HelloReader,

Menopause is yet another inaccurate & rather inept term for our rites of passage & experiences on the womb continuum.

Meno is from the Greek word for ”moon”, “month”, & “to measure”. In this context refers to to menstruation.

Pause is also Greek, & means to “halt”, “cease”, or "pause".

Peri is also from a Greek word, & means “around”.

In our culture the term pause is most commonly used to describe something that stops happening for a period of time, & will later resume happening. While my mystical mind is expansive enough to allow the possibility of reincarnation enabling one to cease menstruation in this life & then begin menstruating again in another lifetime, the term menopause still feels lacking in specificity. The conventional medical definition of menopause is when during mid-life our ovaries stop communicating with our brain so intensely, & we cease to menstruate. One full year without menstruating is how being officially "in menopause" is defined by the medical industry. There are in fact many reasons we can cease menstruating but not be in menopause.

But I digress.

What else could we call the natural transition from our potentially fertile & cycling years into our elder infertile years?

In Japan they call menopause Kōnenki (更年期) which translates as is "renewal years" or "energy season".

I love this.

Some cheeky English terms I quite like referring to folks going through both peri-menopause & menopause are "Queen Agers", "Reverse Puberty", “Sagescence” (modeled after ‘pubescence’ & ’matrescence’) & "Coming of Rage".

I'm also ok with the common term "The Change", but it's not my fav.

Whatever you wanna call it, perimenopause & menopause are perfectly natural, sacred & mundane rites of passage that our culture treats like a disease & a new trendy niche to market products to.

Ugh.

Thank goodness our next FoK Buddy session will tackle the topics of perimenopause, menopause, & sexuality!

Peri/Menopause & Sexuality

A conversation with Dr. Evelin Dacker & Samantha Zipporah

Monday, March 30th at 10am PST live on Zoom, audio only

Dr. Evelin Molina Dacker is a board-certified family physician, educator, & founder of Wild Woman Wellness Medicine. With decades of experience spanning primary care, integrative & functional medicine, sexual health, & menopause care, she practices medicine as a relationship, grounded in listening, trust, & whole-person healing.

Evelin is the creator of The STARS Talk framework for conscious communication & intimacy, a TEDx speaker, & former executive director of Sex Positive Portland. She supports people navigating midlife transitions, health reclamation,& embodied aliveness with curiosity, integrity, & compassion.

Our conversation on March 30th is part of the delightful, informal & provocative series of monthly FoK Buddy Sessions I'm hosting in 2026. All FoK Buddy Sessions are free to attend for all FoK members, as well as open to public participation.

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I am looking forward to engaging with you on the topic of Peri/Menopause & Sexuality!

Hit reply if you have any questions whatsoever, or perhaps a suggestion for my next FoK Buddy or topic!

In service to our healing & liberation,

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