Customer Reviews

Walking the Twilight Path: A Gothic Book of the Dead

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Death is a subject hidden behind fear and ignorance, and our society at once strives to glorify death and shield use from its truth, but some believe death should be embraced. This book opens the way for readers to walk "The Twilight Path", a path accepting of the truth, nature and inevitability of death. Death is not an end, but a point of transformation, from the moment we are born, we are dying, and transforming, the most profound transformation occurring when you give yourself up to death and the otherside. This book leads you, gradually to begin the Twilight Path, something easily integrated into any spiritual tradition that does not deny life after death, through a sacrifice of yourself, creating Sacred Space for Death in your life, spirit work, and cemetery work, all of it culminating into an initiation death/rebirth ritual.

This book treats death respectfully without being a "Dark Book of Darketty Darkness", yet treats it natural and with gentle humour without denying its gravity. The book draws heavily on Michelle's personal experience with death and dying, and the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, as well as Egyptian, Greek and Shamanic traditions. The book contains a good selection of thoughtful journal questions to help you think through your connection with death, as well as a very detailed and visual description of what happens as your body decays (it took me a lot of reading to find that out a few years ago, this would have been much easier), and even interesting tidbits like interesting epitaphs of famous people. A thought provoking read, with a lot of good suggestions, rituals, journals and information, highly recommended to anyone who isn't going to shy away from a bit of corpse and death.

My 'official blurb' below. And I mean every word of it. This book brought me to tears. It's one not to be without, methinks:

Death is a topic not to be avoided, and is one of utmost importance to the serious spiritual seeker. In this profoundly deep necromantic-shamanic tome, death is neither glamorized nor idealized, but looked at in a realistic, intelligent, and spiritual light. Michelle Belanger explores numerous aspects of death and dying, and readers are encouraged to enter the world beyond the veil--and learn from it--at their own pace. Indeed, the realm of death is immaculately intertwined with our own. I can say with certainty that Walking the Twilight Path is an indispensable book for those wishing to advance, actualize, and intensely deepen their spiritual practice.

As someone who has been studying this exact same subject for the past 8 years, I have to say that if I had this book when I began I would have saved much time and spared myself many frustrations- frustrations with other books that promise and don't deliver, I mean.

This lady knows what she is talking about. Do not miss your chance to learn from her. I may not agree with everything she writes, but she has more than earned my respect and regard for her humble tone in writing, her obvious knowledge from both study and experience, and her diligence in providing excellent material for those who need a nudge (or more).

Revision, 03/18/10...

I mean this sincerely- the book is excellent. The only reason I am taking it down from 5 stars to 4 (and if I could, I would rate it 4 1/2) is because once my initial enthusiasm for the work faded, there were some methods that I (personally) did not agree with. I am not saying that they're wrong, because they obviously work excellently for the author- I just don't think they would work well for everyone. Of course, one could say this about most (if not all) techniques, but while I felt the greater part of the rituals were just wonderful, there were a few that made me question if the means offered was the best way to go about reaching the ends. I hope I do not insult the author by saying so, but there's something a little Typhonian about some of the rituals, and while this isn't a bad thing in itself (I happen to like some of the Typhonian work), it's not for everyone.

Nevertheless, despite my criticisms, I highly recommend this book. All of the rituals are powerful and well researched, the information sound and obvious won through both study and experience. You will not be disappointed.

Walking the Twilight Path is that special kind of book, that rare kind of book in the Occult world, which opens more doors than it closes. Not that it closes any doors at all, mind you, instead it throws the doors between this world and the next world wide open, while beckoning the magician onward into ever deeper contact, research, and success.

While I may be partial to Michelle Belanger's works (because I think she is the "real thing"), Walking the Twilight Path really stands out from her other works and also from about every other book which pretends to be informed on this subject. This is a real landmark kind of book in the field of Occult studies, especially of the Darker paths. Right from the start, the book engages you with a very real and very sincere engagement with the land of the Dead, allowing the reader to reach through and connect with the forces beyond them.

What I found most comforting in this book (if the subject of death can be said to be comforting) was that there was no pseudo-Gothic romantic longings or quasi-theorizing on how cool death would be. From each step the reader takes through this book, one engages the land of the dead, the practices of the dead, and the tools with which to engage them, in a very factual, face-to-face, and confidant kind of way: this is real magick for real practitioners who want to really explore worlds beyond their imagination.

