Best-selling author of several fantasy novels including Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon, Diana L. Paxson is a leading light in the Pagan community and has been hailed as a priestess for all seasons. Here she turns her attention to Trance Possession. This is the most comprehensive and exhaustive guide to how to safely and effectively enter and exit possessory trance - a voluntary offering of one's body as a vehicle for spirit work. It differs from other forms of trance in that one's \"normal\" personality is replaced by a personality that is identified by oneself and one's community as a spirit or a god. The steps leading up to the possession are voluntary, but at some point, the medium relinquishes control to the spirits. Whether this transition is an exchange, a seduction, or something darker depends on the training of the person possessed, the nature of the Power, and the context and expectations of the culture surrounding it. Paxson explores all aspects of Trance Possession, including:How to prepare for possessory tranceHow to enter and exit Trance Possession safely, and what to do if things get too heavyPossessions in the pastSaints and Spirits including those found in Afro-Diasporic religionsPossessory trance in the Pagan communityThis is a practical book. Each chapter includes two to five exercises that assist the reader in their personal quests for possession. | The Essential Guide To Possession Depossession And Divine Relationships by Diana L. Paxson, Paperback | Indigo Chapters