Book Review: The Moon + You by Diane Ahlquist

Unquestionably one of my favourite things about the return of warmer weather is that, barring rainy or overcast nights, it usually means we can see the moon again.

While Luna doesn’t vanish from our sight for the whole of winter, many a frosty cold evening of snow cloud-filled skies means that being able to spy her during this chapter of the year isn’t always a given.

As a Cancerian (sun sign), I feel an exceptionally deep connection to the moon, opting to work with lunar energy and archetypes all throughout the year.

Happily, even when the moon is not visible, I can still feel the remarkable pull and energy, light, and guidance it gives to the world.

When I was a young child, the moon beckoned to me instinctively and I spent many a night staying up well past my bedtime to gaze up at, commune with, and feel comforted by the moon’s presence.

As I grew older and officially began practicing as a Pagan witch in my teens, my connection with the moon deepened all the more and has continued to do so in the ensuing decades of my life.

I am far from alone in feeling an extraordinarily strong bond with the moon. Our nearest celestial neighbour has resonated with humankind since time immemorial.

We’ve deified and honoured the moon, woven it into countless legends and stories, turned into a muse for all manner of art and creativity, given each of its fullest monthly days their own names, and found ways to weave the moon into countless areas of our lives.

Many who follow witchy, Wiccan, or Pagan approach – as well as those from various other spiritual paths – opt to work closely with the moon.

We may gather as covens or groves in her loving light, charge everything from crystals to water under her watchful eye, draw down the moon, use her energy to help foster our magickal workings, pray to her, design spells that are in tandem with her monthly phases, or otherwise find creative, meaningful ways to include the moon in our spiritual journey.

It stands to reason then that no shortage of books pertaining to the moon, and its ties to witchcraft, folklore, and spirituality would be penned.

Such is certainly the case and in this post, I’m going to shine the spotlight – or, should I say, the moonlight – on one of the latest to be added to the canon of lunar titles: The moon + You by Diane Ahlquist.

This book was published in 2020 and I purchased my copy of it last year. Somewhat surprisingly given that it is a new title, I picked it up on clearance for a song.

I’ve been familiar with Ahlquist’s work for a number of years and have previously read some of her other books, including the engaging and informative Moon Spells: How to Use the Phases of the Moon to Get What You Want.

An author, psychic counsellor, and professional speaker, Diane Ahlquist is well known name in both the spirituality book realm and that of areas such manifestation and psychic abilities.

I respect her work and have enjoyed the other titles that I have read thus far from this author, so was especially happy to not only add The Moon + You to my witchy bookshelves, but to be able to do so for a great price.  

Book specs:

Name: The Moon + You: Your Guide to Finding Energy, Balance, and Healing with the Power of the Moon

Author: Diane Ahlquist

Page count: 240

Publisher: Adams Media (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

Binding: Hardcover

What is The Moon + You about?

As you might deduce from both the title and cover image of this book, The Moon + You pertains to finding, connecting, and working with lunar energy and some of the key monthly phases of the moon.

While this book does occasionally make mention of witchery or Paganism, it is not a title that I would place squarely under either of these headers. Instead, it a broader, more far-reaching pairing of the moon and spirituality in general.

This might put off some readers who are aiming for a squarely moon spell or moon magick related title, or a book that approached the moon from more of a straight up Pagan or witchcraft perspective.

However, by the same token, it’s broader degree of inclusivity helps to make this title one that it is open to a wide range of spiritually inclined individuals.

The first thing that greets you upon seeing The Moon + You is its serene and rather beautiful cover, which has a metallic sheen to it that calls to mind the glimmering light of the moon itself.

Once inside The Moon + You, the reader is presented with a brief introduction followed by five good sized chapters.

The chapters themselves are further divided in a number of subsections, most of which span 1 – 3 pages apiece.

For the chapters, the author opted to focus on – in this order – five key phases of the moon: Full Moon, Waning Moon, Dark Moon, New Moon, and Waxing Moon.

Personally, I found this moon phase arrangement to feel a bit discombobulated. I suspect that she opted to start with the full moon because it is arguably the most energy-filled, iconic, and (in some peoples’ eyes) gorgeous of the moon’s phases.

However, I feel it would have been more natural to start with either the Dark Moon or New Moon, working one’s way organically through the phases of the moon, much as Luna herself unfolds in the heavens upon us each month.

Beyond this minor point, the book itself approaches the subjects of self-care, wellness, and spirituality, with some magickal workings woven into the mix, as it pertains to the moon.

