5.0 out of 5 stars Sacred and important , life changing work

l. · 1 November 2021

I lost my partner over three years ago and began my journey into grief. Little did i know that i would collapse and be “cracked open” time and time again. I became vulnerable in a way i never knew before and full of intense emotions. Having read only the opening chapter of this beautiful , poetically written , soulful book on grief, I recognize and honour my ability to feel loss , life and be a part of the interconnected ness of all life. Francis Weller allows us to begin a meaningful conversation with this part of ourselves, which is often denied or reproached. In bringing loving attention to our grief, he lets us become aware of how we are more fully alive when we embrace what had meaning for us and is now lost. He gives us a modern language, the five gateways and permission to navigate into our souls , passing through loss of everything we love, the places that have not known love, the sorrows of the world, what we expected and did not receive and our ancestral grief. Make a pot of tea, sit and rejoice that someone has spoken out about loss , love and life . I shall make it a part of my daily devotionals.

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, profound book that reaches deep within

J.G. · 7 February 2021

Reading this was a gentle cleansing journey through my psyche & soul. Beautifully written that connects deep AND offers a cognitive appreciation of grief & loss. I've been left with a richer appreciation of my connection to others and the earth, and a deeper understanding of the cost of disconnection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Impossible to overestimate the importance of this book

S.d.l.T. · 17 May 2021

I found this book incredibly permission-giving and validating of my feelings. Francis opens the door to different kinds of grief, for example grief for the things we never received, grief for the earth and grief for the places within us that were never loved. Insightful, compassionate and beautifully written.

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking

J. · 6 January 2024

Regardless of age, I think insights like this in to grief, types of grief,are useful, and that connecting to friends and family and groups to help express grief, for it to be witnessed and assuaged, is healthy. Thoughtful and thought provoking.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ready to journey with your grief and become more soulful?

R. · 25 July 2020

This book moved me very deeply, and left me with a richer perspective on loss and grief. It’s an amazing and beautifully written book. I wept a lot; the kind of tears that clear more space inside your heart. I’ve since recommended it to many others.

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning book. Poetic, profound - speaks very ...

J. · 25 July 2017

A stunning book. Poetic, profound - speaks very deeply to my soul. I've read it twice already and find myself underlining huge chunks. I'm recommending it to everyone I know. A must-read for anyone who seeks to live life deeply, and is curious about what it means to be fully alive, conscious and connected in these times.

5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASE JUST BUY THIS BOOK, ITS ESSENTIAL

W. · 17 July 2021

I have just sobbed and rocked and prayed my way through the first chapter of this book.If anyone is feeling anxious, or sad, or lost or depressed or uncertain about what to do in the face of what is happening in the world right now, buy this book to wake up and grieve for what is happening, and for all that we have lost over the last 2000 years of patriarchy, the oppression, exploitation, loss of soul, warmongering towards other people, nature and the earth and her resources.We need first to grieve and feel in order to reconnect and heal.Love to all

5.0 out of 5 stars The author has exceptional depth of knowledge or grief, men's work and ritual

e. · 22 June 2023

Pretty comprehensive work from an 'Elder' mainly experienced in grief (as opposed to death).Should be taught in schools to all 'modern' people, but of course society forgets we need to grieve. How many people go to their first funeral and know how to grieve and the importance of grief?

Poetic, moving and insightful description of grief

A. · 12 February 2025

At times this book reads like a poem. The author writes stunning prose which so aptly describes so many forms of grief. I realised on reading this book how much grief I carry myself.

