Soul Shelf: Wild Power
on cyclical living, feminine rhythm, and returning to a different kind of wisdom
There are some books that introduce a new idea, and others that quietly reframe how you see yourself.
Wild Power by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer does both. It brings attention to something that is often overlooked or misunderstood, and in doing so, offers a different way of relating to your body, your energy, and your inner world as a woman.
At its core, it is a book about cycles. Not just in a biological sense, but as a way of understanding how you move through life.
What the book is really exploring
The central idea is that the menstrual cycle is not something to work around or manage, but something to work with.
Rather than seeing it as inconvenient or something to override, the book presents it as a source of insight, creativity, and inner guidance. It reframes fluctuation, not as inconsistency, but as rhythm.
This challenges a more linear way of living, where you are expected to feel and perform the same every day. Instead, it offers a cyclical perspective, where change is not only expected, but meaningful.
Understanding the cycle as four inner seasons
One of the most helpful ways the book frames the menstrual cycle is through the lens of inner seasons.
Rather than seeing it as a single, continuous experience, it becomes something cyclical, with each phase carrying a different quality of energy, attention, and way of being.
These are often described as spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Inner winter (menstruation)
This is the phase of the bleed, and tends to carry a quieter, more inward quality.
Energy is often lower, and there can be a natural pull towards rest, reflection, and stillness. It can be a time where your perspective shifts slightly, and where things that are usually overlooked become clearer.
Leaning into this phase might look like:
allowing more space and less pressure
reducing unnecessary commitments where possible
resting without needing to justify it
There is something valuable in not pushing through this time, but allowing it to be what it is.
Inner spring (post-menstruation)
As you move out of menstruation, energy often begins to return.
There can be a sense of lightness, curiosity, and renewed motivation. It can feel like a time of beginning again, where ideas start to take shape and things feel more possible.
This phase can support:
starting new projects or intentions
exploring ideas without needing them to be fully formed
gradually increasing your energy and pace
It tends to feel more outward than winter, but still relatively gentle.
Inner summer (ovulation)
This is often the most outward-facing phase.
Energy is typically at its highest, and there can be a greater sense of confidence, clarity, and connection. Communication may feel easier, and there can be more capacity for being seen and engaging with others.
Leaning into this phase might look like:
having conversations or meetings
sharing ideas or expressing yourself more openly
being more social, if that feels natural
There is often a sense of ease in moving outward during this time.
Inner autumn (pre-menstrual phase)
As you move towards the end of the cycle, the energy begins to shift again.
There can be a more inward, reflective quality, but with a sharper edge. You may notice increased sensitivity, a stronger awareness of what is and is not working, and less tolerance for what feels misaligned.
This phase can support:
reviewing and refining
noticing what needs to change or be let go
setting clearer boundaries
While this phase is often misunderstood, it can offer a kind of clarity that is harder to access at other times.
Living in a way that honours rhythm
One of the most compelling aspects of the book is how it challenges the idea that you should feel the same every day.
Much of modern life is structured around consistency, output, and sameness. There is an expectation to show up in the same way, regardless of what is happening internally.
Wild Power offers a different perspective.
It suggests that fluctuation is not a problem, but a natural rhythm. That your energy, focus, and emotional landscape will shift, and that there is value in recognising those changes rather than resisting them.
A different relationship with productivity
This has a quiet but significant impact on how you relate to productivity.
Instead of expecting constant output, the book encourages a more responsive way of working. There may be times when you feel clear, expressive, and able to move outward, and other times when you need more space, reflection, or rest.
Neither is more valuable than the other.
Over time, this can lead to a more sustainable way of living, one that allows for both movement and pause, without the pressure to maintain a constant level of energy.
The intelligence of the body
Another thread running through the book is the idea that the body holds a form of intelligence that is often overlooked.
Rather than seeing physical or emotional shifts as something to manage or suppress, the invitation is to become curious about them.
What is your body communicating?
What patterns are emerging?
What becomes clearer when you pay attention?
This awareness is not immediate. It develops over time, through observation and experience.
Cycles as a form of self-knowledge
As you begin to notice these patterns, something deeper develops.
There is a growing sense of self-knowledge, not as a fixed identity, but as an ongoing awareness of how you change and respond.
You begin to recognise that:
certain times support outward expression
others are better suited to reflection or decision-making
some phases naturally invite rest
This understanding can bring a different kind of ease. Instead of pushing against your experience, you begin to move with it.
A more compassionate way of being
There is also a softness in how the book approaches this.
Rather than encouraging perfection or strict adherence, it invites a gradual shift in awareness. You are not expected to change everything at once, but simply to begin noticing.
Over time, this can lead to a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Moments that may have once felt frustrating or confusing can begin to make more sense when seen in the context of a cycle.
Final reflection
If you are interested in understanding your body in a more cyclical, intuitive way, Wild Power offers a thoughtful and accessible place to begin.
It does not ask you to become someone different. Instead, it invites you to pay attention, to notice patterns, and to begin working with your natural rhythms rather than against them.
In that sense, it feels less like adding something new, and more like returning to something that was always there.
A small note
If this way of working with your body and rhythm resonates, it is something I explore through my retreats and gatherings, where there is space to slow down, reconnect, and move more in tune with yourself.
You can find upcoming experiences here.
