into scientifically validating it beyond doubt on a biological and physiologic level. I can also logically theorise that the big pharmaceutical companies and other organisations of the world would find that some of these ideas to be detrimental to the longevity, power and control that they hold. Can you imagine if all women collectively began to become more fully connected to the cosmos, their cycles both personal and planetary and the health of their mind, emotions and physical bodies? Can you imagine the world free from over population and what affect it would have on the world if every human being was born consciously, intentionally and into a space of love?

Behold the new age of the powerfully aware woman and the rise of Man who hasn’t forgotten who he really is.

References

Ostrander & Schroeder (1972) Astrological Birth Control, Prentice – Hall, INC., Englewood Cliffs, N.J

F. Naish (1989) The Lunar Cycle – A guide to natural and astrological fertility control Prism Press

F. Naish (1991) Natural Fertility – The complete guide to avoiding or achieving pregnancy Sally Milner Publishing, Australia

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.