- The Tarot Card Companion
- Author: Victoria Maxwell
- Published by Rockpool Publishing, 2025
- Recommended Pricing: US$ 16.95 / UK£ 14.99 / AUS$ 24.99
- ISBN: 9-781923208094
- Reviewed by: Bec Birrell @myinnerwitch
The Tarot Card Companion is a beautifully presented hardcover book. The design and photography done by Rockpool Publishing is elegant and contemporary. It is a pleasure to hold and read, from the size of the book to the spot varnish and gold foil on the cover, to the photography and layout throughout, the design approach has been considered and resolved beautifully.
Victoria Maxwell has written an excellent resource, based primarily on the Waite Smith Deck, for anyone embarking on their Tarot Journey to advancing their knowledge a bit deeper. The book is broken into easily accessible sections. Starting with a personal introduction where you can connect with Victoria’s beginnings of her own Tarot journey, followed by a very brief overview of the history of Tarot cards. Victoria then takes the reader through the structure, care and use of your deck.
The author touches on everything a new reader would like to ask. What happens when a jumper card falls out. How to create a sacred space. How to clear, activate and charge your deck. How to begin a journalling practice, and some discussion on connecting to spirit.
I particularly like the inclusions dotted throughout the book of ‘Tarot Time’ where she offers small exercises for the reader to connect with and ask the deck questions as the book progresses.
I was also impressed by the inclusion of techniques to developing the clairs, and other simple rituals to prepare a sound foundation for the reader to be grounded, with clear and focused energy for their reading.
The Tarot Card Companion covers all the aspects that would allow the beginner to intermediate reader an overview of numerology, elements, the suits, and correspondences. The book touches lightly on Tarot spells, talismans, shadow work and pathworking offering just a peak into what are very vast topics.
The section on spreads is a lovely way to dive deep into the Fools Journey and connect with the Major Arcana and the Suits – particularly if one were to keep a dedicated journal practice while reading the book. In addition are some of the tried and true staples: the Tree of Life Spread, Celtic Cross and Astrology Spread.
It was great to see special reference to techniques for blending the cards and merging an overall story within the section on spreads. It is all too easy for positional Tarot spreads to foster card by card readings and I was impressed with the inclusion to search for the overall story and expand on card by card spreads by merging cards and considering directionality.
The expanded card meaning section includes correspondences, imagery, empowering card meanings, reversed meanings, along with offering lines of enquiry, affirmations and daily ritual suggestions, all presented in a way that is not overwhelming for a beginner, but with additional resources for the intermediate.
Within the expanded card meanings section, there are a couple of errors that have slipped through the editing process in the correspondences for the minors, where some of the zodiac decan correspondences for the Swords/Air signs show up in the first few card meanings and attributions for Cups/Water causing some inconsistency. These could lead to confusion for beginners but they are easily looked past with common sense.
Overall, the Tarot Card Companion is a beautifully crafted book that facilitates the reader’s involvement in their own journey of using the cards, and developing their own voice and reading style without being prescriptive. Victoria Maxwell offers suggestions of incorporating oil, crystals and herbs to elevate the reader’s practice to a holistic experience. She covers all the aspects that a reader would need to begin and continue to develop a safe practice, intuition, reading skills and knowledge of the Tarot.
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