by Jan Fries
# Paperback: 338 pages
# Publisher: Mandrake
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1869928369
# Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
# Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
"Very highly recommended..." -- The Cauldron. "...This is the best book on practical magick that I have seen for some time... an extremely useful body of techniques which any practically-minded magician will be able to use..." -- Phil Hine in Chaos International 22.
The definitive study of magical trance and possession techniques. The author is inspired by the Nordic tradition of Seidr, said to have been taught to the human race by Odin.
Jan Fries quickly became one of my favourite magickal authors with his book "Helrunar", in which he mentions this (at the time) forthcoming book on shaking trances. I found his lack of pretence to "ancient tradition passed down through the ages", and his use of Chaos methodology without the egoistic "spookier than thou" attitude which often infects it exceptionally refreshing. When I finally found a copy of Seidways, it impressed me even more than Helrunar. As usual, he begins with a historical survey of shaking or convulsive trances, including both the Norse background from which he derives the term "seid craft" (seid is pronounced "seeth"), and various tribal and shamanic cultures. While the selected bibliography he provides suggests to me that his material is factually accurate, his approach to history emphasizes a potent mythcrafting over academic explication, and presents a powerful tool for self-transformation. After the historical section, he moves on to the practice of convulsive trance. His suggestions for preparation and emphasis on slow, gradual practice renders independent practice much safer than might otherwise be the case. He also gives step by step instructions that are easy to follow, and includes a chapter on communicating and co-operating with what he (and now I) calls the Deep Mind. An altogether excellent book.
another review:
I knew about this book for years before buying it earlier in 2007. I always felt it would be a revolutionary text for me, yet somehow I never got around to buying it (admittedly in part due to Mandrake's poor distribution in Australia).
After about 10 pages I decided that Fries is the greatest author on Germanic magic alive. He is able to consider so many perspectives, casually avoids the rigidity of authors such as Thorsson that I found so discouraging as a newbie, and is very open about where research stops and personal opinion starts. His ideas are extremely unorthodox, and the extent of "authenticity" can be questioned about this book in various ways - but Fries never pretends to be anything he is not, and this open honesty is far more preferable than the pompous pretend-authenticity of many other books about historically inspired magical practices.
When I finished the book I immediately read it again, and took about 40 pages of notes. Anyone who knows me would find such conscientious reading totally alien to my usual habits!
His descriptions of seething experiences brought up so many memories of experiences I have had during my life, experiences which I have known were magical and which I loved and longed for... but which I felt unable to explore, to grasp a hold of. Well, Fries gives plenty of encouragement and ways into the conscious induction of trance and seething and I have been regularly and spontaneously delving ever since!
This keen attention and love of the experience of spirit, not just the the forms and images of it, is what makes this book so powerful. It correctly assesses mythology to be a door into that which cannot be said, rather than an end in itself.
His summary of different cultural practices is also extremely interesting and helpful. He is clear that all cultures are not interchangeable, but he is also clear that there can be similarities across culture. So rare to find an author with the political good sense to recognise that culture is neither hermetically sealed nor dissolved into the new age sewer!
This book has also helped to awaken my latent connection to snake energy, which I have felt for years and never been able to make sense of. Given that I see Odin as a snake god (Bolverkr, anyone?), I have been given a huge new lease on life in my relationship to my patron god.
A lot of people I know have bought this book at my urgent insistence, I get very aggressive about it. YOU have to read this book. If you get 10% of what I got from it, then you've easily gotten your money's worth.
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