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I would describe myself as a low-key astrology enthusiast at best. Sure, I’ve called my mom to verify the time I was born while making my birth chart, and I frequently share astrology memes like these with my friends. But I don’t think of astrology as an exact science.
So when I heard about Stardust, a period tracking app that launched last fall and describes itself as integrating "science, astronomy, and artificial intelligence to connect your hormonal cycle with the cycles of larger celestial bodies" like the moon, I was intrigued but skeptical.
Here's what I found out when I tried it.
The basics
The app is free to download. One thing to note: Its actual astrology component doesn't use the sun signs most people associate with astrology. Instead, Stardust takes a holistic approach to all the different things it says can affect your period — your average cycle, hormones, and the lunar cycle.
To start, the app will ask for your average cycle length and the date of your last period. The app’s AI uses this data to estimate the date of your upcoming period, adjusting as you add more information, like symptoms or cravings, in a separate tab. Stardust also uses the dates of your period to assign a moon witch sign. These designations work similarly to traditional zodiac signs in that Stardust uses the terms to describe your “cosmic energy” and personality traits.
If your period starts closer to the new moon, you’re considered a white moon witch (regarded as caretakers or mother figures); those whose cycles better match with the full moon are considered red moon witches (associated with healing or wisdom). Since periods can be fickle and fluctuate due to hormone changes, age, and more, you can be considered a white moon witch one cycle and a red moon witch the next.
Image: stardust
Image: stardust
When you launch the app for day-to-day use, a scroll wheel indicates where you are in your cycle as well as the moon phase on that day. There’s also a daily blurb based on the current lunar phase (i.e., new moon, full moon, waxing gibbous, etc.). “For now, it's just a really small blurb every day, just like the energy forecast of your mood, and the moon,” the app’s founder, Rachel Moranis, said over the phone. “And we leave it at that. It's just digestible. If you want to go deeper, there's places to go deeper.”
While scientists have found that certain animals' reproductive cycles are synced to the moon, researchers haven’t solidified the connection between the lunar and human menstrual cycles, so I took my red moon witch classification with a grain of salt.
A beautiful, easy-to-use app
As a Dark mode loyalist, I appreciated how Stardust’s dark blue interface with neon pink accents didn’t blind me every time I opened it. The app’s fun and moody aesthetic makes sense given Moranis’ background in design. Trained as an architect, Moranis designed Getaway House’s tiny cabin homes while she was in grad school, and originally thought of Stardust as a design exercise when she started using period tracking apps and became interested in astrology.
“I was just pretty shocked that there wasn't a lunar period tracker out there,” Moranis said. “Or even, like, a really nicely designed period tracker out there. I feel like the ones that exist are either offensively girly or cringey in the way they talk about sex and fertility.”
Image: stardust
Image: stardust
The app’s tabs allow you to easily track your flow, symptoms, cravings, or other optional notes for the day, and to view when your next period is expected based on previous cycles and symptoms. For those concerned about the science behind Stardust, Moranis says she not only consulted with astrology experts for the app’s lunar predictions, but also with a gynecologist, a reproductive endocrinologist who specializes in hormones, a reproductive psychiatrist, and a psychologist to understand how hormone fluctuations can influence menstruators’ physical and emotional wellbeing during their cycles.
Humor and playfulness are a plus
When I was using the app, I loved the humorous tone Stardust employed when talking about symptoms or feelings people may experience during their cycle. There are traditional categories for cravings — think sweet, salty, or chocolate — but also “carbo loading for Netflix,” cannabis, and “exclusively mac and cheese.”
I’m not the best at keeping tabs on my own body, but Stardust’s playful tone made tracking my symptoms feel fun rather than like a chore.
A way to destigmatize periods
“Tracking your period with the moon is such an extreme form of self-care ... it's important that we make fun of it a little bit...” Moranis said. “Part of destigmatizing periods is just laughing about it and being like, this is absurd. And yes, you should do yoga and eat green, but it's also okay to binge watch TV and eat brownies and mac and cheese when it's week three of your cycle.”
Another feature I enjoyed while testing Stardust was the app’s tarot card-inspired infographics you can easily share on social media. There are cards that show your estimated hormone levels based on where you are in your cycle, provide the current lunar phase with a short horoscope blurb, or share the cravings you logged on a given day.
Moranis said she hopes Stardust’s tongue-in-cheek tone will help destigmatize menstruators talking about their periods, and that by posting their Stardust predictions, cravings, or symptoms, some are already doing so.
“I'm surprised how many people share it [on social media], I really, really am.” Moranis said. “It's so helpful that the next generation is just like, so body positive, so comfortable, so destigmatized [about periods] already. It's an amazing thing.”
The drawbacks
In my own experience using the app, my only complaint was that I couldn’t set my average cycle length for longer than 40 days. Since I have a hormonal IUD, I sometimes go months without having my period, so I would’ve liked options that reflect more irregular cycles. I also would’ve loved a more social component in the app itself, but Moranis said that a “sync with friends” feature is already in the works.
Overall, a great period tracking app, with limited astrological components
While I’m still not 100% on board with the astrology side of things, it’s fun to read my daily blurbs. I was expecting the analysis to be slightly more in-depth (almost like a weekly horoscope you’d find from astrology apps like The Pattern or Nuit) and found the moon cycle descriptions to be a bit more vague than other characterizations I've read about my sun sign. I didn't mind the brevity of Stardust's astrological predictions, as I mostly launched the app to track changes in my cycle or symptoms of the day. And it was fun to read my lunar cycle blurbs and push notifications when I remembered to check them.
I also have no idea whether my designation as a red moon witch is accurate, given that the app’s longest average cycle length doesn’t account for skipped periods from my hormonal birth control.
Still, Stardust stands out as a refreshing relief from your standard clinical-looking and -sounding period tracking app. Previously, I balked at the idea of using a period tracker because I’m simply not in many apps’ target demographic: people using period and ovulation trackers to help them conceive. Stardust, in contrast, seems to cater more toward menstruators like me, who simply want to be better in tune with their bodies, but don’t necessarily want to take themselves too seriously.
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Cover image sourced from Gill™ Mask.
