Customer Reviews

The Veil's Edge: Exploring Bou

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One of my first knee jerk reactions to reading this book was, "YES! I am not insane! I am not the only one who's been seeing/sensing these things!" Many wiccans talk about "fantasy witches" in which they refer to folks who really see and do things like battle demons, and physically shape-shift, and literally traveling to other worlds. It sounds pretty unbelievable. And it is very daring and amazing when you start perceiving such things for yourself. But where do you draw the line between fantasy and reality? How do you know your not wishfully magicking things into your perception? That's where the good judgment and willpower you've been theoretically been training for years comes in.

There is an excellent chapter on magic and science, most notably quantum physics. I will admit, I don't know much about quantum physics, so maybe someone will have another opinion on how she approaches it. However, for me it was a good simple easy to understand opener to the topic, and I plan on looking into the bibliography that is provided in the book.

Another reaction was realizing how much trouble a book like this on the market could be. This is not a simple starting book. This is not something for a casual wiccan. This is not even necessarily about religion. It's witchcraft. There are no clear cookie cutter instructions for a reason. She does describe how to do some things, and if your really up to working with that kind of stuff then it's more than enough. This is only for once you know a wide variety of techniques very well and have done lots and lots and lots of energy work. Otherwise messing with such stuff can be downright dangerous possibly to yourself and others. Ripping holes in reality and guiding the dead are not things to poo poo at. I'm not even sure I would have the balls to play with some of this yet. And I know all the cautionary stuff sounds redundant, but there is reason for it.

There are some more topics I can think of along these lines she didn't cover. But it's, as far as I know, the only book so far to seriously dare to publish some of this kind of magic. To let people know what's possible, and what's out there. So if your interested, check it out. And don't be afraid to agree or disagree with how stuff works. You may learn something different from your triggered intuition.

Her introductions and style of making examples and analogies also made it a very fast fun read. She has interviewed and gotten advice from several other authors I respect and enjoyed reading in the past. Oh, and the small fact that she's a Bast person didn't sway me at all. :grin/wink:

There is a sad dearth of books for advanced pagan audiences. This is the first book that I've heard of that addresses the topic of magick from a pagan perspective beyond the 101 level. I thought it was very well done. The theory of how magick works that Polson presents was interesting and believable, but the great strength of the book, in my opinion, lies in the step-by-step guides to exploring different advanced magical techniques.
I say advanced, but this is more of a 202 book than a seminar level work. I am very glad that it was published, and think it's a great first step (or next step?) but I wished that it went further. I am not a serious magician, and I did get some new ideas from the book, but I would've liked it to have been twice as long and covered two or three times as many topics. Sweat lodges, astral portals, and god-hosting are great, and they're definitely not beginner topics. Polson covers them in depth. But what about interacting with non-deity spirits, healing, and creating magickal objects? Most of those topics were mentioned in passing but could easily have gotten their own chapters, and these are just examples. An additional second-to-last chapter talking about further boundaries for the experienced and enterprising magician to push and expand would have been very welcome, at the least.
Nonetheless, this book is an important contribution to the body of accessible neo-pagan material, and I'm awfully glad to have read it. Thanks, Ms. Polson!

I read "The Veil's Edge" by Willow Polson recently.

The book is very interesting but it is not one I'd recommend to beginners. You really need to have a solid grounding already in working magick to get much out of the book. Intermediate to advanced Wiccans in particular will likely find the book of interest as it goes into topics that are barely touched on in most other books.

The book is not difficult to understand; Willow does a really good job of explaining what could be a very complicated topic. Anyone who wants to use the information in the book needs to have a solid understanding of magick before they start reading this book as it doesn't rehash all the 101 info that readers should know.

The book is basically about other planes of existence, whether they are described as the astral realm, the world of spirit, the land of faery, or something similar. It's about the possibility of there being other dimensions of existence that are invisible to us normally in this physical realm. The book is about how these other realms might be explained, and how people who use magick might interact with those realms.

The book starts by trying to explain the possibility of these invisible realms by drawing on the ideas of quantum physics. It was very interesting to read (and admittedly these theories are presented in other books in a similar way) but the skeptical side of me wonders whether real-life quantum physicists would say their theories are being misrepresented. There were a number of ideas, like the concept of observer-influence on things observed, which I suspect might be misinterpreted and made into something they aren't really in order to validate paranormal claims.

Regardless whether the scientific claims made are valid or not, the book does provide some useful ways of thinking about working at least some types of magick. And even if the scientific claims are not 100% accurate, it's good to have books like this which will challenge us to reconsider what we think we know about the nature of reality -- the truth is often much stranger than what we can imagine. It would be nice if we'd see more books like this, ones which present new ideas or even old ideas presented with new understandings, instead of the many books that come out which are nothing more than old material rehashed and presented again for the hundredth time.

Wiccans and those who practice magick who already have some solid experience who are looking for some fresh ideas for their magickal practice would find this book refreshing. People new to Wicca or magick should probably wait until they're more experienced before picking up this book and checking it out.

