Bloating, Mood Swings, and Cravings - Oh My! // Herbs That Actually Help During Your Moon Time
Let’s be real: most of us were handed pads, shame, and a vague warning about mood swings - and sent on our way. No one told us our bodies were sacred altars. No one taught us to tend the blood.
But that changes here.
Your moon time is more than an inconvenience. It’s a rhythm. A teacher. A built-in ritual cycle that asks you to rest, release, and root back into your body.
And when cramps hit, when your mood swerves from soft girl to unhinged banshee, when you’re bloated and exhausted and craving every carb in sight, herbs can help. Not just in a “drink this tea” kind of way, but in a body-remembers-it’s-safe-here kind of way.
These are the herbs I turn to when I want to support my body through its sacred bleed. For cramps, mood, cravings, and everything in between.
1. Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)
The name says it all. Cramp bark is a goddesssend for those deep, gut-pulling cramps that make you want to fold in half and hex the patriarchy. It works on smooth muscle tissue, helping release tension in the uterus.
Use as a tincture at the first sign of cramping for best results.
Cramp bark is like a warm hand on your belly saying, “It’s alright, let go now.”
2. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Warming, anti-inflammatory, and a natural pain reliever, ginger is a classic for nausea, bloating, and that cold, achy feeling some folks get around their moon time. It also supports circulation to get things moving.
Brew fresh ginger root into a strong tea with honey and lemon.
Ginger is that friend who tells you to take a hot bath, light a candle, and stop apologizing for being in pain.
3. Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
For the rage. The heartbreak. The sudden burst of tears when you drop your spoon or watch that one tender reel on IG. Motherwort is for when your heart feels too big, your body too sensitive, and your nervous system too frayed.
Take as a tincture or tea during the luteal phase or during your bleed.
Motherwort doesn’t fix you. She just sits down and says, “Cry if you need to, darling - I’m not going anywhere.”
4. Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus)
Raspberry leaf is like scaffolding for the uterus. It tones, strengthens, and supports the whole pelvic bowl over time. While it won’t take away cramps instantly, drinking it consistently between cycles can make a huge difference. I also like to use it when my cramps kick in.
Best as a daily infusion or in moon time blends.
Raspberry leaf is your long-game herb - quietly strengthening your roots so you bleed with more ease.
5. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
If your moon time comes with anxiety, spiraling thoughts, or that doom tinged emotional fog, lemon balm is here. Calming but not sedating, she gently lifts your mood and calms the belly.
Drink as a warm tea or blend into a nighttime infusion.
Lemon balm is soft light through a window on a hard day.
6. Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)
The unsung hero of hormone balance. Dandelion root supports the liver, which helps your body process excess estrogen and reduce hormonal bloating, tenderness, and irritability.
Use roasted dandelion root in teas, or as a tincture throughout your cycle.
Dandelion root is like a gentle inner sweep - clearing what doesn’t belong so your body can do what it knows how to do.
Bonus: Herbal Moon Time Tea Blend
Want to DIY a soothing, effective moon time tea? Try this:
2 parts raspberry leaf
1 part cramp bark
1 part lemon balm
1 part ginger
1 part rose petals (for heart and beauty)
Steep 1–2 tablespoons in hot water for 20–30 minutes. Drink throughout the day as needed.
Other Rituals That Support Your Moon Time
Lay down with a hot water bottle and herbal-infused belly oil
Light a candle for the version of you that’s healing ancestral pain through your womb
Say no more often (your body is already doing enough)
Track your cycle and notice your patterns - bleeding is data
Rest like it’s sacred - because it is
Your moon time isn’t broken. It’s not dirty or shameful or inconvenient. It’s a rhythm. A portal. A built in, monthly reminder to slow down and tune in.
And you don’t have to suffer to be strong.
Let these herbs walk with you. Let them soften the edges and soothe the ache. Let them remind your body that healing doesn’t always mean hustling - it can mean resting, releasing, and being radically kind to yourself.
This is how we reclaim the bleed.
This is how we alchemize the pain.
This is how we glow - even while we rest.
I’ll be over here,
Clutching my quartz and drinking cramp bark tea like it’s nectar