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Moon Power: Lunar Rituals for Connecting with Your Inner Goddess
With Moon Power women can connect with the primal, feminine, lunar power. Learn what the heavens are telling you, how to read them and how to act on this knowledge; plus profiles on many strong women. There was a time when the feminine and her guiding light, the Moon, were all-powerful. Men were seen primarily as consorts to the Great Goddess, as embodied in every woman. In these peaceful, agrarian societies , primal feminine powers - intuition , emotion , sexuality , creation , communion with nature - were honored. And the moon, which waxed and waned in predictable cycles, was a symbol for the birth , growth , death , and renewal of life on Earth . Moon Power 's 12 chapters each represent a moon sign . The introduction describes what's meant by Moon Power , provides some history about ancient moon worship , and explains why it went underground . The basics of moon phases and the meaning of new and full moons are explained. Simple rituals for connecting with the power of the moon are included. The book offers guidance on working with each sign as the moon passes through it (i.e. when the moon is in Aries, take assertive action, but watch impulsivity). Each chapter includes a profile of a powerful woman who typifies her lunar sign (Angelina Jolie, Aries Moon; Malala Yousafzai, Libra Moon). A Goddess and Power Animal for each moon sign and activities and rituals for connecting with their energy during certain moon phases are also provided. Moon Power will inspire women to recognize and develop their lunar nature . It will show them how, through reflection, ritual, and purposeful action, to understand their emotional nature and inner selves more deeply.
208 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2017
About the author
Simone Butler
5 books16 followersSimone Butler is a Moonchild and has lived the lunar mysteries all her life. Her latest book, Moon Power: Lunar Rituals for Connecting with your Inner Goddess, is now available on amazon.com. As a professional astrologer since 1985, Simone lectures and writes on astrology and the arts. She has written extensively for the Starscroll, The Mountain Astrologer and Tarot.com. Her first book was Astro Feng Shui: Making Magic in Your Home and Life. Simone lives in San Diego with her two cats.. You can sign up to receive her entertaining bi-monthly blogs at www.astroalchemy.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 19, 2017
Did not finish. More of the same. More second waver "wombyn" feelings. More "Sister of the sacred red flow". More "the greatest thing a woman can do is have babies!!!" but don't worry!!! - "even if you've never given birth [...] the Moon is here to remind you of your innate womanly nature" (p. 8)
etc etc etc.
For disclosure, I am a cis woman, but I am incredibly sick of this stuff. I want modern witchy books to do better. I am so hungry for books, especially Goddess books that move beyond binary male/female ~ying and yang~, heteronormative, trans exclusionary, biological essentialist poop. So far, the only mention of anything related to the inclusion of trans women is: "Now you can marry your same sex partner, or even find acceptance as a transgender woman, as Caitlyn Jenner did" (p. 26).
Uh. Ok.
This queer Indigenous witch is OUT. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you're looking for an inclusive, non-TERFy goddess centric book, Jailbreaking the Goddess will be your jam.
Edit
Also this doozy: "You don't have to be in a committed relationship to work this ritual, but monogamy does create a sacred container without which many women can't fully let go" (p 27) ??!? What does this mean??? My (allegedly) non-sacred poly container is perfectly "let go"-able, thank you very much. I drop it all the time!
Edit again (why am I still reading?)
"According to several studies, men find self-confidence to be the most attractive quality a woman can posses. They want us to be more forthcoming about our desires and speak our deepest truth. They need us to tell them what we want so they can provide it (men love to provide!)" (p 29)
This book is making my skin crawl.
etc etc etc.
For disclosure, I am a cis woman, but I am incredibly sick of this stuff. I want modern witchy books to do better. I am so hungry for books, especially Goddess books that move beyond binary male/female ~ying and yang~, heteronormative, trans exclusionary, biological essentialist poop. So far, the only mention of anything related to the inclusion of trans women is: "Now you can marry your same sex partner, or even find acceptance as a transgender woman, as Caitlyn Jenner did" (p. 26).