It's like reading a written out lecture. It's a very easy read and there are very few actual examples of work. It's a topic based `talk' in written form that walks through some of the basic areas where `veil work' is performed. It is a very broad discussion ranging from scientific `proof' of magic through topics like posession.

A great amount of general information and opinion is presented on each subject. To that end, it was very disappointing to see that on some topics, on which volumes could be written, it was summed up with only a few statements or pages. In a book that basic, I was also rather suprised to note that one of the subject in which the most instruction was given was posession.

I have ~12 years of magical experience ranging from tree huggin' Pagan to ceremonial paths. Nothing in this book was anything new to me. That said, it was a refreshing lecture that put several subjects in context with one another and added some tidbits of examples here and there that I had not heard before.

If you are fairly new to witchcraft (about or less than 5 years exp), and have ever wondered exactly WHAT `the veil' is or what some of these more advanced practices are, this is a great book. it would be an excellent launching pad for further exploration. If you are an advanced practitioner, you are not likely to get much out of it - except, as I mentioned earlier, a refreshing one sided conversation about topics you are probably already familiar with.

"There is danger in writing these things in books. The danger is for those who know little, but who believe they have power. We have no power: We are only vessels."

Willow's latest book, The Veil's Edge, is an excellent introduction into the more advanced workings of ecstatic worship, channeling, fae magick, and working with Diety, elementals, etc. Detailed instruction is given for moving beyond the veil's edge, and opening a portal to the Otherworlds, that is moving into the realm of the Underworld where the deceased live, the realm of faerie where the wee folk live and play, and/or the astral plane, where anything and everything is possible. If you have a desire to reach out to a deceased love one, meet face to face with the Goddess and/or God, meet Dragons, Griffins, Sylphs, Salamanders, Undines, Gnomes, and the like, than this book can guide your path and light your way on the journey. This book is well-researched, and the frequent quotes from such well-known Pagans as M. Macha Nightmare, Grey Cat, Oz, and StarHawk add interest to its pages. As a fellow witch and teacher of the Craft, however, I would like to caution the beginner to stay away from this book until she gains a solid grounding in her Craft. As stated on the back cover, this is NOT a book for the novice. The techniques presented in this book are for advanced students only! The Veil's Edge is an enjoyable and informative read and well worth the purchase price. Congratulations, Willow... well done!

Blessings & MoonLight !!!

MoonRaven (Kim) Whispered Prayers

I believe that this is a pretty good book for the beginner and the advanced pagan looking for something ... refreshing to read. Something different. I especially appreciated the section on quantum physics, which I love since most books do not go past the subject of spellcasting, and they do that lightly, without going into the "whys". This book touches on subjects that others just don't touch. I think it is worth the read.

I loved the beginning of the book where Willow discusses magic and physics - very fascinating and not over my head! The rest of the book gives examples of different experiences in connecting with the divine. This book is a good "next step" from the beginner books.

I was disappointed in this book. It promised to offer advanced work. It didn't. It's a fine beginner book, or even slightly beyond beginner. It's not advanced work at all IMO. If you are looking for a good starter book, this is one I'd recommend. If you are actually looking for advanced material, it's not here. It's misleading.

...and boy, was I wrong. This book is definately for higher-level practitioners. But the author does a good job in warning about the possible dangers of each technique and recommending what you should know before attempting some of the techniques. Just reading this book set me on a higher level and changed some perceptions about myself. I recommend that anyone tired of the Wicca 101 books try this Wicca 201 book.

As a final note to add, this book portrays Otherkin in a positive light, which is a nice change from complete obscurity. I enjoyed this book greatly and heartily recommend it.

What is the `Veil'? Willow Polson writes. Various religious tracts speak of a dividing line between "our" world and the "other world" but no one operationally defines what is meant by these terms. Polson does not decide which operational or religious definition best describes the veil or the other world, but she believes they exist. She says this world is based on `consensual reality*" and the veil is a curtain of unknowing which separates our consensual reality from the other world which mere mortals might understand better by cross-referencing each others' experiences of breaking through to the other side.

*One example of consensual reality for Westerners is an acceptance that the sky is blue. (Even though shots from space show it is dark and void and anthropologists report that some traditional folks see a "white" sky).

Polson suggests because consensual reality is an illusion, no human being knows what is absolute. All anyone can know is what one experiences as he or she travels a spiritual path. How we interpret information acquired through living on this plane is shaped by cognitive structures and categories of understanding framed by social and cultural experience. Remaining `open to other possibilities' involves modification of these preconditions and a willingness to engage in a new kind of `seeing'.

Owing to the nebulous nature of the veil and the two realities it divides, Polson acknowledges she can but share her own experiences of penetrating it. She also relays experiences other people have shared with her. Not all accounts can be trusted, however. Some people claim `special' insider knowledge, but this is usually a grab for power on the part of a charlatan. You can make contact yourself with the other side and you don't need an intervening authority (especially a puffed up male priest!!). However, Polson also suggests you might conjure up something you did not bargain for and/or get yourself stuck on the other side, so it is wise to seek the counsel of other pagans who practice magic before proceeding (be careful what you pray for...you might get it).