The Forgotten Power of the Womb: Reclaiming the Feminine Mysteries

Inspired by an archived Heart Initiation podcast in 2017 with Janine Ma-Ree & Stephen James

In a world still dominated by mechanistic thinking and cultural disconnection from the body, the womb remains one of the most misunderstood and under appreciated centres of power. Not just for birthing life, but as a gateway to intuition, creativity, healing, and deep feminine embodiment.

In a profound conversation with Janine Ma-Ree—founder of the Red Earth Temple and faculty member of the International School of Temple Arts (ISTA)—we explored what it truly means to reconnect with the sacred womb space. Her work, deeply rooted in Temple Arts and feminine mysteries, speaks to a radical reclamation of the body’s wisdom. It’s an invitation for both women and men to awaken to new levels of embodiment, power, and creative flow.

Why Reclaim the Womb?

The modern education system teaches the menstrual cycle like a mechanical inconvenience. It’s all charts, cramps, and contraception. What it doesn’t teach is that menstruation is a rite of passage. A gateway. A mirror into a woman’s emotional, spiritual, and intuitive landscape. “The cycle,” Janine says, “is not just about reproduction. It’s about reconnection.”

For generations, menstruation has been viewed as shameful. Something to hide, suppress, or medicate. This disconnection begins in adolescence and often continues for decades. But when women are invited to see their cycle as sacred, something remarkable begins to happen. Insight emerges. Emotions become guides. Creativity is reborn. And above all, a deeper self-love returns.

The Womb as a Centre of Feminine Power

The womb isn’t just a biological organ… it’s an energetic centre of creation and power. According to Janine, “The masculine centre is often the third eye: vision, clarity, direction. The feminine centre is the womb: feeling, receiving, and magnetising.”

Through the activation of this space, women can access not only deeper pleasure but a grounded connection to the Earth. It’s through the womb that a woman aligns with her cyclical nature, tapping into archetypes of maiden, mother, wild woman, and crone. This is not esoteric metaphor… it’s embodiment. It’s real. It’s felt.

And for those who don’t bleed or who have had a hysterectomy? The energetic womb is still present. Just as men have an “energetic womb” space… an intuitive centre of creation… they too benefit from connecting with this subtle body wisdom.

From Disconnection to Empowerment

So how can someone who’s spent years, or even decades, disconnected from their womb begin to return home?

Janine suggests starting small: placing your hands over your womb and breathing. Creating simple rituals during menstruation. Journaling emotional insights. Releasing the shame around your bleed by working with menstrual blood in sacred ways—returning it to the earth, or using it symbolically in creative rituals.

Men, too, can honour this wisdom. Whether by being more attuned to the cycles of the women in their lives or recognising their own cyclical, energetic fluctuations, they play a powerful role. Janine emphasises that “men who are comfortable with the womb help women reclaim theirs.” And this applies not just to partners, but to fathers, sons, brothers, and leaders.

The Power of Shadow Integration

Part of the womb journey is acknowledging the dark… those shadowy, emotional aspects of the feminine that our culture has long suppressed. PMS rage. Sexual shame. Emotional chaos. These are not weaknesses… they are archetypal energies demanding to be seen and integrated.

“Shadow is not bad,” Janine reminds us. “It’s just unacknowledged.” These energies often rise just before or during menstruation and can be our greatest teachers if we learn to hold them with compassion. The goal is not to suppress the darkness but to integrate it—so our rage becomes clarity, our grief becomes depth, and our wounds become portals to wisdom.

Manifestation Through the Feminine

One of the most revolutionary insights Janine shares is how womb activation influences our ability to manifest. The masculine way of creating… set a goal, make a plan, take steps… is not the only path. The feminine way is to receive, magnetise, and hold vision through energetic alignment.

“When the womb is activated,” Janine says, “we become magnetic. We hold our desires in the womb and breathe life into them.” This is true not just for women but for men willing to connect with their own inner feminine.

Practical Steps for Reconnection

Here are a few practical actions inspired by Janine’s work:

• Womb Breathing: Place your hands on your womb space (just below your navel) and breathe slowly. Imagine energy flowing in and out of this space.

• Moon Blood Rituals: If you menstruate, create a sacred practice around your cycle—collect your blood and offer it to a plant, the earth, or use it in creative expression.

• Cyclical Journaling: Track your emotions and insights throughout your menstrual cycle. Notice patterns. Honour them.

• For Men: Educate yourself about the menstrual cycle and how to support the women in your life. Consider your own “energetic womb” as a source of intuitive power.

A New Paradigm of Embodiment

Ultimately, what Janine Ma-Ree invites us into is not a set of rigid practices, but a new paradigm—one where the body is no longer a battleground, but a sacred temple. A space of mystery, magic, and integration.

As we each reconnect with the body’s wisdom—whether we are bleeding, holding space for someone who is, or simply learning to honour our own inner cycles—we participate in something much larger. A cultural healing. A return to wholeness. A remembrance of what was never truly lost.