artificial harmony

birth control pills/body, journal, embroidery, digital images, 2017-2019

Through the use of hormonal birth control pills, I sought to sync my menstrual cycle to the phases of the moon. My goal was to have the beginning of the menstrual phase coincide with the new moon. Both the lunar cycle and menstrual cycle are estimated to be 28 days in length, so in theory these would match up.

Without access to these pills, my “natural” cycle is much longer, heavier, and far too excruciating to function day-to-day, invoking bodily reactions (especially vomiting) that are far beyond what is considered normal, causing me to be bedridden.

***This exercise is an acknowledgement that for many of us, “artificial means” are necessary to achieve what society at large considers to be “normal”.