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Michelle Belanger Table of Contents: Psychic Dreamwalking - Reviewed by Psyche Vampires In Their Own Words - Reviewed by Psyche Title: Psychic Dreamwalking Sub-title: Explorations at the Edge of Self Author: Michelle Belanger Publisher: Weiser Books ISBN: 1578633869 Pages: 205 pp. (Incl. appendices, excl. bibliography) Copyright: 2006 Reviewer: Psyche Contact Information: psyche[at]spiralnature[dot]com Category: Dreams & Dreaming Review: Dreaming is something we all do, whether we consciously remember our dreams our not. Belanger defines dreamwalking as "the art of sending forth a part of the self in order to make contact with others through the medium of dreams" (pg 23). I like her approach to the material; she frequently uses anecdotes to describe her personal experiences and explorations, and then lucidly deconstructs them to illustrate her points. A wide variety of exercises are offered, from the more basic, such as creating dream haven, a 'gate of dreams' (essentially a 'portal' through which is the dream world), and fashioning an eidolon (one's dream-self), as well as more complicated explorations, such as creating dream landscapes and techniques for lucid dreaming. At the end of each exercise brief checklists aid the reader in determining whether or not one has performed the exercise successfully, offering suggestions for what to look for and tips to correct technique. The practice of keeping a dream journal is recommended. Belanger even includes excerpts from her own journal along with analysis, which will prove immensely helpful to those new to it. She often recommends a cautious approach to success, sensibly stressing that unless something is verifiable, one should be hesitant about taking anything that occurs in the dream world as fact. The subject of ethics is introduced, especially in describing visiting others, as well as touching upon psychic vampirism, psychic attack, and psychic defence, the latter of which might be somewhat familiar to those who have read her previous book, The Psychic Vampire Codex. My initial impression is that the chapters may have been written independently, and only later strung together This would account for why the exercises don't seem to build directly upon one another in a linear fashion, and why so some passages seem repetitive at times. As a result, I would recommend the reader first go through the entire book prior to attempting any of the exercises found within. For example, only after discussions on creating on eidolons, dream landscapes, dream gates, etc. is the subject of dream journaling fully explored, and the new student will likely want to record these early experiences to track progress. Once the concepts have been initially digested, I suggest the reader then go back and review the chapter and perform the exercises. Psychic Dreamwalking provides an excellent introduction to dream work, with effective exercises and practical tips to help keep one on track, this guide also offers much which is not found in the average new age book on the subject. It would make a great addition to any library, and the practical applications provide simple techniques useful to any magickian looking to explore their own dream territory. Highly recommended. Review submitted: 03 November 2006 ^ Table of Contents Title: Vampires In Their Own Words Sub-title: An Anthology of Vampire Voices Editor: Michelle Belanger Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide ISBN: 9780738712208 Pages: 245 pp. Copyright: 2007 Reviewer: Psyche Contact Information: psyche[at]spiralnature[dot]com Category: Vampires Review: Michelle Belanger, perhaps best known for her first book, The Psychic Vampire Codex, serves as editor for this unique anthology. Vampires In Their Own Words is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of essays by various vampires, some identify as psychic or energy vampires, whereas others identify as sanguinarians (vampires who drink blood), and others who fall somewhere between the two. In her introduction Belanger gives an overview of the myth of the vampire and details her "Awakening" (a term used to denote the starting point of one's conscious awareness of hir vampiric condition) and process of acceptance. Much of this will be familiar to anyone who's read her earlier works or listened to Shadowdance, the podcast she co-hosts with Chris Miller. The rest of the anthology is divided into loose sections written by an impressive cross-section of vampires covering everything from vampire culture, feeding and the ethics surrounding various practices, codes of behaviour and traditions, followed by a section written by those with close ties to the vampire community but who do not consider themselves vampires. Many of the essays open with explanations on how each individual arrived at their identification with vampirism and their "Awakening" process. The majority of the essays are followed with a definition section, explaining the vampire culture-specific terms used, such as "donor", "therian", "kitra", and numerous others. There is some overlap, but it's nice to see the range and variety in the answers, which points are emphasized, as it gives a feel for how individual vampires relate to the terms they use. Naturally, taken as a whole, some of the essays are contradictory, and they're far from equal in calibre, but such is the nature of anthologies. There are also quite a few that shine, and others which give pause for thought, such as Sylvere ap Leanan's "American Vampires" where the author rants against the caste- and court-based vampire community structures. She writes, "...we're Americans. Our nation was founded on the principle that all are equal in the eyes of our Creator and should be acknowledged as such by those around us...Yet, in clubs and on the Internet, we revert to the very societal structure from which our countrymen struggled to free us." She raises many valid points. In "Vampire Lifestyle and Culture" Sanguinarius makes a legitimate case for the appropriation of vampire myths in weaving an identity as a vampire lifestyler, writing: "Since we have no culture of our own, historically speaking, we are inventing it for ourselves...In our case, the only "existing cultural heritage" or knowledge base that could be said to exist are the social/cultural aspects of vampiric fiction..." Though for this occultist, perhaps the most intriguing essay was that written by Alexzandria and James Baker, "The Serpent's Kiss", which explored Aleister Crowley's use of the term "vampire" and explored his relationship with the vampire myth in modern occult views and through his published works. Vampires In Their Own Words provides a fair range of opinions on what it means to be a vampire, how vampire behaviour ought to be conducted, what the community should look like, and would serve well as a resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the subculture. Review submitted: 30 October 2007 ^ Table of Contents

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