I must worn you though, this book works. If you are looking for books more out of a sense of how they affirm your inner Darkness, more because they look cool on your bookshelf next to your books on serial killers and vampires, there are other books out there that look equally cool in many ways. But be wise, this book, if you set to it, if you get into it, if you knock upon it, it will answer you. If you are looking for a book on the necromantic arts that works, you have found the way in.

I highly recommend this book to anyone serious about the Dark Arts, anyone who loves the rich traditions of watching a brilliant magician's career grow and blossom and increase the sensual (as in the range of our six senses) joy of the lived magickal experience, anyone who is a fan of Michelle Belanger's amazing work and career, anyone who wishes to push beyond their own boundaries of how they understand and communicate with, Death. Buy this book. There is great work to be done!

Generally I look at most anything that says gothic on it and say 'eh' (especially when it's a metaphysical book). Luckily, this was gifted to me or I would have most likely never picked it up - even though it was written by an author that I tend to follow.

This book helped me to bridge my practices of mediumship and ritual in ways that I'd never thought about doing. The writing style is enjoyable and informative. While I was pretty familiar with many of the concepts of the book, they were put together in a thought provoking way to help enhance your ritual practice.

Beyond the informational aspect, it was an entertaining read.

"Twilight Path" approaches a difficult subject in a straightforward fashion. Rather than wrapping the subject of death in layers upon layers of mysticism, symbolism, and secrets, M. Belanger approaches it openly and frankly. A refreshing take on the topic.

This writing helped me tremendously. On some level I was doing most of the described techniques in it already but the writing gave me an extra push in order to get me onto the right thinking path. I was almost there but what I have read just made everything make sence. It also gave me many other ideas that propelled me towards achieving my goals and overcoming some obstacles that were set in my way. It is excellent work and easy to read. Examples given make perfect sense and chapters flow in a logical manner. I am very glad I came across this book and would recomment it to anyone seeking different perspective on life and death.

As much as I may respect the author for her Psychic Vampire Codex, this did not impress me much at all. It seems like Belanger has been bitten by the Llewellyn Cultural Appropriation and fluff bug, much to my disappointment. While some attention in this work was paid to various different burial traditions, these were then mashed together with little regard to cultural seperation.

The idea of the visualizations where the practicioner's body is destroyed in different ways is interesting, and I have to admire Belanger's creativity there. However it is a very poor idea for a Left Hand Path practicioner of a school of magic such as Ordo Sekhemu to even consider such a ritual, unless they do so in order to overcome such decay and destruction. The meditation wherein one imagines one's face decaying too could have very negative effects on someone with a low self image, such as many teens who may be drawn to this book.

I could also do without Belanger constantly talking about how unique she is for having had near death experiences as a child. Just because you have heart problems does not make you automatically an expert on the Otherworlds. I think that a bit more of a neutral and critical approach would have made this a great deal more readable.

In my opinion, this work would have been much better if you didn't have watered down versions of the Tibetan Book of the Dead next to a "medicine bag" of items from a graveyard. I also personally feel that shamanic initiation should involve some kind of actual risk or challenge, not just a visualization. The destruction of the Heart Scarab at the end of the final rite also worries me from a magical perspective, as that could cause damage to the practicioner if taken to to great an extreme.

In all, I would classify this on the same page as Konstantinos's fluffy dark wicca books. Honestly I regret buying this one new and wish I had waited to read more of it before spending the money.

I bought this book at my local "Occult Supply" store. I must admit I was drawn to the cover. I only read the back of this book in the store and I new I had to add it to my collection. The Preface alone is worth the investment. I am hooked, I can't put it down. This book is meant to be a work book of sorts, I am really excited about starting. Give yourself a break and open your mind, you'll be glad you did.

Walking the Twilight Path is a book that balances the fine line between sorrow in death and release in death. Michelle Belanger speaks plainly and from the heart about a subject she is well versed. Her step by step guide on how to create a new and better self from the ashes of the old is practical and simple to follow. She emphasizes that death is not only a transistion from one life to another, she shows how death can be liberating for the mind and soul. It is refreshing to see works like Walking the Twilight Path that present death as not something to be feared, but something to embrace as a natural part of life. Highly recommended.