Shaman Pathways - The Celtic Chakras

by Elen Sentier

We've largely forgotten our ancient Celtic chakra heritage, indeed some people think there is no concept of chakras in the western tradition but this is not the case. The chakras are found throughout the mystery traditions all over the world, well known to our hunter-gather ancestors and the spirit keepers who led them. They are hidden deep in the ancient stories and myths of Britain. This book leads you through the lore of Arianrhod and her Spinning Towers, the riddling Gaelic poem The Cauldrons of Poesy, the rainbow bridge of Brighid and the ways and caers of the ancient British reindeer goddess, Elen of the Ways. There are journeys, meditations and exercises to help you get the feel of the Celtic chakra system into your bones.

Genres: Witchcraft, Spirituality, Paganism, Mythology

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 2012

About the author

I write magic, mystery, murder & (sometimes steamy) romance.

All my life I’ve followed the deer trods of Elen of the Ways. My mother's mother was a witch from the Isle of Man and my father was a cunning man from Lancashire. I grew up in an ancient village on the edge of Exmoor where the church is dedicated to the goddess Iwerydd and my aunt owned her sacred well. My parents and the elder folk in the village taught the ways of the awenydd, the old native shamanism of Britain.

I live in the back of beyond with two cats and a host of wildlife where I write novels and I teach the ways of old ways of the awenydd that I grew up with. I read massively and am now converted to Kindle as well as having bookcases full of the lovely old paper stuff. Whenever I can I get out into the wild places.

Reviews

[Laura Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I was skeptical about this book before I began reading it. The title suggests it’s yet another fluffy New Age volume that randomly and superficially connects the spiritual practices from one part of the world with those from another, with no real ‘meat’ to it. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Celtic Chakras demonstrates that an amazing amount of information is hidden in the folklore and magical traditions of the West. No, the Celts, their predecessors and neighbors did not use the term 'chakras' but they were intimately familiar with the subtle energy system associated with the human body. This book takes the reader on a journey through this energy system, teaching how to approach and understand it through both explanation and meditative activities.

It is obvious Ms. Sentier practices her subject and is intimately familiar with the workings, and dangers, of the body’s system of energy centers. She gives clear directions and warnings where appropriate, leading even the novice through the guided visualizations and rituals with confidence. I was fascinated to read about the spiral path through the body's energy centers (chakras). I have intuitively used a spiral path in my work as a Reiki master for a number of years; I must have been hooking into some ancestral knowledge and am gratified to have this practice affirmed.

This book brings together the threads of tradition and symbolism for three goddesses: Elen of the Ways, Arianrhod and Ceridwen and relates them to the body’s energy system in a way that makes sense. If you are familiar with any of these goddesses, or interested in them, you will find a deeper layer of meaning in their mythology after reading Celtic Chakras. Ms. Sentier’s journeys (guided visualizations/meditations) to the realms of the goddesses are inspired and inspiring. And her activities involving the Cauldrons of Poesy are deeply moving. I do wish the section about Brighid had been longer and more thorough, with more deep insights; it seemed to end abruptly compared to the chapters about the other two goddesses. However, I am grateful that Ms. Sentier chose not to pad out that section with repetition and meaningless fluff simply to reach a particular page count.

I heartily recommend this book for anyone interested in delving into the shamanic and energy-working aspects of the goddesses of the British Isles. Every page of this book is packed with real, meaningful information. It is easily approachable for the beginner but also gives the advanced practitioner something solid to chew on. And there’s nothing else like it out there.

[Yvonne Ryves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look Celtic mythology through the eyes of someone who has spend considerable time seeking signs and evidence of the chakras within them. The symbolism of the stories and myths is teased as we are taken on a journey ourselves from The Abred or three realms, though Elen of the Ways, Arianrhod, Ceridwen and the Cauldrons of Poesy, Preidue Annwfn:Arthur's Raid on the Underworld until we finally rest with Brighid.

On the way we are constantly reminded of the spiral path of the Celtic shaman, the one that takes us though the chakras in pairs which will resonate with anyone who balances chakras in this way and understands the connections between the pairs. We are given exercises to help us to change our consciousness, meet the three cauldrons, move the position of our chakras and sit within the rainbow dance.

As the author herself says in her final paragraph:
' The Celtic chakra tradition shows us this dance through the story, riddle song, dance; we learn the dances and draw them all together to the centre point, the still point within each of us...where the dance is'.

[Stephanie Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I needed; a simple accessible introduction for how to get into the riddles of the Celtic stories.
Having said that I also felt I wanted to know more, much more, so my appetite is well and truly whetted for a companion volume written for those who wish to delve more deeply.
I was attracted to this book because I have studied the Eastern ways for many years, through Yoga and Ayurvedic philosophy, so I am familiar with the concept of the chakras, which was good because this book does assume some prior knowledge.
If you want to understand what some of the Celtic myths are about, Elen explains how they are teaching tales, and unpicks a few with you leaving you wanting more!

