Our menstrual cycles offer an opportunity to understand our bodies and connect with the rhythms of the natural world. In this class, community midwife and fertility practitioner Krystina Derrickson explores moon rhythms and herbalism for the cycling years, bringing together reproductive physiology, cycle awareness, and a whole-person approach to care.
You'll learn about the hormonal changes that guide the menstrual cycle, including the roles of estrogen and progesterone, and how to observe patterns through basal body temperature, cervical fluid, and changes in mood and energy. Krystina also explores the cycle through the lens of seasonal and lunar rhythms, inviting a deeper appreciation of the body's changing needs throughout the month.
The class introduces a thoughtful approach to herbal support, beginning with nourishment, sleep, stress, and the wider context of each person's life. Through a closer look at vitex, red raspberry leaf, dong quai, and maca, Krystina discusses traditional uses and herbal energetics, emphasizing the importance of matching plants to the individual.
In this class, you'll explore:
Menstrual cycles in relationship with seasonal and lunar rhythms
The foundations of reproductive anatomy and hormonal changes throughout the cycle
The roles of estrogen, progesterone, and ovulation
Cycle charting through temperature, cervical fluid, and other observable signs
How nourishment, sleep, stress, and blood sugar relate to cycle health
A whole-person approach to understanding painful, heavy, or irregular periods
Traditional uses and energetic qualities of vitex, red raspberry leaf, dong quai, and maca
About Krystina Derrickson
Krystina Derrickson is a community midwife and fertility practitioner whose work spans fertility, preconception, birth, and postpartum care. She offers home birth midwifery care in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, alongside fertility, preconception, and cycle support globally. Her approach bridges clinical knowledge with a holistic understanding of reproductive well-being, emphasizing nourishment, body literacy, and individualized care.
This class is part of Casa Curativa's Friday online class series, bringing herbalists, practitioners, and educators together to share practical skills and deepen our understanding of the body.
Explore more classes and courses at Casa Curativa.
Class Description:
Learn to make your own tinctures from fresh and dried plants and fungi. In this class, we will discuss what tinctures are, why we work with them, and how to make them - step by step. Activate the herbal chemist within!
Teacher Bio:
Lindsay Chestnut is an herbalist, permaculture practitioner, astrologist, and educator whose work explores the relationships between plants, people, and the patterns that shape both earth and cosmos. Her teaching weaves herbal energetics, physiology, astrology, and hermetic philosophy, guiding students to recognize the patterns connecting plants, bodies, and cosmic cycles through storytelling, somatics, and experiential learning.
