Shaman Pathways - Following the Deer Trods: A Practical Guide to Working with Elen of the Ways

I've just started this book. So far, it's a good description of British Shamanism. Exercises are included for those who want to start a spiritual practice. (Deer not required for success.)

This book is a follow up to "Elen of the Ways", which is more historical and personal points of view concerning the origin of British Shamanism- a way of life for the author Elen Sentier. "Following the Deer Trods" is more like a practical, hands-on workbook containing a number of exercises that help you get in contact with yourself as well as with the Otherworld. I really like what Elen Sentier says about making mistakes...it's how you learn! If you never make mistakes, what are you learning? I thoroughly enjoyed this book too and I highly recommend it as well.

Love this book.Elen shares wisdom in a straight forward way that helps you to connect to the info on many levels.It may appear to be small, but it is packed with wisdom.Highly recommend this book for your shamanic or indigenous wisdom library.

Knowledgeable

I learned basics of celtic here I haven't seen anywhere else. A nice end of day read. Got all her books after I read this one too!

very popular but strays from time to time. needed better organization to let the story flow better.

The full title of this book is Following the Deer Trods: a practical guide to working with Elen of the Ways. It is written as part of Moon Book’s Shaman Pathways series, and is positioned as a stand-alone introduction to its topic, which includes working methods for the aspiring practitioner. As such this book certainly meets its criteria.I personally think it works best in tandem with Elen Sentier’s other book on the topic, also a Shaman Pathways book, Elen of the Ways; following the deer trods – the ancient Shamanism of Britain, which I reviewed in July 2014. This earlier book establishes the overall context much better and for me they belong together.Following the Deer Trods begins with a summary of the ideas offered in Elen of the Ways. This works well, even magically, in the opening pages – but I was saddened by a seeming loss of perspective when we get to the Romans and beyond. The author shows no recognition of Christianity as a diverse, complex and internally contested path, not least in the Celtic lands; or of the effects which holding political power can have on religious traditions, regardless of the actual faith. There’s also no clear flagging of the extent to which the positive, Pagan side of the story is necessarily reliant on intuitive reconstruction, relevant records being sparse and problematic, oral traditions highly mutable over time, and material remains providing only limited insight into hearts and minds. There is so much we don’t know, and will never know, about our ancestors, their traditions and what it was like to be them. When talking about them, we do best to avoid the language of certainty.For me the book picks up from that point, providing the promised guide to working in a series of well-organised practice chapters. The main areas covered (in my language) are meditation, energy work, service, shamanic journeying, relationships with familiar spirits (power animals), and working with trickster figures. The author also discusses the ‘journey horse’ or method of trance induction – and the relative merits for this purpose of drumming, the sound of waves, rain, or a flowing stream; the steady roaring of wind; the recorded purring of cats. That bit of the discussion is a true gem, reflecting a lot of playful trial and experience.These chapters also lay out a basic cosmology for the work – a cosmology of three worlds (middle, lower, and upper) on the vertical axis and four elements radiating out from the middle world on the horizontal, with the nigh universal notion of the world tree/tree of life very much in mind. Elen describes the image of the six armed cross as a means of bringing them together. She talks about her understanding of the inner world of the journey as a place of ‘interface’, the portal which she, as awenydd, and the Otherworld co-create as a meeting place between them.The instructions for practice are highly specific and directive and therefore best-suited to people who are new to this kind of work, who don’t have access to hands-on teaching or established learning communities, and who need nonetheless to be strongly held as they begin their exploration. Other readers will look to the offerings provided as a source of new or variant ideas, or information about a specific way of working.My heart didn’t sing, when I read this book, as it had when I read its predecessor. But it makes its contribution and, with the one significant reservation about the presentation of history, I’m happy to recommend it.

Before reading this I actually went back and re read the superb Elen of the Ways in which the ways of the awenydd of spirit walker are first introduced along with both Elen and the deer Trods. In Elen of the Ways the author treats us to the up bringing she had growing up within a family of awenydd and shares with us the treasures of her life as one. In Following the Deer Trods we are invited to join her on this path and given the information and exercises that can help us to do so.By learning to follow the deer Trods we can learn to follow the threads that lead us to and from Otherworld. The exercises teach us to do this first of all by listening and then by getting to know in the bones of our own bodies, the backbone of the world tree which in British shamanism is the Oak. Elements are introduced as the threads that weave to and from then world tree, the weft to its warp and exercises are given to help find these subtle bodies within ourselves. Exercises are also given to open and close the portal, or interface with Otherworld, to journey within sacred space, to the world tree, to meet familiars or familiar spirits and meet teachers as well as an exercise that brings you closer to the ancestors.

I found this book and it’s prequel ‘Elen of the Ways’ to be wonderfully informative and immersive reads. I first discovered Elen of the Ways when I was just a child, although at the time I didn’t know that this was who I was meeting repeatedly in my dreams. These books truly helped to connect all of the dots in a wonderfully comprehensive and atmospheric way and expanded my knowledge on a subject and people who I find to be fascinating. I own both of these books in kindle format but intend to buy the paper copy as well in the near future as they are definitely books you will want to take notes on.

A real gem of a book, which I keep returning to. Elen Sentier's experiences and thoughts always ooze with warmth, down-to-earth wisdom, spirited humour and are truly joyful to read. This little book (with it's beautifully illustrated cover) gives a practical/very accessible guide for helping us to further understand and nurture our friendship(s) with the Deer Goddess(Elen) and other spirits - by ways of meditation and journeying: which are ingrained into our ancient spiritual heritage. If a book will tempt me to begin learning to journey to meet some of these spirits more closely, I think this is it.

This is a good introduction to the subject; for many, this may be as far as you go and that's fine. It was good to be reminded about practices that I have let slip, and gently urge me to revisit them. There are a few ideological bits (about other faiths) that I found myself querying, but overall that didn't intrude. What I found very special was the synchronous aspects, of things I'd been thinking about a good deal lately (largely when I find deer prints when out walking) and a reminder that my ancestors are still there, whispering to me.

I felt very encouraged and uplifted by reading this book. The things I read in it rang true and has deepened my knowledge. It has a friendly style. Not patronising or smug, and doesn’t force itself. Good exercises.I would have liked it to be longer.

Loved this book. A great introduction to Elen writen in a beautifully accessible way. The author writes from the heart and from years of experience. A treasure of a book.