Hormones 101: The Witchy Truth About Your Body’s Chemical Messengers
Let’s talk hormones. These mysterious little messengers have been blamed for everything from bad moods to breakouts—but they’re also magical, powerful, and key to understanding what’s really going on in your body.
Whether you're trying to decode your cycle or navigating the stormy waters of perimenopause, this is your crash course in the hormonal rhythms that guide your well-being. Grab your metaphorical broomstick—we’re diving in.
🌕 What Are Hormones, Really?
Think of hormones as chemical messengers—tiny but mighty compounds produced by organs like your brain, thyroid, ovaries, and more. These messengers travel through your bloodstream, unlocking receptors (like little keyholes) in your cells to turn things on or off.
While we often focus on sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, your body also relies on others like thyroid hormone, insulin, and cortisol to keep the whole system in balance.
🌒 Your Menstrual Cycle: A Monthly Hormonal Ritual
Your body follows a beautiful, cyclical rhythm—part fertility spell, part hormonal dance. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the four phases of the menstrual cycle:
1. Period (Low Hormones)
Your body sheds the uterine lining as estrogen and progesterone levels drop. This is your reset moment—like a full moon releasing what no longer serves you.
2. Follicular Phase (Estrogen Rises)
Your brain sends FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) to your ovaries, encouraging a group of eggs to grow. One egg becomes dominant, producing estrogen, which helps rebuild the uterine lining. This is your naturally "estrogen dominant" phase—energy rises, and you often feel more creative and outgoing.
3. Ovulation (Estrogen Peaks, LH Surge)
Estrogen peaks, triggering luteinizing hormone (LH) to release the egg. This is your most fertile time. Many women feel confident, magnetic, and social during this window. (It’s no coincidence—Mother Nature knows what she’s doing.)
4. Luteal Phase (Progesterone Rises)
After ovulation, the ruptured follicle becomes the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone to support a potential pregnancy. You may feel more introspective and sensitive—this is the "progesterone dominant" phase.
If pregnancy doesn’t happen, both hormones drop… and your next period begins.
🌘 Perimenopause: When the Ritual Becomes Unpredictable
Perimenopause—the 10-ish years before menopause—isn’t just “menopause lite.” It’s a whole new hormonal landscape.
Early Perimenopause:
You might still get regular periods, but behind the scenes your brain is working overtime to stimulate ovulation. This can lead to surges of estrogen, low progesterone, and mood or cycle changes that feel like:
Cyclical anxiety
PMS getting worse
Insomnia (especially post-period)
Migraines
Feeling like you're "not yourself"
Yes, even if your periods are still showing up on schedule.
Late Perimenopause:
Periods become irregular or skip months entirely. Estrogen starts to drop more consistently, leading to the classic symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and brain fog. While early perimenopause is a hormonal rollercoaster, late perimenopause feels more like a slow hormonal wind-down.
💡 Important note: Many doctors aren’t trained to recognize perimenopause until your periods stop. But symptoms often show up years earlier—and you don’t have to wait to feel better.
🌑 Is This a Hormone Imbalance?
The term “hormone imbalance” gets thrown around a lot, but what most women experience is actually a hormonal fluctuation—the body’s normal dance going a little offbeat. That said, there are times when hormones really are out of whack:
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome): Estrogen dominance without regular ovulation can be a risk factor for uterine issues.
PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder): Extreme mood shifts driven by the luteal phase.
Perimenopause: A shifting hormonal tide that can impact everything from mood to metabolism.
🔮 How Hormones Affect Your Everyday Life
✨ Mood: Shifts in estrogen and progesterone can cause irritability, anxiety, or sadness. That week before your period? That’s the progesterone drop talking.
✨ Sleep: Progesterone is calming, so when it's low (especially in perimenopause), insomnia often creeps in—even if you're not having hot flashes.
✨ Weight + Metabolism: Estrogen influences insulin sensitivity, appetite, and fat storage. Perimenopausal hormone changes can make weight maintenance trickier.
✨ Libido: Testosterone plays a role here, and while it wasn't the star of this episode, we’ll definitely be brewing a future post all about it 😉
🧙♀️ What You Can Do
You don’t have to “just deal” with hormone symptoms.
Track your cycle: Knowing your patterns is the first step to understanding what’s “normal” for you.
Talk to someone who gets it: At Coven, we get that hormonal health isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you're just starting to feel off or deep in the throes of perimenopause, our team is here to help you feel like yourself again.
Optimize, don’t obsess: It’s not about “perfect balance”—it’s about helping your body find the support it needs.
✨ Final Word
Hormones are magical, complex, and yes—sometimes chaotic. But when you understand their rhythms, you unlock the power to work with your body, not against it.
Feeling off? Curious if perimenopause could be the reason? You’re not alone—and you’re not imagining it.
🖤 Book a $99 Health Navigation Consult with our team to get clarity, compassion, and a personalized roadmap to feeling better.
