Mindful wandelen: bestemmingen voor moderne pelgrims

by Clare Gogerty

Een inspirerende gids om mindful naar plaatsen van betekenis te wandelen. Een briljant boek om evenwicht te herstellen en betekenis te herontdekken.

Mindful wandelen voor moderne pelgrims beschrijft bijzondere bestemmingen over de hele wereld en in Nederland. Het combineert inspiratie met nuttige tips om innerlijke rust te vinden tijdens wandeltochten. Clare Gogerty moedigt je aan om uit je dagelijkse routine te stappen en een pad te volgen dat persoonlijke betekenis brengt.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2019

About the author

After years in London editing consumer magazines, I decamped to the country to write books, manage a smallholding and create a magical garden. That’s going pretty well, although keeping sheep has proved trickier than I’d imagined. Chickens are easier. Anyway, I have kept to my intention and written a few books since I got here.

Next up are the first three titles in the Little Wild Library foraging series (Dandelion, Nettle, Clover), which will be published on 18 March 2025 (Verbena). These were much fun to write and I spent much time upended in hedgerows and preserving and brewing in the kitchen.

They will be followed sharply by 'The Water Remedy: folklore, ritual and wisdom', which is published on 25 April (Calon). This is a practical, mystical, mythological, geographical and poetic book which aims to make the reader appreciate, value and enjoy this vital, life-giving element.

The Witch’s Shadow Work Oracle Deck (Watkins), 40 cards with an accompanying booklet packed with myths, magic and legends to help you explore your shadow self, follows in June.

Reviews

[Eline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interessante uitleg over pelgrimstochten en hoe je mindfullness kan gebruiken tijdens het wandelen. De kaft van het boek vond ik behoorlijk aantrekkelijk, maar de binnenkant is louter tekst met hier en daar een tekeningetje. Ik had gehoopt op inspirerende mooie foto’s van landschappen langs pelgrimroutes en een grafische vormgeving die past bij de buitenkant van het boek.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 sterren Nederlandse hardcover

Naar dependance Roberts kruidentuin

[Renate Eveline · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can go through life as if the destination is all that matters, or as if everything you encounter is a miracle, and I couldn't agree more. The title and cover of this book were very appealing to me.

Unfortunately, for the author, this 'mindfulness' means paying attention to everything. As a result, the book reads like a travel blog, with a list of suggested activities for a wide variety of themes (e.g. trees, lunch walks).

What I call activities are all presented as pilgrimages in the author's narrative. This may be appealing to some, but in my opinion it is an unnecessary inflation of the subject. This format was not what I expected. That the author recommends setting an intention or going slowly does little to disguise this as rather superficial travel journalism.

[Ruth Kenyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a lot on this subject and was curious to see if this said anything different. The answer is not really; it's a nice entry level text on themes usually written in books on Wicca, Earth Mysteries and also psychogeography. Gogerty's Amazon bio shows one side of her writing self (editing magazines / travel books for the National Trust) has joined forces with her more esoteric side (magic and witchcore subjects). The bibliography at the end of the book also lists every text pretty much I have on this subject, and this amuses me a lot. I could perhaps call this book 'mindful interaction with your environment - lite'. I did like the chapter on 'temples' chapter, where she includes megalithic circles like Avebury and Stonehenge along churches and cathedrals. She sounds very white and British - some other ancient temples to visit on holiday are mentioned (Ankor Wat and the Parthenon anyone?) but nothing on mosques. Gurdwaras or Buddhist or Hindu temples further afield or nearer home. I would like her to write a whole book on mindful pilgrimage in the city though because the lunchtime pilgrimages sound really exciting and need to be explored.

[Bryan Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed it but a bit uneven like so many books. Some fascinating historical and cultural factoids which definitely inspired follow up and it's a worthwhile treatise on the overriding idea that walking is a great way to sort yer head out but at times it took the idea a little too far, just for me personally. There were some great tidbits about some locations in the UK in particular that I'm not familiar with so that was good, and the chapter about mountains I found particularly enjoyable, resonant and inspiring. But mountains do that to you! It reached a point where the kind of 'how to' summary at the end of each chapter was very repetitive and/or predictable but I suppose that a book like this isn't necessarily designed to be read cover to cover. You could definitely dip into chapters as you needed/wanted. It's certainly not a heavy read and you can get through it at a reasonable pace if you don't get a bit bored. I started to, towards the latter stages, I must admit. Says more about me than the book tho! A solid 3 out of 5 for me!