Uh. Ok.
This queer Indigenous witch is OUT. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you're looking for an inclusive, non-TERFy goddess centric book, Jailbreaking the Goddess will be your jam.
Edit
Also this doozy: "You don't have to be in a committed relationship to work this ritual, but monogamy does create a sacred container without which many women can't fully let go" (p 27) ??!? What does this mean??? My (allegedly) non-sacred poly container is perfectly "let go"-able, thank you very much. I drop it all the time!
Edit again (why am I still reading?)
"According to several studies, men find self-confidence to be the most attractive quality a woman can posses. They want us to be more forthcoming about our desires and speak our deepest truth. They need us to tell them what we want so they can provide it (men love to provide!)" (p 29)
This book is making my skin crawl.
January 7, 2019
The basic information in this book is good. It provides a good overview of the moon in each sign.
This book is written primarily for heterosexual cis-women. I wish it had been more inclusive.
I also have a problem with the author encouraging devotion to deities outside ones’ own religion. If you’re not Hindu you probably shouldn’t be calling on a Hindu goddess that you most likely know very little about.
This book is written primarily for heterosexual cis-women. I wish it had been more inclusive.
I also have a problem with the author encouraging devotion to deities outside ones’ own religion. If you’re not Hindu you probably shouldn’t be calling on a Hindu goddess that you most likely know very little about.
February 11, 2019
Wildly disappointed with this -- in fact, a DNF, which is extremely rare for me with books I dislike so intensely.
Butler slathers her text with a hideous patina of gender and sexual essentialism that I simply refuse to tolerate any longer in contemporary pagan works. She might as well hang a sign in floral edged calligraphy pronouncing her space "womyn born womyn" with all the regurgitation of second-wave white "feminist" "women's spirituality" associated with such active discrimination and disinclusivity suggested thereby.
All the more appalling because the book's design and interior illustrations are lovely, in that somewhat generic pinterest-instagram fashion that appeals so broadly to current trends. In fact it was the book's design that appealed to me on an initial flip through, and it's that appeal that so disappoints me with the offensiveness of the content, because it is attractive enough that a casual reader or early practitioner would easily pick this up and perhaps internalize the discriminatory bullshit.
Yet even as the illustrations are appealing, I was hard pressed to find any depiction of female character (therefore the "Reader") within that I would comfortably code as a person of color, which is just. Racist. I mean it's just racist. A fault of the editor, the publisher, likely, but in no way mediated by Butler's text. On page 91, for the Moon in Leo, Butler calls out Oshun as representative, and the accompanying illustration of -- presumably -- Oshun is more aptly depictive of a twenty-something white girl giving makeup tutorials on YouTube than any melanated person one might call to mind. "Sometimes called the 'African Venus'", Butler writes, "If your moon is in Leo, you are a daughter of Oshun," and goes on to reference Luisah Teish's Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals without any apparent awareness of or reference to the very real and active spiritual devotion to the Orisha or Teish's foundational work sharing African Diaspora folkways some three decades before.
It's just. It's a mess. And it's worse of a mess because it, at a glance, appears to not be a mess.
Butler slathers her text with a hideous patina of gender and sexual essentialism that I simply refuse to tolerate any longer in contemporary pagan works. She might as well hang a sign in floral edged calligraphy pronouncing her space "womyn born womyn" with all the regurgitation of second-wave white "feminist" "women's spirituality" associated with such active discrimination and disinclusivity suggested thereby.
All the more appalling because the book's design and interior illustrations are lovely, in that somewhat generic pinterest-instagram fashion that appeals so broadly to current trends. In fact it was the book's design that appealed to me on an initial flip through, and it's that appeal that so disappoints me with the offensiveness of the content, because it is attractive enough that a casual reader or early practitioner would easily pick this up and perhaps internalize the discriminatory bullshit.
