Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. The author begins the book with a biography of Merlin. She talks about her relationship with him and their first meeting. She then discusses the many works where Merlin is mentioned. I was unaware of the different appearances Merlin is perceived. The names/places Dyfrig, Ergyng, Mynydd Myrddin and Broceliande were new to me. I knew the story of Merlin and Nimue but not the one with Vivien. I love the image she shares that looks like yin-yang but represents Merlin and Vivien. It makes sense that Merlin would be associated with the liminal thresholds since it is often at crossings. This little book is full of information on Merlin. If you are drawn to him and want to learn more about him, I highly recommend this book. ~ Dawn Thomas (Reviewer), NetGalley

As always, if you need anything else, please come back to us. Some of my colleagues knows of your books so you have fans here! Thank you for taking the time to contact Ordnance Survey. Kind regards, Tom Williams  Customer Service Adviser Customer Service Centre, Ordnance Survey Leisure ~ Tom Williams, Customer Service Adviser, Ordnance Survey Leisure

Chris McDermott. Really enjoyed your book Elen. Such a different and more resonant read than all the dry "historical" tomes attempting to claim Merlin for their own little geography. Thanks for the personal touch. ~ Chris McDermott, Facebook

5/5 Stars This book is magical. Wonderfully researched, delightful to read. Anyone who is at all interested in Merlin would do no better than to start here. Perhaps her next book will give a more in depth look at the feminine principle, Vivien... ~ KL Casto, NetGalley

A small book that packs in lots of information on a fascinating character! ~ Rogue Merchant, NetGalley

Hi Elen Reading your books has so been so enjoyable and touching in so many ways. For many years I have tried to find out about the British tradition but fell foul of New Age pagan groups or online Druid organisations that never felt true to the bone. Simply reading The Celtic Chakras, Elen of the Ways, Trees of the Goddess, and more recently, Enchanting The Deer Trods and Merlin put a stop to any missing links and confirmed what I'd always thought that we had our own strong vibrant tradition right here on our doorstep. I watched you talk in London two years ago, bought a book and haven't stopped since then. I hope over the next few months (or years) we can begin to work together and I can connect more intimately with Britain and her ancient culture. Many thanks Elen, best regards Jeremy Kiely 14/3/17 ~ Jeremy Kiely 14/3/17, [email protected]

5/5 Stars I've walked with Merlin all my life, but until I read this book I had no name for the kindly old man who has guided me or an adequate way to describe the way I perceive things since I was a toddler. I stopped trying to tell people about it when I realized they didn't approve, but as I've grown I've secretly nurtured it, and I'm glad I have. I feel like my relationship with Merlin will become even stronger having read this book. ~ Lily Greer, NetGalley/The Faerie Review

In Merlin: Once and Future Wizard, Elen Sentier does what she does best – storytelling. Among her many talents as writer and author, shaman and shape-shifter, perhaps her greatest skill is that of the traditional story-teller. Here she weaves the folk-tales, history, lore and culture of the Old Ways into a spell-binding tapestry that will fascinates anyone who reads it. She brings old Merlin alive as we sit around the camp-fire of our imagination to be transported into another dimension in the footsteps of the most famous wizard of all time. As she explains, to know Merlin is to put aside all the tall-tales most of us have grown up with, because he really isn’t in them. Those Arthurian legends are about conformity, about making life comfortable, and “Merlin most certainly is not about comfort. He’s about stretching and growing, expanding the envelope, going beyond our limits, crossing frontiers, letting go and jumping off cliffs. He’s about joy”. This is story-telling at its best. Couched in the oral tradition of the British Isles that has preserved our history, customs, magical lore and heritage in a way that the written word could never do, written as it was by dieithryn – ‘strangers’ who had no empathy or understanding of the Old Ways. Here Merlin is revealed as the spirit of the land and in many other incarnations; as the keeper on the threshold, as our guide on the inner and outer planes of existence. This is ‘old wisdom’ that has been concealed for over 2000 years but it is at the very root of knowledge for every traditional witch, shaman, wyse-woman or cunning-man; it is the guiding light of the Ancestors So … listen to Elen Sentier as she weaves her inimitable brand of magic and draws you into the hidden world of Merlin: Once and Future Wizard. You can almost see her jabbing her finger down at the page as if saying: Listen. Look. This bit is more important than I can openly say. This detail contains wonder. See? And you will see. Because as soon as you become aware of Merlin, then Merlin becomes aware of you: the more you learn, the more he teaches you. ~ Melusine Draco, author of The Secret People and Pan: Dark Lord of the Forest

Merlin: Once and Future Wizard is a grand and imaginative work that introduces the reader to the many faces of the mysterious Merlin. Combining history and myth, personal experiences and teaching stories, into a vibrant whole which captivates readers, this little book will invite you to seek out Merlin in the living world of today as well as the tales of old. Truly a delightful read. ~ Morgan Daimler, author of Fairycraft, Pagan Portals the Morrigan and Pagan Portals - Brigid

I’ve always loved reading tales of Merlin. In this book Elen Sentier gives a fascinating and personal account of the magical lessons she has learnt through shamanic journeying with the most famous wizard of the British Isles. ~ Lucya Starza, author of Pagan Portals – Candle Magic

In Merlin: Once and Future Wizard, Elen Sentier does what she does best – storytelling. Among her many talents as writer and author, shaman and shape-shifter, perhaps her greatest skill is that of the traditional story-teller. Here she weaves the folk-tales, history, lore and culture of the Old Ways into a spell-binding tapestry that will fascinates anyone who reads it. She brings old Merlin alive as we sit around the camp-fire of our imagination to be transported into another dimension in the footsteps of the most famous wizard of all time. ~ Melusine Draco, author of The Secret People and Pan: Dark Lord of the Forest

Elen presents her personal experiences and memories of this fascinating god and the connections he brings to her Welsh homestead in her usual friendly and easy to read style. ~ Rachel Patterson, author of Pagan Portals The Cailleach, Arc of the Goddess and The Art of Ritual

Elen tells us with eloquence and passion of a deep Being, the Merlin of her lives-long experience, whose wisdom we need today more than ever. A must-read for people of spirit everywhere! ~ Dr Kevin Ashby, MA (Cantab) PhD (Warwick)