Incredibly powerful, and the best book I've ever read on the subject of grief

A.C. · 13 February 2019

This is the one book I've been waiting my entire life to see come out on the subject of grief and the absolute necessity of grieving, for the healing of hearts and minds - our own, our families, and our communities. It is about the powerful sense of wholeness and the vital energy that is released when give ourselves permission to feel and honor our grief. It speaks to the ancient, and long forgotten, understanding of the importance of ritual and community as safe "containers" necessary to hold and honor that grief as it is released - and which are absolutely essential to a healthy vibrant life for community and every individual within it. It is the way to reclaim our sense of the sacred, of belonging, and of our truer selves that have been rejected and buried under deep, deep layers of unexpressed sorrow. Frances calls it "soul activism" and a "subversive act" in a culture determined to deny the importance of our emotions and the need for their expression. We have become alienated from ourselves, from others, and from this earth and it has been killing us inch by inch, year after year - eating us all alive - for a very long time. This books will help you find your way back home to yourself and others, and to this stunningly beautiful earth we live upon. It validates our individual and collective grief and the added pain (and growing sense of loneliness) we have all experienced when we have been shamed into to stuffing these feelings in a multitude of ways. I couldn't recommend this book more highly. It is one of the most important books that you will ever read and in these dark times the knowledge and wisdom it contains has never been so urgently needed, as it today. So buy it, read it, and, if you are able, start healing groups in your own communities as soon as possible. You don't have to have any special knowledge except for what is contained in this book, to start. This is completely uncharted territory for most of us - but it is one that we must enter, and explore and become familiar with if we want to heal our broken hearts and communities - and Francis shows us how we can begin. And each time you do you will find that the gifts which come from undertaking this journey far outweigh the fear and pain we all feel when we first set out. Indeed, you will be filled with profound gratitude and a sense of joy and wonder that most of us haven't experienced since early childhood - and know that it was worth every moment of the pain and fear you walked through. And you will laugh, wondering why you hadn't done it sooner and why everyone else has been so afraid to.A personal note: I have been a subversive of this ilk for a long time. At first, because my sorrow was just too much to hold in, but later it became an outright act of rebellion against the destructive cultural norm to stuff uncomfortable and "inconvenient" feelings. I feel that it is an insult to the integrity of my being and to everyone else's, so I refused, and still refuse, (no matter what anyone says) to stuff my pain and sorrow so others will feel comfortable. Giving myself permission to experience it fully, when it does come, has brought me through a great many tragedies in my life, renewing me in heart, mind, body, and soul - every time. I promise the same will happen for you. Every one of us has the right to experience all of our feelings without being shamed or told to "get over it, it's in the past." So take back your rights to feel what you feel without shame. Rebel!! (This personal note I have shared is probably "against the rules" But given the urgency of our situation I say, "let's break all the rules that hold our hearts and minds hostage and start again!") Love to you all. Namaste

Highly recommended read

N.K. · 17 July 2025

Highly recommended book for people experiencing all kinds of grief. It helped me considerably

Une merveille ! A wonder

G. · 18 February 2021

The author deals with a subject on which so little is written! I am French, far from being bilingual but I did not hesitate to acquire it and patiently translate it so much its content called me. Well done and thank you.

This book is written by a great soul healer

C.H. · 5 October 2015

This book is written by a great soul healer. It is a powerful piece of wisdom and not all will see the profundity of this work, but give it a try. I was fortunate to buy the book AND participate in a Wild Edge of Sorrow workshop that made the ideas in the book come to life. I know that not everyone will be able to do that. Francis has an amazing worldview and it may well help much of what is ailing us here on the planet. Personal grief, earth grief, but also his work exudes deep understanding of the tosses and turns and brilliance of life lived. He was asked if he was happier by a friend -- that is not the point. He said he felt more fully alive. I'm not sure if some people are just more open to the beauty of what grief brings but I count myself as fortunate to have stayed open to the truths in his book. He has such a strong sense of clear boundaries and how to balance between the depths of sorrow and the daily affirmation that life is worth living, no matter our sorrows and losses. He's as brilliant as Mark Nepo, in a different way. His calling is around the value of welcoming grief as solitary individuals but also as members of a village, of a community that cares, that sees the work that you have done and is grateful. The book expands your horizons. I'm thinking of readers who might live alone, or in rural areas where it is hard to create community -- so we need to take this book and weave more strategies of how to use these powerful truths on grief and people's hearts, bodies and souls. Maybe we need to do Daily Grief pages, along the lines of Julia Cameron's work. Maybe we just need to keep telling the earth, the plants, the skies, our deepest fissures, our struggles to stay connected to all that is. Buy this book, buy copies for your friends. One of these days, that person will need to find a polestar to be guided home to owning their grief. This book is that gift. Blessings.