Yet even as the illustrations are appealing, I was hard pressed to find any depiction of female character (therefore the "Reader") within that I would comfortably code as a person of color, which is just. Racist. I mean it's just racist. A fault of the editor, the publisher, likely, but in no way mediated by Butler's text. On page 91, for the Moon in Leo, Butler calls out Oshun as representative, and the accompanying illustration of -- presumably -- Oshun is more aptly depictive of a twenty-something white girl giving makeup tutorials on YouTube than any melanated person one might call to mind. "Sometimes called the 'African Venus'", Butler writes, "If your moon is in Leo, you are a daughter of Oshun," and goes on to reference Luisah Teish's Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals without any apparent awareness of or reference to the very real and active spiritual devotion to the Orisha or Teish's foundational work sharing African Diaspora folkways some three decades before.
It's just. It's a mess. And it's worse of a mess because it, at a glance, appears to not be a mess.
August 7, 2017
Moon Power helped me learn more about each individual moon sign and the Goddess' and power animals that are connected them. Butler gives ways to create alters for the Goddess as well as examples of how to invoke the Goddess. She also gives each moon sign questions to reflect on to provide better awareness. In the beginning of the book, Butler provided a brief story of Sol and Luna. That is one thing I wish went into a little more depth, however, she did provide references to other writings for that. This book is a great resource to have handy on the shelf.
June 22, 2021
I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Moon Power by Simone Butler is an introductory guide to your moon sign. It contains 14 chapters - the first two of which ("What Is Moon Power?" and "Your Inner Goddess") form introductions, while the rest of the chapters are dedicated to each moon phase ("Moon in Aries", "Moon in Taurus", etc). Essentially, the book is like an astrology book except that what the book is concerned with is not your star sign, but the position of the moon when you were born. The author's website has a free tool that allows you to determine this, as long as you have your birthday, and the location and time of your birth. (This kind of service is fairly common and is widely available for free on other websites).
Each "Moon in..." chapter contains a variety of information, such as influential real women who embody the spirit of that moon phase's characteristics, as well as a suggested goddess or legendary woman for whom to venerate with an altar. It also contains instructions on how to build that altar, and how to conduct a ritual for that goddess/legend.
The book is written in a friendly, casual manner that is easy to read. It's a fairly typical "new age" kind of text in that it does make a lot of claims and statements about astrology without going into too much detail about the "why". Hence, it might be a little hard to get into for those who are completely new to astrological practice. It's not a total beginner's astrology book (which might cover things like what star sign you are and what that means), but perhaps an early intermediate one by virtue of the fact that it informs and assumes that the reader is already open to astrological ideas without overwhelming the reader with too much information.
One thing I found that might split audiences is the fact that each "Moon in..." chapter identifies a goddess or legendary woman from a different culture to venerate. The book recommends building an altar for this goddess/legendary woman, and then conducting a ritual for her. These goddesses and women are all from different cultures including Babylonian, Greek, Yoruba, Hebrew, Welsh, Inuit, Egyptian, Indian, and Arabic cultures. (I'm not really in a position to determine whether these goddesses and the recommended altars/rituals have been presented in culturally respectful ways, as I'm not an expert on any of these. At the same time, I don't see anything that is blatantly incorrect.)
I think the positive side of this is that the author tries to make astrology multicultural; while the basis of the book is in Western astrology, the inclusion of goddesses from different cultures could be seen as a way to signal that astrology need not be exclusive to those immerse in western culture. The downside of this is that it does raise the question of whether it is appropriate to take these goddesses out of their original pantheon and cultural context, and to try to fit them into Western astrology.
Personally, I do not "vibe" very much with the goddess suggested for me, as she is from a culture very much removed from mine. That is not to say that we can't connect at all with deities who are not part of our cultural practices, but it just feels like I am trying to step into another person's religion and cultural practice without explicitly being invited to do so by a person of that religion and/or culture, which feels somewhat strange to me.
