🌿 Folk Magic −21%

Drawing Down the Spirits: The Traditions and Techniques of Spirit Possession

✍️ Kenaz Filan, Raven Kaldera
Reader Score
4.6
(1 review)
$18.95 $24.00 Save $5.05 (21%)
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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Drawing Down the Spirits offers an unparalleled, intimate look into the global phenomenon of spirit possession, from ancient shamanic rites to contemporary neo-pagan practices. Authored by initiated practitioners Kenaz Filan and Raven Kaldera, this essential guide transcends mere theory, providing vital, hands-on techniques for preparation, ensuring safety, managing aftercare, and navigating potentially harmful encounters. It reveals how diverse cultures engage with spirit embodiment across the world, while unequivocally stressing that spirits possess their own formidable will and agendas, making every encounter a powerful, unpredictable journey.

🌿
Folk Magic

Praise for this book

“Are you ready to have your mind blown? Seriously, are you looking for a book that will force you to confront and/or reevaluate your thoughts on the very prospect of God or Gods themselves? . . . Hidden within this informative, straight forward text, is a philosophical discourse that is fascinating. Once you open this book, you'll find it hard to put down.”
— The Magical Buffet, June 2009
🏛 Destiny Books 📅 2009 📖 352 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781594772696
Fun Fact
Filan and Kaldera have crafted an indispensable guide for serious practitioners navigating the complex world of spirit possession. Its strength lies in its unflinching honesty about the dangers, balanced with practical, actionable advice for preparation and aftercare. While not for the faint of heart or those seeking a simplistic approach, it offers a globally informed, respectful, and deeply knowledgeable perspective. This book firmly establishes itself as a critical text for anyone committed to advanced, ethical, and conscious engagement with the spirit realms.

📝 Description: Drawing Down the Spirits: The Traditions and Techniques of Spirit Possession

An insider's view of the inner workings and prevalence of spirit possession in our modern world - Provides practical techniques for preparation, safety, aftercare, and aborting harmful possessions - Reveals the forms of ritual possession present throughout the world--including Uganda, Nepal, Korea, Bali, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia, and France Drawing Down the Spirits presents an insider's view of the inner workings, sacred traditions, and prevalence of spirit possession existing in our modern world. Spirit possession is an integral part of shamanism as well as many neo-pagan forms of worship that draw down deities or invite spirit possession. However, spirit possession is not for the unprepared. In Drawing Down the Spirits, Kenaz Filan and Raven Kaldera, both initiated and experienced in shamanic and Vodou traditions, present the practical guidance needed to participate in ritual possession. Addressing the benefits and the dangers that await the naive, Filan and Kaldera show that there is no such thing as a guaranteed "safe" possession because spirits have their own agenda--and they are much more powerful than we are. The authors provide a variety of techniques to prepare for possession and abort possession and to promote the safety of the possessed as well as the spirits and witnesses present. With a wide-ranging look at the historic forms of ritual possession found throughout the world--including Uganda, Nepal, Korea, Bali, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia, and France--the authors also include numerous firsthand accounts collected from witnesses of modern spirit possession.

📑 What's inside

  1. Prologue: Wild Horses Kenaz's Story Raven's Tale Introduction
  2. Part one The Past
  3. 1 Metaphysics and History: A Long View of Spirit-Possession
  4. 2 The Geography of Spirit-Possession
  5. Part two The Present
  6. Kenaz's Story
  7. Raven's Tale
  8. 3 Cosmologies
  9. 4 Different Riders: Comparing and Contrasting
  10. 5 Gathering Culture: When Worlds Collide
  11. Part three The Spirits
  12. 6 On the Nature of Spirits
  13. 7 Spirit and Flesh: How Possession Works
  14. 8 Hearing Gods: A Guide for the Head Blind
  15. 9 Sacred Spaces: Permanent and Ephemeral
  16. Part four Possession
  17. Kenaz's Story
  18. Raven's Tale
  19. 10 The Horse: Safety, Sanity, and Consent
  20. 11 The Ride: Preparation, Aftercare, and Harmful Possessions
  21. Part five The Community
  22. Kenaz's Story
  23. Raven's Tale
  24. 12 Keeping the Community Safe
  25. 13 Recognizing Fakes and Frauds
  26. Part six The Future
  27. 14 Touching Gods: The Future of Possession in the Neo-Pagan Community
  28. Raven's Tale
  29. Appendix: Asphodel's Ritual Structure for Public God-Possession Notes Index