Ahlquist guides readers through ways to connect with, harness and put the energy of each of these five key moon phases to work for you personally.

Across the chapters of The Moon + You, one finds a diverse range of suggestions, ideas, and jumping off points if they wish to connect with the moon in any of these ways.

These include options such things as releasing stress with breathwork, journaling your dreams, using a pendulum, and caring for dry skin with herbal remedies – amongst dozens of other ways to work with the phases of the moon.

This book is written in friendly, easily understandable language. The ideas it puts forth are approachable and, in my opinion, may resonate more with those who are newer to working with the moon.

That isn’t to say, however, that more experienced moon workers can’t glean value from this book as well, just that I personally felt it was somewhat basic at times.

In addition, while some of the topics covered in The Moon + You can easily be detailed or even flushed out within the span of 1 – 4 pages, IMO, certain others deserved substantially more focus so as to not gloss over some rather important subjects.

For example, in chapter 3 (the Dark Moon), on pages 117 – 119, one of the ideas put forth is to a do a past life regression.

As a firm believer in past lives, our ability to connect with them in our present iteration, and the profound messages, truths, wounds and healing alike that I feel can come from doing past life regression work, this is a subject I would not personally skim over in the span of just a couple of pages.

However, that said, I do fully acknowledge that past lives are not at the heart of The Moon + You, and can appreciate that this subject was brought up in the context of the Dark Moon. A time when working with past lives, as well as doing shadow work, is a natural fit for many of us.

As you might imagine, plenty of the ideas put forth in this book flow with the energy associated with the moon’s main phases.

Thus, one often does livelier and more outgoing things when the moon is waxing and full, and more introspective, banishing related, and lower-key activities when the moon is waning or dark.

A lot of people who work with the moon do find that their own energy, intentions and magickal activities jive with these energy patterns and archetypes. However, not everyone does and I was a bit surprised that the author didn’t address this point in much detail.

Throughout the book, Ahlquist makes mention of various spiritual practices and beliefs (and occasionally to deities) from numerous corners of the globe.

By and large, I felt that this was done respectfully and that spiritual or religious appropriation was not a standout issue with this title. This is something that I, like many people, very much appreciate.

As the ideas and suggestions put for in The Moon + You are plentiful, this book offers up a solid number of possible ways to work with the moon (including a small handful of recipes).

If some of them are not to your likening, don’t work for your life, or don’t jive with your spiritual path, chances are at least a few of the others may.

Throughout this book, the author makes a point to discuss how the lunar phases can impact and influence our emotional states and overall sense of wellness, as well as how to tap into the moon’s energy for assistance with things such as personal strength and healing.

Some of the key suggestions/themes that ran through the various chapters include meditation, working with one’s chakras, setting intentions, journaling and freewriting, feng shui, and utilizing herbs.

While the term “new age” isn’t used as much these days as it was in previous recent decades, I would say that The Moon + You falls under the header of being a new age book. Especially, again, as it is not geared solely towards witches.

How The Moon + You rates with me

The Moon + You was a quick, pleasant read. While very little of the information presented was new to me and I don’t feel like this is a title I learned a great deal from, I enjoyed exploring the many ways to harness the moon’s energy and symbolism put forth in this book.

Is The Moon + You the most in-depth look at working with the moon that I’ve come across? No, it’s not.

This is a good basic or beginner introduction to the subject, which, again, may also resonate with some more experienced moon magick/healing/intention/etc workers as well.

The Moon + You was a quick read that I started and finished over the course of a single weekend.

I appreciated being reminded of various ways to work with the moon, even if many of them are ones I already know and may have carried out already over the years.

Plus, it’s always wonderful to see and learn more about how others approach working with the moon, be they fellow witches/Pagans or otherwise.

Rating this book took a fair bit of deliberation. Happily, there is nothing glaringly negative that stood about it to me.

By the same token though, it did not absolutely knock my socks off either (personally, I preferred Ahlquist’s Moon Magick and Moon Spells, respectively, more than I did this title).

Not, of course, that I expect everything I read to do just that. I definitely do not and I can appreciate + enjoy a good basic and/or refresher look at various spiritual topics.

The friendly, approachable nature, useful suggestions, and even the pretty cover of this book all helped it to win favour with me.

As did the fact that as a collective whole, I found reading The Moon + You to be a peaceful and inspiring experience – not unlike connecting with the moon itself.

Therefore…

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give this book 4 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ 

Have you read The Moon + You and if so, what were your thoughts on this lunar energy centred book? 🌛📖🌜

Do you enjoy working with the moon or does the idea of doing appeal to you? 💛