In Western culture, menopause is viewed as a tragedy. It is “The Change.” It is a drying up, a withering, a shutting down of the factory. It is the beginning of the end.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they have a different name for it: The Second Spring.
This creates a completely different mental framework. In TCM, a woman’s life is divided into 7-year cycles. Menopause (around 49) is not an ending; it is a massive energy shift. For 35 years, your body has poured its “Qi” (Life Force) and “Jing” (Essence) into your uterus. Every month, you built a lining. You bled. You grew babies. You nursed. Your biology was in service to others.
When menstruation stops, that energy does not disappear. It is returned to you. The blood that no longer flows downward to create life now flows upward to nourish the heart and the spirit. It is a reclamation of power.
The Energy Refund
Imagine you have been paying a “Fertility Tax” of 30% of your energy every month since you were 12. Suddenly, the tax is repealed. You get a refund. This is why so many women in their 50s experience a surge of creative and professional energy.
- They start businesses.
- They write novels.
- They run for office.
- They divorce partners who no longer serve them.
You are no longer “The Mother” (caretaker of others). You are now “The Empress” (ruler of your own domain).
The Biological Upgrade
We often talk about the “loss” of estrogen. But we rarely talk about the stability that replaces it.
- Emotional Stability: No more PMS. No more cyclical weeping. You are steady.
- Focus: The “Brain Fog” of the transition eventually lifts, replaced by a razor-sharp, no-nonsense clarity.
- Autonomy: The biological drive to “tend and befriend” (driven by estrogen/oxytocin) lessens. You become less of a people-pleaser and more of a truth-teller.
How to Cultivate Your Spring
If you are just coming out of the “Winter” of perimenopause (the exhausted, foggy phase), you need to actively nurture this new season.
1. Rest is the Fertilizer You cannot bloom if you are burned out. The transition was physically grueling. Give yourself a “Gap Year” (or at least a Gap Month) of radical rest. Sleep is how you consolidate the new energy.
2. Find Your “Project” The Second Spring demands an outlet. If you don’t use this energy, it can turn into stagnation (bitterness) or anxiety. What is the thing you always said you would do “if I had time”? Paint? Write? Garden? Consult? Do it now. You have the time. And you have the authority.
3. Shift from “Doing” to “Being” In your First Spring (youth), you were defined by your potential. In your Summer (motherhood/career), you were defined by your productivity. In your Second Spring, you are defined by your Wisdom. You don’t need to hustle anymore. You need to mentor, guide, and exist in your power.
Menopause is not the death of the woman. It is the birth of the Matriarch.