Tarot by the Moon: Spreads and Spells for Every Month of the Year

Tarot by the Moon is a wonderful compendium of Tarot knowledge,  spreads, spells and rituals especially selected to enhance the reader's experience for every lunar month of the year. The introduction provides the seeker with basic tarot knowledge that is readily understood, the charts, explanation of symbols and basic  interpretations of the cards are well written and clearly understood. The introduction also includes an explanation on how the rituals and spells are conducted.

There are thirteen chapters; one chapter for each full moon and a thirteenth for the blue moon. The appendix includes meditations, a full moon ritual and a brief explanation of Feng Shui.

Each chapter has a theme that corresponds with that month's lunar energies. For example, January, the Wolf Moon, focuses on discovering one's untapped potential. The tarot spreads in this chapter focus on doing just that. The spells and rituals that are included guides the seeker in untapping the potential that lies just beneath the frozen surface. Each chapter also includes articles and advice on tarot, ritual and spells. The spreads themselves are unique in that they are all crafted toward awakening dormant energies, freeing what is trapped, and more.

The spreads are also unusual in that each placement in the spread does not have a static interpretation, but are suggested questions instead.

For example, in Chapter Four's Coming into Alignment Spread, the first four cards are placed as follows:
1.    Where am I out of alignment?
2.    Where am I holding onto resistance?
3.    What is blocking me?
4.    How can I let go of it?
This is an elegant and intimate way to read the cards. By not using static placements, the interpretations are flexible and more insightful.

Tarot by the Moon is superbly written, the instructions are easily understood, and the information it contains is accessible to both the novice as well as the experienced reader. This is a book that I am going to use for a long time.

~review by Patricia Snodgrass

Author: Victoria Constantino
Llewellyn Publications, 2021
p. $19.99, pp. 273