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't fully remember what I originally thought this book might be about, but the title captured my interest. I was curious how the concept of chakras could be related to the Celtic tradition. The author has done more than her homework; this is the life she has lived. She is deeply immersed in her familial traditions & culture of the Celts and gives the reader information like I've not personally experienced. The connections flow far beyond the esoteric I previously understood . . . from the Eastern beliefs surrounding chakras to many Native American ways of life. The reader will gain a much better understanding on how we're all connected while deepening their historical understanding of British Celts.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another I'll keep referring back to... Elen is one Wise Woman...

[Lilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cultural appropriation and a great deal of assumptions by the author based on very few to any historical sources. The Celts did NOT have chakras as part of their beliefs nor were they shamans.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated with lore and myths knowing they hold a seed of truth but also knowing that the truth is very hard to find! Shaman Pathways – The Celtic Chakras opens up a doorway for us so that we can look further into the ancient stories and myths of Britain. I found that it only took one thing to spark the creative part of my brain – that lightbulb moment – which then led me to follow my thoughts, weaving everything into a whole. I also love to find out the roots of words which this touches upon too.

The reader is taken through the Celtic chakras and the spiral path is explained. You will find diagrams and exercises as well as the myths explored. I need to have an experiential component to anything spiritual – I need concrete and real proof – which is provided within these pages. If you take time out and complete the journeys and meditations, you will experience things for yourself. The most beautiful for me has been the Northern Lights journey. I loved the explanation of the Rainbow Warriors and will be meditating on this.

The hardest thing for me is re-thinking the healing use of Reiki (chakras from base to crown). The spiral makes complete sense and this is something I will be experimenting with during self-healing. I’m not sure how I’m going to feel about my guided chakra meditation (on CD)!

A deeper look at the myths is fascinating in itself but if your focus is purely the chakras, you do need to have some knowledge of them and their purpose before reading this book.

This is a book I will be reading again and it has been useful for me in giving me pointers to researching for myself.

I would like to thank the publishers for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[SA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esoteric and challenging; I really wouldn't recommend this to the reader who doesn't have some familiarity with Welsh myth and legend, and more broadly Celtic myth and legend.

I found this absolutely fascinating and already know it will require more than one read to process. I'm not sure how applicable I'll find it to my own practice, but it's very intriguing.

[Pat Druid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ouch. Speculation and personal gnosis are legitimate pastimes but this is not worthwhile. I am trying to be as measured as possible - I am not a letter of the lore person by any means - but this is a few hours of my life I will never get back, and I read it with a brow so furrowed that I now have a Klingon forehead for the rest of my life.

[Trine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I thought about this book, which is why it took me so long to read.

Let me start out by saying that I am not well-versed in the Celtic pantheon or its myths and lore. I picked up this book because it looked interesting, and I've always enjoyed Moon Book's Pathways series. I also very much enjoy reading books based on personal gnosis or modern interpretations of ancient myths.

That said, there were a lot of connections made between cauldrons, chakras or energy points, Celtic goddesses, Arthurian myths, and the correspondences between these, that I didn't really get. I couldn't figure out if they were based on interpretation historical sources, myth, personal gnosis, or a mix of this. To be honest, half of it sounded a bit far-fetched.

However, there were some really good meditations in there - especially the first one, as someone else mentions - and I do find the concept of energy centres, in a different format from chakras, very fascinating.

I don't regret reading it, at least I gained a few concepts which will be interesting to study further. But there was also not much in here which I will be incorporating into my own practices.

[Spider Goddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I enjoyed this book, and the information is definitely such that I will take with me and use to supplement my chakra work, I did not feel that this book was particularly well written. It was very simple, almost too simple, and could have been explored much more deeply. Given that this is a concept that is not as well known as the Eastern philosophy of chakra power centers, I feel the author could have done a great service to the reader by being more thorough.

[Kattie Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

I enjoyed the insights and numbers and comparisons throughout this entire book. I haven't been able to fully embrace the chakras as we know them from the east, but i feel my ancestors are truly embraced with these not so new concepts. Thank you! It's good to my heart to know the relations with the Celtic Goddesses and that we don't have to indulge our spirituality in two very different places in the world.

[Trish Cooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed in this book. It's basically the author's version of lore around the history of the Celtic Chakras. The only exercise I liked was the Spiral Journey which I already had before buying the book. The journeys are ok but the book is confusing and it doesn't really say enough about how to use them the Celtic way. Glad I only paid $7 through kindle.

[Lugdag Severino · Rating 5 out of 5]

the title can be deceiving because Celtura Celtic culture there chakra are the three pots, but the book is totalmante Celtic shamanism really very good exercises throughout the book are exercises Celtic shamanic