The goddesses introduced in this book are Hippolyta (Moon in Aries), Lakshmi (Moon in Taurus), Scheherazade (Moon in Gemini), Isis (Moon in Cancer), Oshun (Moon in Leo), Vesta (Moon in Virgo), Inanna (Moon in Libra), Lilith (Moon in Scorpio), Diana (Moon in Sagittarius), Amaltheia (Moon in Capricorn), Rhiannon (Moon in Aquarius), and Sedna (Moon in Pisces).
One thing that made me raise my eyebrow in addition to the above was a section of the book which alluded to the History Channel and its programme on aliens as a legitimate source... perhaps I'm being cynical because I do not subscribe entirely to astrology, but make of that what you will.
Moon Power by Simone Butler is an introductory guide to your moon sign. It contains 14 chapters - the first two of which ("What Is Moon Power?" and "Your Inner Goddess") form introductions, while the rest of the chapters are dedicated to each moon phase ("Moon in Aries", "Moon in Taurus", etc). Essentially, the book is like an astrology book except that what the book is concerned with is not your star sign, but the position of the moon when you were born. The author's website has a free tool that allows you to determine this, as long as you have your birthday, and the location and time of your birth. (This kind of service is fairly common and is widely available for free on other websites).
Each "Moon in..." chapter contains a variety of information, such as influential real women who embody the spirit of that moon phase's characteristics, as well as a suggested goddess or legendary woman for whom to venerate with an altar. It also contains instructions on how to build that altar, and how to conduct a ritual for that goddess/legend.
The book is written in a friendly, casual manner that is easy to read. It's a fairly typical "new age" kind of text in that it does make a lot of claims and statements about astrology without going into too much detail about the "why". Hence, it might be a little hard to get into for those who are completely new to astrological practice. It's not a total beginner's astrology book (which might cover things like what star sign you are and what that means), but perhaps an early intermediate one by virtue of the fact that it informs and assumes that the reader is already open to astrological ideas without overwhelming the reader with too much information.
One thing I found that might split audiences is the fact that each "Moon in..." chapter identifies a goddess or legendary woman from a different culture to venerate. The book recommends building an altar for this goddess/legendary woman, and then conducting a ritual for her. These goddesses and women are all from different cultures including Babylonian, Greek, Yoruba, Hebrew, Welsh, Inuit, Egyptian, Indian, and Arabic cultures. (I'm not really in a position to determine whether these goddesses and the recommended altars/rituals have been presented in culturally respectful ways, as I'm not an expert on any of these. At the same time, I don't see anything that is blatantly incorrect.)
I think the positive side of this is that the author tries to make astrology multicultural; while the basis of the book is in Western astrology, the inclusion of goddesses from different cultures could be seen as a way to signal that astrology need not be exclusive to those immerse in western culture. The downside of this is that it does raise the question of whether it is appropriate to take these goddesses out of their original pantheon and cultural context, and to try to fit them into Western astrology.
Personally, I do not "vibe" very much with the goddess suggested for me, as she is from a culture very much removed from mine. That is not to say that we can't connect at all with deities who are not part of our cultural practices, but it just feels like I am trying to step into another person's religion and cultural practice without explicitly being invited to do so by a person of that religion and/or culture, which feels somewhat strange to me.
The goddesses introduced in this book are Hippolyta (Moon in Aries), Lakshmi (Moon in Taurus), Scheherazade (Moon in Gemini), Isis (Moon in Cancer), Oshun (Moon in Leo), Vesta (Moon in Virgo), Inanna (Moon in Libra), Lilith (Moon in Scorpio), Diana (Moon in Sagittarius), Amaltheia (Moon in Capricorn), Rhiannon (Moon in Aquarius), and Sedna (Moon in Pisces).
One thing that made me raise my eyebrow in addition to the above was a section of the book which alluded to the History Channel and its programme on aliens as a legitimate source... perhaps I'm being cynical because I do not subscribe entirely to astrology, but make of that what you will.
