https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su2F2Cr1hNQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrDPxn_NyNevdgHZfVNjyqw = Dani's channel ~ Dani Niles: via Nimue Brown, YouTube

Indie Shaman Magazine Book Review Elen Sentier. Trees of the Goddess "There are twenty British trees that work very comfortably with the goddess and link to humankind. Over the ages people have brought them together in what we know as the ogham. Some say they are just an alphabet, a means of writing, but they are far more than that and far older, too, than many give them credit for. (Elen Sentier, 2014:1)" Trees of the Goddess is a crammed full of information, walking the reader through 13 months and the 20 British trees of the ogham, plus mistletoe, in only 101 pages. Information is given on each individual tree and plant from a wide range of facts, lore and concepts; followed by guidance and suggestions of ways to work with trees and allies. There is also a very useful chapter on how to make your own ogham staves. A wonderful little book, Trees of the Goddess is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about the British ogham as well as for the reader who ‘just’ loves trees. I know I’ll be dipping into my copy again as a resource in future. Elen Sentier. Trees of the Goddess. Moon Books (25 July 2014). ISBN-10: 1782793321. ISBN-13: 978-1782793328 ~ June Kent, Editor, Indie Shaman Magazine

September 13, 2014 TREES OF THE GODDESS: BOOK REVIEW http://contemplativeinquiry.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/ Highly recommended. ‘Trees of the Goddess’ is the latest in a series of books written by Elen Sentier for Shaman Pathways. It is both deeply traditional and highly innovative – very much this author’s note. It goes with her championship of the way of the awenyddion, standing for the ever-renewing indigenous seership of Britain. The innovation is simple yet profound. This book directly concerns our relationship with the trees, rather than letters or divination. That relationship, like everything on the planet, has a context of cycles and seasons. Our life-world, and that of the trees, is defined by the dance of earth, moon and sun. We have this in common with our ancestors, attested by their lore and stories, and it establishes our continuity with them. The book is a reflective celebration of these simple truths and their archetypal resonance. The framework of the ogham tree alphabet provides a strong and focused conceptual foundation, in service to direct experience. The suggested activities at the end – in sections on ways to work with the trees, moon bath, allies, making your ogham staves and spirit keeping, are an invitation to experiential exploration. The book is traditional in its use of the ogham tree alphabet and largely faithful to Robert Graves’ ‘The White Goddess’. The author endorses his linking of 13 of the trees to Ogham consonants as they move through the 13 months of the lunar year from the winter solstice; and the linking of the 5 Ogham vowels to 5 stations of the solar year (the solstices, equinoxes and Samhain). She largely follows Graves’ trees, in his order, though there are some exceptions – the vine is banished, leaving bramble to take the full weight of Muinn; and there are some changes of terminology, like guelder rose instead of ‘dwarf elder’. I realise that many people today are highly sceptical of Graves’ work, but its problems are for me not relevant to this book. For ‘Trees of the Goddess’ is not much concerned with the history of ogham, its specific cultural origin, or its use as an alphabet. It is about here-and-now relationship with the trees, honouring the Goddess and aware that our ancestors had some such relationship too. ~ James Nichol, editior, Contmeplative Inquiry

My own approach to tree lore and the Ogham is entirely traditional so I found Elen Sentier's book a fascinating look into an entirely different approach to the subject. Elen weaves together the older material with a wide array of modern material, including insight's from Robert Graves' book the White Goddess, moon lore, metal associations, and spiritual concepts. She also includes a lot of tree and plant lore and some different deity related material. She covers the 20 Ogham by breaking them up into the 12 months of the year, each month with a chapter which contains 1 or 2 Ogham. Towards the end she also discusses mistletoe and how to connect to the energies of the trees and plants as well as how to make your own Ogham staves. Ultimately this book is not about the academic history of the Ogham or the historic beliefs and practices associated with them, but is about the author's vision of the living symbols of the trees and how they can be connected to and worked with today. ~ Morgan Daimler, Moon Books Author

Trees of the Goddess presents the Ogham Tree Alphabet in a new and exciting way, clearly linking the wheel of the year to the trees. Even if you already know the Ogham you will find something new in this easily readable book. If you are studying the Ogham as part of a spiritual course this is a very necessary companion. Elen also presents simple techniques for getting in touch with the tree spirits and making Ogham staves and all in less than 100 pages. Another triumph for the Shaman pathways series and Elen herself ~ Dr. B. J. Howlin, Moon Books author

A beautiful tribute to the nature beings that refresh our Planet and our spirit, Trees of the Goddess is a portal to deep feminine wisdom ways - a guidebook that will make the mystery and magic of trees come alive for all who read. ~ Llyn Roberts, MA, author of The Good Remembering, Shamanic Reiki and Shapeshifting into Higher Consciousness.

Elen Sentier has encompassed the knowledge and wisdom of our beautiful trees in this wonderful book. Fascinating information not only on the magic of trees but how they intertwine with the universe, how we can work with them and what amazing sources of information, inspiration and guidance they can be. This book goes far beyond the structure of Ogham and takes the reader on a spiritual journey through the forest of the Goddess. ~ Rachel Patterson, Moon Books author

Any book by Elen Sentier will reflect her very individual yet spiritual approach to the subject and will include her specialised knowledge and intuition. She has been a teacher of Ogham for many years and knows what she is talking about so a book about this written by her will be both authoritative in the truth of the information in it and educational in the true sense of the word! ~ Steve Andrews, author of Herbs of the Northern Shaman