Review: Tarot by the Moon by Victoria Constantino

Llewellyn Publications, September 2021 
ISBN 9780738767123 
RRP £15.99 
Reviewed by Lily Ayre 

Like a lot of folks I have always had a dear place in my heart for the Moon, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review this lovely book. Anyone new to Tarot will fall in love with the introduction to this book, as this is where a lot of its meaty content lies. In the section ‘Interpreting the Tarot’ we have tables of symbolic, numerological and colour correspondences; indications for multiple court cards in a reading; days of the week and their corresponding energies…it’s a solid primer in all things Tarot magick and perfect for anyone getting a grounding or wanting a refresher in such subjects.

The book is then divided into months of the year, with each chapter month including spreads, spells/rituals, little tips and tricks about Tarot, working with crystals, meditating etc. The spreads themselves are lengthy – the shortest I found was a five card spread – so there’s loads to get your teeth into, and there are many to choose from, 66 in total. The work involved in this book clearly comes from the author’s long and varied experience, and we’re lucky to receive this in condensed form. The book is dotted with gems, which the contents page calls ‘sidebars’, on varied themes such as ‘gathering momentum’, ‘celebrating the beauty of inner wisdom’, and ‘shining your brightest’. Really, Tarot by the Moon is more of a Tarot grimoire; the Moon itself doesn’t come into it all that much.

The chapters are divided rather arbitrarily using the Native American traditional names for the Moon, and this is where the book falls somewhat short. I’m writing this review in early October, which Constantino tells us is the Hunter Moon. I can only speak for myself, but I haven’t done any hunting lately, and I suspect you, dear reader, haven’t either (though please prove me wrong in the comments!). A blog post from a few years ago,

https://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/naming-the-moon-to-empower-your-year

made so much sense to me – it suggested choosing a name for the full Moon each month based on what you observe in nature around you. I might call the upcoming full Moon in Aries Fruit Moon, for there is such an abundance on the trees and in the hedgerows at the moment – what would you name this Moon? There is also the issue of centring of the American landscape and seasons – those in Australia are hardly going to call a full Moon in February ‘Snow Moon’! If this book was primarily written for an American audience it could have been made clearer in the book’s description so that those outside the US will not be left disappointed.

One of the spreads for this month is called A Look Ahead – a general peek into the coming six months. The cards are arranged in the shape of an eye, which I’m not entirely sure works, but the prompts and corresponding cards certainly did! I’m in a new situation at work where I’ve agreed to start training to become a teacher. I was somewhat cajoled into this, and I’ve been pretty overwhelmed by the workload involved, which the cards reflected. I used the Luna Sol Tarot for this spread.

• What is on the horizon for me? Five of Disks. This is an interesting interpretation of this card – in some ways it feels very Ten of Wands – that there’s a lot to carry. There’s a sense of juggling here, trying to find balance, that there’s a burden to carry. There’s something about this card that speaks to survival mode, which I feel I’ve been in during the last fortnight. Not so thrilled to see this continuing but not totally unexpected. I need to make sure I’m getting the rest and support I need.

• What will this bring? The Fool. Always happy to see this in a spread, and it’s been a while. We’ve been house-hunting for over a year so I’m hopeful this may be the leap we’ve been angling for – I can’t deny a fresh start and new beginning is extremely appealing, even with all the accompanying unknowns.
  
• What do I need to know about it? The Emperor. I love The Emperor (and I bet not many people say that!). It took me a long time to befriend this card, but once I did I was really able to receive its medicine. I need to make sure the foundations of what I’m doing and working on are strong – keep hydrated, keep my nutrition good, draw on the wellspring of strength within me to get the tasks done.

• Where will it lead? Four of Cups. Hmm. I think the slumped posture of the person in this card speaks to the general fatigue I feel at the long road ahead in terms of hoops to jump through to get the bits of paper I need. I know in the end it’ll be worth it but right now it just feels a bit deflating. The gifts are there though, and I’ll feel them in time.

• What is its purpose? The Magician. Yes! A deepened connection to my own magic, and the activating of that magic in my students. I love the cheeky wink in this Magician, a sense of mischief I’ll definitely bring to my teaching.

• What actions should I take now? Page of Cups. Oh dear heart, one of my most beloved cards, and is probably my favourite in this particular deck. I need to make sure I keep my dream alive by spending time with the sea and the Moon. Be open-hearted and keep fostering my connection with Spirit and my more-than-human friends.

• Advice from the Universe: Ace of Wands. Claim the gift. A good reminder that this is a new beginning in and of itself. Just keep going and do the work. It’ll be worth it.
  
  The book concludes with a Blue Moon chapter – spreads and spells for rare occasions, and appendixes which support the spellwork aspects of the book through meditation, working with the directions, etc.
  
  I feel like this book would have been much more powerful and workable as a Tarot Moon book if we’d had spreads and spells for the phases of the Moon, or for a new or full Moon in each of the astrological signs. The spells at the end of each chapter all have different guidelines like ‘do this on a Sunday when the Moon is full’, so to have the spells cross-referenced to Moon phases and days of the week would be so helpful and make it much more useable – I would use a book like that frequently!

I’m still grateful to have Tarot by the Moon in my library, and I will return to it for inspiration and ideas when my practice feels stale or when I have a specific area of life I’d like to focus on. I’m sure readers of all experience levels would get a lot out of this book.