Simone Butler’s sumptuous new book Moon Power quietly arrived on my doorstep as if brought by fairies (our road is closed, and we rarely have the luxury of door to door delivery anymore, so this was exceptional). Many of you know Simone from Mooncircles.com, where she shares her monthly musings, or perhaps you’ve seen her articles on Astro Feng Shui appear in The Mountain Astrologer and on her website Astroalchemy. I did a little email Q&A with Simone to bring some love to the beloved planet of both she and I — we both happen to be Cancer Sun signs– the Moon.

Jessica: Moon Power is primarily about using the Moon as a guide to ritual work. The Moon also governs our emotional attitudes, how we feel on a day to day basis, what makes us happy, our karmic path and even our sexual nature – all of which you explore, by sign. I’m curious about the sexual aspect, as that’s rarely talked about in astrology books. How does the Moon relate to our sexuality?

Simone: The Moon represents our needs, first and foremost. And sexuality is a basic human need. Although Venus shows how we express our love nature, and Mars reveals how we go about pursuing our sexual needs, the Moon is our primary (often unconscious) magnetic attractor. That’s why we tend to draw in partners and experiences that mirror our early upbringing, which is shown by the Moon’s sign, house and aspects.

Jessica: What do you get out of ritual, personally?

Simone: Doing ritual heightens my mundane experience of life and gives me a broader perspective. It reminds me that I am always co-creating with the Divine, and that helpful forces of nature are conspiring on my behalf – especially when I remember to ask for and affirm their help!

Jessica: I am in 100{edc87575597f4f3ad5e35fd7f36c45c2e827b7d30afc5bd9b12c8599e57b4ed7} agreement when you say that by nature women are emotional beings, but the culture we live in has taught us to disown our nature, to pretend we’re calm when we’re terrified, to act like things are okay when we’re actually outraged.  So many of us struggle with allowing our self to have our feelings- and when they are not accepted and experienced they appear threatening, more ominous, bigger! This has huge ramifications in our emotional health, and our relationships. You mention one of the ways you work with this is by giving yourself a wide emotional range to respond to different scenarios spontaneously and in the moment –perfect for your Gemini Moon. What are some ways other Moon signs can fully embody our feeling side?

Simone: One of the best ways any Moon sign can embody her feelings is by setting aside sacred time to experience them. I call this process Excavating Your Feelings. Inspired by Regena Thomashauer’s “swamping” exercise, it’s especially helpful when you’re upset or just feeling stifled or exhausted. Find a piece of music that mirrors your emotional state – I often use Erik Satie’s intense piano solos. Put on a ritual garment like a black cape, turn on the music and take 15 to 30 minutes to weep, rage, yell or dance it out. You don’t even need to know what you’re feeling or what it’s connected to – just give it a voice and you’ll feel so much better and more connected to yourself.

(Jessica: Incidentally, right after I sent Simone this question I received this fabulous blog about risking to feel in my inbox, from Mama Gena aka Regena Thomashauer!)

Jessica: You have a section called “Your Lunar Superpower,” the idea of which totally appeals to my Aries Moon! The Moon and the word “power” aren’t usually in the same astrological sentence. How can you help us see our Moon through this lens?

Simone: I wanted to call the book Moon Mojo, but my editors thought the word mojo (which basically means power, but with a kind of sexy tribal vibe) might scare off potential readers. Yet if you’ve ever drummed at the Full Moon or done ritual at the dark of the Moon, you know that Luna’s power is deep and primal. She awakens forces in us that have lain dormant for millennia. Each Moon sign channels this energy in a different way, which is why it’s helpful to understand your basic emotional nature and power.

Jessica: Do you feel the astrological Moon is important right now, at this point in our history?

Simone: Goodness yes! The Moon has often been disparaged both in astrology (seen as energies from the past that we need to put behind us) and the Tarot (which tends to portray the Moon as big, scary emotions and even madness). The deep feminine, with all her passion and power, is being unleashed and hopefully reclaimed in both women and men, and that means learning to honor all things lunar as ancient people did. If we don’t do this, the world will probably not survive much longer.

Jessica: Finally, I love my Ancient Aries Moon Goddess- the (inspirational) mother of Wonder Woman, Hippolyta. I recently watched the movie Wonder Woman and realized I am constantly honing the same lessons she learned while training with the Amazons: self-trust, holding my ground, staying centered in myself as external energies are flying at me. It was so cool! The mythic is a great place to turn for female role models. What mythical and real-life Goddesses are your personal faves?

Simone: The well-known women I’ve profiled in each Moon chapter, such as Meryl Streep (Taurus Moon Goddess) and Helen Mirren (Aquarius Moon Goddess) are personal favorites of mine. They are inspirations to us all. I’ve had several intense initiations with Isis, the great Egyptian Moon mother. I’m also a daughter of Oshun, Yoruba Goddess of the river. Lakshmi, Hindu Goddess of abundance, is a favorite of mine as well – I have a gorgeous tapestry of her above my morning altar and honor her, as well as the others, daily. And I can’t leave out Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god of overcoming obstacles, who’s saved me countless times!

Thanks Simone!

Click here to power up your Moon with Moon Power by Simone Butler