Home to Her

Finding Elen of the Ways with Caroline Wise

Episode Summary

“Elen of the Ways” is a name given to an elusive, antlered Goddess connected with deer, nature and the ancient trackways of Northern Europe. But who, exactly, is She, and what evidence of Her exists? On the latest episode I explore this question with Caroline Wise, editor of “Finding Elen: The Quest for Elen of the Ways.” Caroline has had an interest in what is now known as the ‘Earth Mysteries’, and the mystical since childhood. From the late 70s to late 80s she was associated with The Ley Hunter journal, and by extension, the multidisciplinary Dragon Project, which sought to explore ideas of anomalous phenomena at sacred sites. This eventually led Caroline to encounter an antlered deer spirit she ultimately began referring to as “Elen.” Caroline has spent many years tracing the antlered goddess back in time and across the Earth to the places where she first emerged. She has also contributed to several books on the Goddess, including “She, Primal Meetings with the Dark Goddess,” and is known for organizing many prior conferences centered around folklore, landscape mysteries, modern paganism and the exploration of Goddess wisdom. On today’s episode we discuss: • Caroline’s earliest spiritual influences and how her love of plants, flowers and prehistoric animals influenced her later explorations into the wisdom and mysteries of nature • The concept and history of ley lines, including Caroline’s own exploration of them, and how her understanding of them has evolved over time • How and where Caroline first encountered the Sacred Feminine figure she refers to as “Elen,” and where her name came from • Elen’s connection to deer and elk spirits and mythologies of Northern Europe, as well as her relationship to ancient European shamans • Why Caroline feels our collective awareness of Elen has been rising for the last 20+ years

Episode Notes

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• My new book, “Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine,” is available for pre-order now from Womancraft Publishing! To learn more, read endorsements and purchase, please visit www.womancraftpublishing.com.   
• Caroline’s book is “Finding Elen: The Quest for Elen of the Ways,” and can be purchased here:  https://bookshop.org/books/finding-elen-the-quest-for-elen-of-the-ways/9781508644033
• Caroline also referred to the book “The Deer Goddess of Ancient Siberia,” by Esther Jacobsen. This book is out of print, but you may be able to find it via your local or nearest academic library system. 
• Caroline referenced the discovery of gold in the reindeer territories of the Indigenous Saami people of Northern Europe. You can read more about this here: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/indigenous-peoples/2022/01/significant-battery-metals-discovery-key-reindeer-herding-land.
• During our discussion of ley lines, Caroline acknowledged the late Alfred Watkins as popularizing the original concept. You can learn more about him here: https://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/blog/introducing-alfred-watkins-fascinating-man.
• Sharon Blackie’s book, “If Women Rose Rooted,” also includes a historical exploration of Elen of the Ways.
• This is a favorite article of mine examining the connections between the ancient deer Goddess, shamans and our current popular stories of Santa Claus:  https://gathervictoria.com/2017/12/15/doe-a-deer-a-female-deer-the-spirit-of-mother-christmas/
• Finally, Caroline mentioned Extinction Rebellion, a radical art movement to call attention to climate change. I also discussed Extinction Rebellion with Mat Osmond on a prior Home to Her episode called “The Black Madonna’s Song:” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-black-madonnas-song-with-mat-osmond-and-kate-walters/id1499676560?i=1000531362348