💎 Expert review

“
💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
This text provides an intimate look at spirit possession, emphasizing the unpredictable agency of the entities involved. While valuable for serious students of folk magic and neo-paganism, it is not suitable for casual readers seeking light entertainment or those who prefer strictly theoretical anthropology without practical application. It does not guarantee control over spirits but rather prepares the body and mind for their arrival. Those expecting a simple instructional manual on summoning may find its focus on safety and aftercare too cautious. However, for initiated practitioners, it offers necessary warnings and techniques that respect the formidable will of the unseen.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Practitioners seeking to understand the profound and unpredictable nature of spirit embodiment will find this book indispensable. It moves beyond theoretical abstraction to offer vital, hands-on techniques for preparation, safety, and aftercare during possession rites. Readers interested in how diverse cultures engage with the unseen will appreciate the global perspective provided by these initiated authors. It is essential for those who recognize that spirits have formidable wills and agendas, ensuring every encounter remains a powerful journey rather than a controlled experiment. This guide empowers practitioners to navigate potentially harmful encounters with respect and preparedness.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5
★★★★★
If you're a serious practitioner of shamanism, neo-paganism, or other traditions involving direct spirit interaction, this is for you. This book is for those ready to delve into advanced spirit work, seeking practical guidance, and unafraid to confront the profound power and autonomy of the spirit…

Reader rating

4.6
Based on 1 reviews
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Esoterica Books editorial team

This text provides an intimate look at spirit possession, emphasizing the unpredictable agency of the entities involved. While valuable for serious students of folk magic and neo-paganism, it is not suitable for casual readers seeking light entertainment or those who prefer strictly theoretical anthropology without practical application. It does not guarantee control over spirits but rather prepares the body and mind for their arrival. Those expecting a simple instructional manual on summoning may find its focus on safety and aftercare too cautious. However, for initiated practitioners, it offers necessary warnings and techniques that respect the formidable will of the unseen.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, this book is explicitly for those already initiated or experienced in spiritual practices that involve direct spirit engagement. It assumes a foundation of understanding and emphasizes advanced safety for serious practitioners.
Absolutely not. The authors are clear that spirits possess their own agendas and power. The book provides techniques for *preparation* and *mitigation* of risks, but strongly warns against the illusion of absolute control or guaranteed safety.

📖 Who should read this

If you're a serious practitioner of shamanism, neo-paganism, or other traditions involving direct spirit interaction, this is for you. This book is for those ready to delve into advanced spirit work, seeking practical guidance, and unafraid to confront the profound power and autonomy of the spirit world.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Global Possession Practices

This book meticulously details how spirit possession manifests across diverse cultures, from the vibrant rituals of Bali and Korea to the ancient practices found in Greece and Scandinavia. It illustrates the universal human impulse to connect with the divine through embodiment, offering a rich tapestry of examples that reveal the varied forms and significance of spirit interaction worldwide.

Practical Spirit Engagement

Far from theoretical, the authors provide indispensable, actionable guidance for those considering or already practicing spirit possession. It covers crucial steps for ritual preparation, establishing protective boundaries, techniques for safe integration and release, and essential aftercare. The emphasis is firmly on responsible, informed engagement, acknowledging the inherent power and unpredictability of working with spirits.

The Independent Spirit

A cornerstone of this work is the frank acknowledgment that spirits are autonomous entities with their own motivations and power, fundamentally challenging any notion of absolute human control. The book underscores that there's no guaranteed 'safe' possession, urging practitioners to approach these powerful beings with profound respect, humility, and a deep understanding of their independent will.

📜 Historical context

Spirit possession, a practice stretching back to humanity's earliest spiritual stirrings, finds modern expression within shamanic and neo-pagan traditions. This work places itself firmly within this lineage, offering a contemporary, practical handbook for navigating an ancient art. It serves as a bridge, grounding contemporary practitioners in the accumulated wisdom of global traditions while addressing the unique challenges of modern spiritual engagement.

📚 Glossary

Spirit Possession
Shamanism
Drawing Down

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. Reflect on your personal boundaries and ethical considerations regarding inviting non-corporeal entities. What safeguards would you put in place for your own practice?
  2. Considering the book's emphasis on spirit autonomy, how might your understanding of 'control' or 'safety' in spiritual work need to evolve?
  3. Explore the concept of 'sacred exchange' in spirit possession. What do you believe is given and received by both the spirit and the practitioner?

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