The Wild Edge of Sorrow, Francis Weller
The Wild Edge of Sorrow, Francis Weller
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The Wild Edge of Sorrow
Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief

Author: Francis Weller, Thomas Hübl, Michael Lerner

Narrator: Francis Weller

Unabridged: 6 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/13/2016

Synopsis

Hope and healing for a profoundly fractured world—a pathway home to the brightness, pains, and gifts of being alive

The bestselling book on grief and loss from psychotherapist Francis Weller: “One of the best books on grief I have ever read. … It helped me turn to and understand my grief in ways I never had before. It has helped me feel alive again.” —Anderson Cooper

Profoundly moving, beautifully written, The Wild Edge of Sorrow is a balm for the soul and a necessary salve for moving together through difficult times. Grounded in ritual and connection, this book welcomes each grief with care and attention, opening us to the feelings, experiences, and sacred knowledge that connect us to each other and ultimately make us whole.

Psychotherapist Francis Weller introduces the 5 gates of grief, helping us come to terms with grief and loss within a culture so fundamentally detached from the needs of the soul.
The first gate recognizes that everything we love, we will lose. Here, we meet the pain of losing a loved one; the grief of illness; and the tender invitation to touch the depths of our losses and loves

The second gate helps us uncover the places that have not yet known love: our secret shames, our shadow sids, and the neglected pieces of our soul that need restoration and care.

The third gate meets us at the immense sorrows of the world

The fourth gate, what we expected but did not receive, offers wisdom for tending our wholeness after the love, care, and validation we need are withheld

The fifth gate opens to our ancestral grief: the traumas, pains, losses, and unrealized dreams of those who came before us.With grief rituals, reflection prompts, and deep, ageless wisdom, The Wild Edge of Sorrow is a genre-defining invitation to healing and renewal. Weller helps us rediscover wilwhat modernity has made us forget…and reconnects us to our most profound and human yearnings. Less a self-help volume than a blessing, this book is a homecoming for the soul.

About The Author

FRANCIS WELLER, MFT, is a psychotherapist, writer, and soul activist. A master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures, and poetic traditions, he has introduced the healing work of ritual to thousands of people. The core of his work is creating pathways to reclaiming our indigenous soul, what psychologist Carl Jung called the "unforgotten wisdom" that resides in the heart of the psyche. To further his work, he founded and currently directs WisdomBridge, an organization offering educational programs that seek to integrate the wisdom from traditional cultures with the insights and knowledge gathered from western cultures.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul on October 05, 2018

Reading this felt like a turning point in my life, where I will make a conscious effort to lean into my emotions rather than run from them out of shame. One of the biggest deathbed regrets people face is they wish they had the courage to express their feelings. Thanks to Francis Weller for publishin......more

Goodreads review by Susan on June 10, 2016

I loved this book. I first came across Francis Weller when he was interviewed in the Oct 2015 issue of The Sun. He brings a lot of wisdom and truth to the topic of grief, which was balm to my spirit as a hospital chaplain. He talks about the importance of metabolizing our grief, particularly in comm......more

Goodreads review by Miles on March 29, 2022

Summary: Francis Weller’s The Wild Edge of Sorrow is a heartfelt book about how grief work is understood and practiced through what Weller calls “soul-centered psychotherapy.” Weller suggests that the act of living calls each person to “take up an apprenticeship with sorrow” that allows us to acknowl......more

Goodreads review by Katie on December 15, 2023

Just finished reading a third time (although this time it was the audio version). Phenomenal. I think I will make a commitment to read this at least once a year.......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on August 16, 2021

This was the August, 2021 selection of South Austin Spiritual Book Group. With what Simone Biles broke open for us at the Tokyo Olympics, I had a feeling this book was going to be impactful. Although you don't think of a grief book when looking for summer reads, I was surprised at how well written an......more

Quotes

“In The Wild Edge of Sorrow Francis Weller offers his readers a breath-taking and dramatic journey of inner discovery into personal pain resolution, planetary healing, and soul development. It is an essential publication—one that offers precious guidance and insight for those who are strong enough, as well as mature enough, to probe and challenge the darkness.”
—Spirituality Today
 
“The Wild Edge of Sorrow marries uncommon compassion with clear-eyed discernment in its invitation to the reader to become a soul activist in a soul-devouring culture. It is a comprehensive manual for conscious grieving and opening to the unprecedented joy and passion that result from embracing our sorrow.”
—Carolyn Baker, PhD, author of Love in the Age of Ecological Apocalypse and Collapsing Consciously
 
“The Wild Edge of Sorrow is extraordinary, and explores the ongoing pain of separation from community and nature that we all feel. Reading Weller’s book, I've realized that we have a lot of unprocessed grief to share. This book will be a gift to many.”
—Charles Eisenstein, author of The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible

“Weller guides us into the difficult geography of sorrow and helps us find our way back to our souls. He brings much-needed medicine to a culture that relies upon distraction and anesthesia to cope with the daily losses that surround us.”
—Malidoma Somé, author of The Healing Wisdom of Africa: Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, and Community
 
“This book rings a shivering bell of hope: that, when lifted by ritual and fellowship, the moist ground of grief actually contains a treasury of gifts that are our ancestral birthright. A delightful wisdom shines through every page of The Wild Edge of Sorrow.”
—Martin Shaw, author of A Branch From The Lightning Tree

“This book is not only a map to navigate some of the most tender and difficult regions of the psyche, but a work of literary art.”
—Kim Rosen, author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words

“Quite possibly the best guidebook ever crafted on the art of grieving, this volume is also a brilliant and poetic handbook for becoming fully human, more exquisitely alive, and more able to contribute to cultural change. The Wild Edge of Sorrow invites us into the very heart of sorrow, profound healing, and a deepened communion with each other and Earth.”
—Bill Plotkin, author of Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche and Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche
 
"This book is a work of beauty: beauty in its language, its poetic sensibility, in its deep insights into the nature of loss and its effect on the human soul. Weller's book is, finally, a healing balm. It shows how our tears may be the redemptive waters we have needed for so long."
—Roger Housden, author of Ten Poems to Say Goodbye

"Francis Weller’s book, The Wild Edge of Sorrow is so deeply honest, insightful, and hopeful. His style of writing and speaking is poetic, and yet one feels as though they are in conversation with a neighbor. Should you purchase the book, read it with a pen by your side. You’ll want to underline and remember the rich prose on every page."
—Marianna Cacciatore, author of Being There for Someone in Grief

"The warmth of Weller’s voice and his beautiful language, will speak directly to your soul, in a way your soul has longed to feel embraced.  His words will open your heart to receive your own most tender and vulnerable feelings as a gift to be cherished as they may bring forth a new depth of connection to the soul of the world." 
—Dr. Risa Kaparo, author of Awakening Somatic Intelligence

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