June 23, 2021
“Moon Power'' is a unique book about lunar energies. It is mostly addressed to female readers who would love to reach towards the guidance of their inner Goddess. What I really like about this book is the detailed information on the Moon in the different Zodiacs, which gives a better understanding of the individual traits of every one of us.
Each of the Moon Zodiac Signs has information on personal lunar strengths and shadows, sexual nature, and karmic path. It also presents associated Modern and Ancient Female Figures/Goddesses, sacred animals, as well as tips on how to create specific altars and rituals corresponding with New and Full Moons. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of things to do during Moon being in this zodiac sign as well as some questions for journaling and reflection.
“Moon Power '' is by far the most comprehensive guide on Moon in the Zodiac signs I have ever encountered. I really like the idea of following moon phases, and the information provided in this book is different from the others I have read. The moon changes a zodiac sign each 2,5 day and it’s a great opportunity to time some activities, intentions, and rituals associated with specific lunar phases.
The introduction of the book is great and I really liked learning about different moon phases' significance according to the time when you were born.
Who is this book for:
✦ Each and every Selenophile
✦ Someone wanting to connect with their inner nature based on their Moon Zodiac sign
✦ A witch, that wishes to time their magic around Moon phases and their zodiac signs
✦ A person interested in Deity work and connecting with different Goddesses
What could be improved
Although I really like the structure and the information presented in this book, I’d love to see more actual information on the Moon. There is a lack of topics such as Blue Moons, Void of Course, and general information on Moon Phases. But I guess there are some other books that cover these topics more thoroughly. I just wish there was a one Moon Magic book that would contain all necessary elements.
* Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Each of the Moon Zodiac Signs has information on personal lunar strengths and shadows, sexual nature, and karmic path. It also presents associated Modern and Ancient Female Figures/Goddesses, sacred animals, as well as tips on how to create specific altars and rituals corresponding with New and Full Moons. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of things to do during Moon being in this zodiac sign as well as some questions for journaling and reflection.
“Moon Power '' is by far the most comprehensive guide on Moon in the Zodiac signs I have ever encountered. I really like the idea of following moon phases, and the information provided in this book is different from the others I have read. The moon changes a zodiac sign each 2,5 day and it’s a great opportunity to time some activities, intentions, and rituals associated with specific lunar phases.
The introduction of the book is great and I really liked learning about different moon phases' significance according to the time when you were born.
Who is this book for:
✦ Each and every Selenophile
✦ Someone wanting to connect with their inner nature based on their Moon Zodiac sign
✦ A witch, that wishes to time their magic around Moon phases and their zodiac signs
✦ A person interested in Deity work and connecting with different Goddesses
What could be improved
Although I really like the structure and the information presented in this book, I’d love to see more actual information on the Moon. There is a lack of topics such as Blue Moons, Void of Course, and general information on Moon Phases. But I guess there are some other books that cover these topics more thoroughly. I just wish there was a one Moon Magic book that would contain all necessary elements.
* Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2021
Moon Power: Lunar Rituals for Connecting with Your Inner Goddess by Simone Butler is an entry level guide to moon signs. If you are new to astrology and want a fundamental understanding of each moon sign, this is an easy-to-read book for beginners. In its early chapters, Moon Power offers information about the Lunar Cycle and a brief introduction to Goddess worship. The author then provides a chapter-by-chapter break down of the moon’s influence in each astrological sign. Each chapter offers suggestions for rituals and journaling prompts.
Moon Power is a re-release of the 2017 book of the same name. It does have a lovely new cover but doesn’t appear to have received much of an update. (Note, I did receive an earc from the publisher and Netgalley, so maybe the final version will have more improvements.) The most obvious sign that the book has not been updated is the appendix of New and Full Moons. It only covers 2017-2022. Yes, this information is easily available online, but the inclusion of the old information immediately makes the book feel dated. The lack of new material feels like a missed opportunity to draw in readers both new and old.
