Bitter Strawberries with Rosannah Jones

What if your menstrual cycle is the gateway to something much deeper?Something more ancestral, ancient and wise that feels almost intangible...but also inevitable once you start to peel back the layers and challenge the limited narratives and symptom-management-focussed “solutions” that Western medicine presents us with when it comes to challenging periods, difficult premenstrual times and the disconnection so many women feel in their bodies.In this episode, I explore how tracking your cycle, understanding the inner phases and seasons of your cycle, and realising that you are cyclical and not linear can unlock a much deeper wisdom.A wisdom that goes far beyond your 3D reality and takes you into the alchemical, divine, creative portal that is the womb.A place to meet your ancestral grief and trauma, to begin to transmute what has been carried before you and to awaken the most powerful gifts that live within you.Menstrual cycle awareness can be so much more than understanding when your bleed is due, spot the signs that you're ovulating or trying to "hack" and "optimise" your cycle. It can be the beginning of a much deeper relationship with your body, your womb, your intuition, your creativity and yourself.This is where cycle work becomes womb work.In this episode, I explore...The distinction between menstrual cycle work and womb workPeriods and cycle symptoms as an entry point to deeper body awarenessIntuitive cycle tracking and learning your personal patternsHow stress, food, movement, rest and lifestyle can affect the menstrual cycleThe menstrual cycle’s phases, inner seasons and changing energyReframing PMS, periods and premenstrual experiences without shameWomb work as a deeper emotional, creative, spiritual and ancestral practiceCreativity, self-expression, voice and their connection to the wombMaternal lineage, inherited grief, trauma and ancestral healingEmotional suppression, boundaries, stress and physical symptomsEnergy healing, ritual, meditation and body-based practicesYoni steaming, womb wrapping, self-massage, warmth and restorative careSensuality, pleasure, femininity and reconnecting with the bodyMy five-element coaching approach: earth, water, air, fire, and ether and how to work with meTo work with me and find out more:Instagram: @rosannahjonesWebsite: rosannahjones.comTikTok: @rosannahjones

The word 'witch' is often a reflection of what society fears most (particularly in women) - autonomy, wisdom, courage and the spirit to defy social norms and question the status-quo. Reclaiming the word 'witch' is also an invitation to reclaim the mystical, intuitive, wild, creative and hidden parts of yourself that have not always felt safe to share and that you fear are too "woo-woo." In this episode, I share my experiences of reclaiming my inner witch, coming out of the 'broom closet' and feeling more comfortable using the word 'witch'...so much so, that I crafted a whole retreat centred around this very theme! - Waking the Witch - a magical retreat in Pendle Hill, Lancashire - home of the famous Pendle Witches taking place between Friday 30th October - Sunday 1st November during the Celtic fire festival of Samhain and with only a few very limited spots remaining if you'd like to join us! The episode invites you to trust your own inner knowing, resist shrinking yourself to fit external expectations and build a more intentional and cyclical life.

Today I'm talking about my experience attending my first ever women's spiritual festival - Heart of the Rose in Eridge Park, Kent. It was incredible!I share what it was like to only be surrounded by women...and the amazing workshops I took part in - everything from rose oil anointing ceremonies to pelvic mapping and herbal remedies for the heart. Attending the festival left me feeling inspired, deeply held, rested and recharged. Never underestimate the power and magic of being surrounded by women who are walking the same path as you. In this episode, I explore... Sisterhood, community, ritual and fire ceremonies Reconnecting with the body, womb and feminine wisdomThe Rose path, divine feminine spirituality and finding your own relationship with these traditionsHerbalism, sacred anointing, energy healing, sound, tarot and Yoga Nidra.Healing our relationship with money, worth and receiving, particularly as women building our own businesses.The importance of being able to receive, rest and be held, especially when you're used to being the one who gives.Getting triggered in spiritual spaces and recognising that 'sisterhood' doesn't mean everyone (me included!) has healed their wounds. Finding my own place somewhere between the deeply spiritual and the completely down-to-earth. References: Heart of the Rose FestivalKatie McDiarmid Debbie Shakti & Lisa Marie Helen Millar Uma Dinsmore-Tuli Ros Simons To work with me and find out more: Instagram: @rosannahjonesWebsite: rosannahjones.comTikTok: @rosannahjones

PMDD Healing Group Programme - Next cohort starts Wednesday 16th September 2026It's almost 4 years since I last experienced any PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) symptoms or debilitating period pain, so I'm here to tell you what my journey of healing naturally has looked like.Contrary to what Western medicine tells you... healing from PMDD is possible - and believing it's possible is the first step towards making that a reality.In this episode, I share how a Hormone-Positive Breast Cancer diagnosis in my 20s led me to look deeper into all the menstrual cycle challenges I'd been experiencing since I was a teenager.When I first heard the term PMDD, I felt incredibly validated.I found a community of women experiencing the same things I was going through, but I quickly found myself feeling more depressed at the fact that there seemed to be so little belief that any alternative approach to healing existed.I'm so glad that I had a little glimmer of hope that made me question this narrative.It's what drove me to find alternatives, to seek out inspirational stories of women who had naturally healed from PMDD, to look beyond Western medicine and to start trusting my own instincts over the opinions of others.This is where I discovered Menstrual Cycle Awareness, the practice of paying close attention to your natural cycle and developing an in-depth understanding of your body.Learning this changed everything for me.When I started looking at PMDD in a more holistic way, supporting my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, my symptoms slowly eased and eventually stopped altogether.This experience made me want to help other women to do the same...and that's why I created my PMDD Healing Group Programme - Protecting My Deepest Desires.Protecting My Deepest Desires is a 6-week live coaching experience where I support you to rewrite the narrative around your premenstrual time and your periods, so that you can not only relieve your symptoms but get to the root causes and create real, long-term change.Together, we'll explore what's happening in your body, your mind, your emotions and your cycle, so that you can begin to shift PMDD out of your life and experience easier, healthier and more enjoyable cycles.Special £50 discount offer - limited time only!

Since the last episode... I've travelled to China, finished my part-time job at the university and (almost!) sold out my Waking the Witch retreat. It's been a wild few months and there's no doubt this Fire Horse year has brought multiple quantum leaps all at once.In this episode, I'm sharing what these experiences have taught me about trusting your intuition in the toughest of times. It's often when life feels uncertain, business is slow, everything seems to be falling apart and you're questioning your next move that your intuition becomes your greatest guide...yet it's also when we're most likely to ignore it.I reflect on how intuition has shaped some of the biggest decisions of my life, from taking an unconventional approach to healing from breast cancer, to leaving my 9-5 job without a back-up plan, trusting that somehow the path would reveal itself.I also share the story behind how my Waking the Witch retreat went from a slow start to almost selling out overnight, and why that experience reminded me that our job isn't to know how everything will unfold, but to stay connected to why we're being called in the first place.If you've been feeling stuck, doubting yourself or wondering whether to keep following the path that doesn't always make logical sense, I hope this episode reminds you to trust the quiet voice within. It might just know the way before you do.Join me each week for new episodes exploring a range of exciting topics and themes!To work with me and find out more:Instagram: @rosannahjonesWebsite: rosannahjones.comTikTok: @rosannahjones

This is a beautiful Guided Womb Meditation, intuitively written during a New Moon and on the cusp of the Spring Equinox to bring you home to your body, your womb, your cycle and yourself. I hope listening to this supports any woman who has felt deeply disconnected, fearful and ashamed of her womb and menstrual cycle - and who wants to find trust, safety, healing and wisdom within her own body. I created this piece with my partner Rhys and the track is interspersed with field recordings from places we've been to together. Words written by Rosannah Jones. ©Music created by Rosannah Jones and Rhys Jiang. ©Produced by Rhys Jiang. ©

This episode is the pep talk you need to remind yourself that you are powerful and that your body is highly intelligent with an innate ability to heal.I explore what happens when women keep relying on the same external systems, opinions and authorities — especially when it comes to chronic conditions like PMDD, period pain and other menstrual challenges we’re often told are “incurable,” “life-long,” or have “no real treatment.”In this conversation, I invite you to question where you may be outsourcing your authority and how that keeps you stuck in fear-based attachments and identities. When we’re constantly searching outside of ourselves for answers, we can unintentionally reinforce the belief that we’re broken, powerless, or dependent on someone else to "fix" us. This episode could be the wake-up call you need to notice where you’re living in a fear-driven state — believing stories that limit your potential, your healing and your relationship with your own menstrual cycle.We explore alternative perspectives that help you come back to your inner wisdom, reconnect with the intelligence of your natural cycle, and open yourself to the possibility that healing is not only available, but already happening within you.If you’re ready to step back into self-trust, expand your awareness and reclaim your authority over your own body, this episode is for you.Join me each week for new episodes exploring a range of exciting topics and themes!To work with me and find out more:Instagram: @rosannahjonesWebsite: rosannahjones.comTikTok: @rosannahjones

In this episode, I dive into The Heroine’s Journey...the lesser-known story compared to the Hero’s Journey, but one that feels incredibly powerful when you’re moving through big shifts, deep change or moments that pull you back into your inner wisdom, intuition, creativity and a state of being rather than constant doing.I talk about how this journey often begins in times of imbalance — through illness, disconnection, burnout, or unexpected life events — and how these moments can become portals back to yourself.This episode explores my take on masculine and feminine energies, how they weave into The Heroine’s Journey, what happens when we become separated from feminine energy, and the ways that imbalance can show up physically in the body. I also share how reconnecting with these parts of ourselves doesn’t just shift our personal experience… it subtly shifts the collective energy too.Join me each week for new episodes exploring a range of exciting topics and themes!To work with me and find out more:Instagram: @rosannahjonesWebsite: rosannahjones.comTikTok: @rosannahjones

Season 2 is here!…and I’m finally back behind the mic! In this honest re-introduction, I open up about procrastination, life detours and the deeply personal experiences that shaped my path over the past few years and brought me back to this podcast.This episode explores the ripple effects of creating something raw and cathartic and how Bitter Strawberries evolved into a space for natural and holistic health, menstrual cycle awareness and reconnecting with your body’s wisdom.I reflect on what it means to step away, trust the process, break free from societal expectations and choose an unconventional, creative, rebellious path...even when it feels hard, lonely or uncertain.If you’ve moved through a big life shift, questioned your direction, or felt called to live outside the “rules,” this episode welcomes you into a space that goes far deeper than surface-level conversation...a space of wisdom, compassion and truth-telling with plenty of laughs along the way.Join me each week for new episodes exploring a range of exciting topics and themes! To work with me and find out more: Instagram: @rosannahjonesWebsite: rosannahjones.comTikTok: @rosannahjones

This week's mini episode is a sneak peek into how I quit my 9-5 job to become a Menstrual Cycle Coach and some of the highs and lows along the way. I quit my corporate job working in the arts and creative industries in December 2023 with no back-up plan and since then I've been building up my coaching business, as well as finding other streams of income (such as part-time work) that can support me. I want to be raw and honest about some of the challenges I've faced, as well as the rewards! A big part of my decision to leave 9-5 work was realising how much I was trading my valuable time and energy to prop up and support a system that continually exploits people. From a Menstrual Cycle Awareness lens, I realised that this work and system was never going to fully allow me to live in sync with my menstrual cycle, or build a life focussed around my own values and desires to help and support people without compromising huge parts of myself and the way I want to live. Topics explored... Why I quit my 9-5 and what this represented How I found the confidence to take a leap of faith What some of the benefits and challenges have been Why 9-5 work doesn't support people with cyclesLet me know what you think of these minisodes! And any topics you want me to cover. For information on my NEW ⁠group coaching course ⁠for people who experience PMDD and PMS visit this page and access early bird pricing by joining my ⁠inner circle⁠! To find out more about my work as a Menstrual Cycle Coach & Facilitator, follow my Instagram page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@bitterstrawb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and explore my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rosannahjones.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!