[Natalia Bystrianyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book that makes you want to put on your shoes and walk straight out the door - but not in the US! Although the book mentions locations worldwide (including the US),this book begs you to be a citizen of the UK so you might take advantage of all the rich history (& trails) it has to offer. I don't think there is much in the US to consider, at least not in the same way. It makes me curious about the Native Americans and if there are any similar paths they used for any type of pilgrimage? Perhaps their migration routes? Regardless, this book has inspired me to head to the UK and see more of it's rich historical landscape.

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mindful wandelen. Bestemmingen voor moderne pelgrims. Door Clare Gogerty.

Jaarlijks gaan wij op vakantie naar Engeland. Vaste prik is een bezoek aan de plaatselijke boekhandel waar ik me dan uren sta te vergapen aan de tafels vol prachtige natuurboeken, met de meest indrukwekkende covers. Wel dit boek zou er zo tussen kunnen liggen. Wat een geweldig uitnodigende cover is dit. En de inhoud stelt ook niet teleur, niet geheel onbelangrijk.

Cogerty is een Engelse, vandaar dat veel van haar bestemmingen zich ook in Engeland bevinden. Al trekt ze het ook breder met de tuin en het huis van Frida Kahlo of El Castillo in Mexico. Daarnaast is het gewoon ook zo dat daar heel veel te vinden is, het is ook de hoofdreden waarom wij jaarlijks naar daar terug keren. Veel bestemmingen kende ik dan ook al, zoals Avebury, Uffungton, Cerne Abbas. Maar veel plaatsen ken ik nog niet en ik ga dan ook een ferm lang to visit-lijstje kunnen aanleggen.

Clare heeft het in dit boek over een hele reeks van soorten bestemmingen: oude paden, tuinen, labyrinten, tempels, bergen, schrijvershuizen,…Het gaat dus over veel meer dan de routes die iedereen kent zoals de Camino of plaatsen zoals Lourdes. En dat maakt dit boek extra fijn en boeiend. Ze wijst je op dingen en plaatsen waar je zelf nooit aan zou denken en over alles en iedereen weet ze wel iets boeiends te vertellen. Weet jij bijvoorbeeld wat Sheela-na-gigs zijn?

Dit boek is een schatkamer aan ideeën en tips, ik ga nog jaren ontdek- en wandelplezier hebben. Wandelen, op een mindfulle manier, of het nu bosbaden is of stadsflaneren, blijft één van de eenvoudigste en goedkoopste manieren om je hoofd leeg te maken, stress kwijt te raken en jezelf terug te vinden. Naast lezen natuurlijk. Dus lees dit boek, trek je stapschoenen aan en geniet.

[Jen E · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains some interesting tidbits of information but reads more like a travel magazine than a book - as in, like separate articles or features, not a joined-up flowing story with a beginning, middle and end. You can pick it up and put it down on any page, which is good in a way but means it also lacks motivation to finish it more than a quick scan. Also I can't quite understand why she decided to include the occasional non-British site, but doesn't really go further and why she chose the ones she did. It's almost a bit tokenistsic. But by comparison, Herefordshire (assume where she's from) gets mentioned many, many times. I kind of feel she should have either made it about what she knows well only or broaden it properly, but this half and half is a bit jarring. Nevertheless enjoyable

[Robert Davies · Rating 1 out of 5]

In my view this book was disappointing. It had some potential, for example, parts of the chapters on ‘In the city”’ and ‘Faith routes’ but the author never realised this potential. It contained quite a lot of silly nonsense, for example, the chapter about Trees where the author writes – ‘ Say hello (to the tree) it would be rude not to. Give your tree a stroke, or even better, a hug’ !! Are these the words of a mature adult? As well, there was a lot of information that was not particularly relevant but seemed to be added to merely pad out the book.

[Loesje · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspirerend boekje dat pelgrimeren breder trekt dan het christelijk geloof, en ideeen geeft hoe je anders op pelgrimage kunt gaan.
Jammer dat bij de vertaling naar het Nederlands de tekst niet werd uitgebreid met Nederlandse of Vlaamse voorbeelden, dat had voor mij een meerwaarde gegeven.

Aardig, maar niet geweldig i.m.o.

[Matthew Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful

[Kelly Rule · Rating 2 out of 5]

A useful reference book, but not what I was hoping for. I will keep for future reference, but I had hoped for more personal accounts.

[Jessica Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it is well written and has inspired me to be a bit more mindful on my adventures.

[Jen]

Good ideas about mindful hiking.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een wat algemener boek over pelgrimages, veel op UK georiënteerd omdat de schrijver daar vandaan komt. Mooi kort overzicht over de geschiedenis. Blijft wel wat oppervlakkig

[Hadewych · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een meerwaarde als je van wandelen houdt en er meer wil mee bezig zijn.