Moon Power is a re-release of the 2017 book of the same name. It does have a lovely new cover but doesn’t appear to have received much of an update. (Note, I did receive an earc from the publisher and Netgalley, so maybe the final version will have more improvements.) The most obvious sign that the book has not been updated is the appendix of New and Full Moons. It only covers 2017-2022. Yes, this information is easily available online, but the inclusion of the old information immediately makes the book feel dated. The lack of new material feels like a missed opportunity to draw in readers both new and old.
June 22, 2021
This book is not a just a book of moon signs and how each moon sign presents itself. Its a comprehensive but easy to read guide on how we can honour ourselves and our respective Goddesses with our daily being.
As a Pagan who also practices witchcraft this book called out to me and I just had to request to read it, and I'm extremely happy that I did. Moon Power breaks things down into small chunks to allow newbies and experienced people to get the most out of it, and that is one of the charms of this book. Even as someone who has done extensive reading on Moon Magic I found out new information and ways of thinking about it.
Even moreso, the in-depth look into moon signs was scarily accurate. In order to get a well rounded opinion I did readings for myself and my 3 closest friends. Each of us with a different moon sign, each of us with different opinions on whether our astrological signs actually hold any truth. And we were all pleasantly surprised with how spot on this book has each of us pinned down.
All I can say is that this is an excellent read for both newbies and non-newbies, astrology-lovers and cynics alike.
As a Pagan who also practices witchcraft this book called out to me and I just had to request to read it, and I'm extremely happy that I did. Moon Power breaks things down into small chunks to allow newbies and experienced people to get the most out of it, and that is one of the charms of this book. Even as someone who has done extensive reading on Moon Magic I found out new information and ways of thinking about it.
Even moreso, the in-depth look into moon signs was scarily accurate. In order to get a well rounded opinion I did readings for myself and my 3 closest friends. Each of us with a different moon sign, each of us with different opinions on whether our astrological signs actually hold any truth. And we were all pleasantly surprised with how spot on this book has each of us pinned down.
All I can say is that this is an excellent read for both newbies and non-newbies, astrology-lovers and cynics alike.
July 11, 2021
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Moon Power by Simone Butler goes into great detail about each zodiac moon sign (not to be confused with sun sign). In each chapter, you learn about each moon, which goddess it is associated with (how to set up an alter for that goddess), and even rituals that you can do during that specific moon. At the end of each chapter, there are reflection questions that really make you think about your life.
Overall a great read and resource to have. If you are interested in learning more about your moon sign, I definitely recommend this book.
Moon Power by Simone Butler goes into great detail about each zodiac moon sign (not to be confused with sun sign). In each chapter, you learn about each moon, which goddess it is associated with (how to set up an alter for that goddess), and even rituals that you can do during that specific moon. At the end of each chapter, there are reflection questions that really make you think about your life.
Overall a great read and resource to have. If you are interested in learning more about your moon sign, I definitely recommend this book.
June 29, 2021
A great book for anyone who wants to better understand how we're influenced by our moon.
You'll find information regarding each zodiac sign, explaining the main traits, weaknesses and strengths, rituals, stories of ancient goddesses, current examples of famous people and questions to make you reflect. Although I've been reading a lot on the subject, this book has given me some information that I didn't know. It was a very interesting read!
* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
You'll find information regarding each zodiac sign, explaining the main traits, weaknesses and strengths, rituals, stories of ancient goddesses, current examples of famous people and questions to make you reflect. Although I've been reading a lot on the subject, this book has given me some information that I didn't know. It was a very interesting read!
* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2022
Sorry to say I didn't enjoy this book, far too much toxic feminism which just sounds pretty much the same as a lot of other wishy washy feminist books out there.
April 1, 2022
I loved this book so much! It taught me all about the moon signs and what to do on each moon! It's amazing and has very good information!
March 1, 2024
It was cute and made me think more about the Moon
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews