Coming Back to My Trees / Dod yn �l at fy Nghoed is a lyrical chroncile of loss, belonging and spiritual return. Rooted in hiraeth - a deep longing for home, it blends memory, myth and the sacred landscapes of Wales.
Dedicated to those raised without a full understanding of Welsh culture or language, it is both a reclamation and a healing. From childhood in Wales through loss, identity struggles and spiritual awakening, the journey embraces the authorʻs Welsh lineage and Hawaiian spiritual foundation. Guided by Spirit of Place, it evokes mountains, lakes, legends and the magic of the Mabinogi.
Interwoven with the author's path as a Druid and celebrant, this is a story of belonging and return - to language, legacy and self, of coming back to one's trees.
Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird says...
"Who will love this? Anyone who craves nature writing with heart; or is curious about Welsh myth; the Welsh diaspora and friends of Wales; seekers who prefer reverence to grand claims; Druids and pagans interested in respectful practice; and memoir fans who want their spirituality lived, not lectured. It's a nourishing companion, especially if you're planning your own slow walk between stories and stones"
Kumu Paʻa Julia Nālani Adams says...
"Written against the backdrop of Wales, we're taken on a roadtrip of sorts through richly storied places, seen through the eyes of someone who, through living our Teachings, has found her way home to her own. Within these pages, through the stories of Place, we are immersed in Teachings from the past which, if we allow them, show us the Path to our future." Philip Carr-Gomm says..."Coming Back to my Trees' is a journey in search of healing and the recovery of a true sense of belonging. This personal pilgrimage weaves together a life lived with the guiding threads of heritage, spirituality, landscape, and story - both personal and mythic - to uncover a road home, in the deepest sense." Elkie White says..."Deborah is Awenydd: a channel through which inspiration can flow, a bard whose words are easy to read yet poetic. I wouldn't go to Wales without this book. On my next trip, I'm using it to guide me through the wisdom-stories of each place, the protocols and the practicalities."
Kristoffer Hughes - Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, author of The Book of Druidry; Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration; and Arianrhod, Goddess of Fate, Fortune & Destiny. RTS & BAFTA Winning Television presenter...
"Coming Back to My Trees is far more than a memoir, it is a profound act of remembrance, reclamation, and deep spiritual courage. Deborah writes with a clarity of heart that can only come from walking through loss and finding, on the other side, a deeper homecoming tinged with Hiraeth. Her journey into the landscapes, language, and mythic strata of Cymru is guided by a tenderness that refuses to shy away from truth, and a devotion to honouring ancestry, land, and lineage in equal measure.
To witness her weaving diverse teachings with Welsh Indigenous spirit, and to see how she tends to both with such integrity, is deeply moving. Deborah's story is a reminder that the land remembers us, even when we have forgotten ourselves, and that when we return, it meets us with both challenge and belonging.
I am humbled by her kindness and thoughtful detail, and honoured to have walked alongside even a small part of her journey. This book is a gift to anyone seeking reconnection, with place, with spirit, with deep feeling, and with the quiet truths that rise from the earth when we finally stop to listen. A beautiful offering from a woman who has learned to hear the whispers of her homeland once more."
