Blue Deer Center

I have visited the Blue Deer Center many times over the years as both a volunteer and a program attendee. Every time I have come away with such gratitude for this beautiful land and the sacred river that runs through it! To immerse yourself in this space is transformative and healing. The staff is warm and welcoming and I have enjoyed nourishing meals, time around the sacred fires, and quiet moments of contemplation in the cozy accommodations. I highly recommend this special place for workshops and retreats!

If I was only allowed one word to describe my experience of the spiritual retreat center, Blue Deer, it would have to be "magical". In one healing program, I personally received immediate and long-lasting relief from chronic migraines which had plagued me for decades. Over the years I have witnessed hundreds of people discovering a depth of connectedness to community, the natural world, and a renewed sense of purpose and worth, which is a pretty good indication of the quality of wisdom one encounters when they spend any amount of time at the center. I express my gratitude for this magical place by volunteering whenever I can.

Over the years, I have taken many wonderful retreats at the Blue Deer Center in Margretsville, NY. It is unique in that it is a home for the Ancestral Wisdom of all indigenous traditions and the programs host high-level wisdom-keepers and healers. As soon as you arrive and walk on the beautiful land there, you can feel that you are entering a sacred and healing place. It is truly a sanctuary, and the inner work I have experienced there has given lasting results.

I go back to Blue Deer Center again and again to restore my spirit which does not get much attention in the course of my controlled and managed day-to-day activities. This sacred land helps me restore and recharged by unplugging fully so I'm able to remember my relationship with nature. This brings beauty and strength to my life at home. The spiritual medicine of traditional healers that I have received here over the years has helped awaken new energy and passion for my life. I have been volunteering my time and giving financially for the last 20 years as a way to say thank you.

The Blue Deer Centre holds the feeling of home, warmth, comfort and welcome. It is a doorway to connection with the sacred aspects of nature, the earth, and the wisdom teaching of true initiated elders.

I have spent many weeks at the BDC both as a volunteer supporting programs and as a partipant in those programs. It's hard to explain the depth of soul growth I and enduring life long friendships and community I have received from spending time there.

It is a humble, simple retreat centre with no fancy decor or ostentatious expensive trappings. But the value of what is offered there is so real and human...and important.

"I arrived drained, confused, and overwhelmed by all the demands of my life.

The Healing Intensive was Intense in all the right ways and left me lighter and energized.

What a miracle! I wish everyone could experience this program and feel the healing energy of this beautiful land here."

I'm so grateful that Covid restrictions have been lifted and I can return to the Blue Deer Center again. I consider the Blue Deer Center my home away from home. It offers all the essential elements for making me feel like I’ve come home: a welcoming staff who are attentive to my comfort, nourishment, and enjoyment; the land itself that grounds me as it lifts my spirit and deepens my connection to nature; and the 'river of peace' that soothes my soul and invites me to stay awhile. I'm grateful for the learning and wisdom tradition healing programs at Blue Deer that have nurtured my wellbeing and transformed my life. There’s no better way to feel the aliveness of the natural world and within myself. I give Blue Deer 5 stars and highly recommend it to all who wish to retreat and receive the healing gifts of nature.

My experience at the BDC was different, unique, humbling and soul enriching. I felt in a safe, loving and caring environment, not only from staff members, Elliot and other participants but nature itself provides a special energy that makes you feel welcomed and taken care of.
Upon my return home, I was able to sleep soundly, as soon as I closed my eyes the noise disappeared. I have struggled with insomnia for many year and it was the first time I was able to truly rest! My experience there also helped me to see a brighter and more hopeful future for myself and humanity, to also rethink my relationship with the environment and how I could contribute to preserve ancient traditions, knowledge, medicine.
I'm forever grateful and will be back soon!

I went to Blue Deer for healing camp and was a bit disappointed to learn that it wasn't at all what I had expected. I had read Eliot Cowan's book Plant Spirit Medicine in which he describes treating people in need of healing with plant medicine, but that is not at all what occurred during healing camp and in fact no plant medicine was used at all. I have given this review 3 stars because the setting of BDC is truly a magical place in which I felt the spirits of the Native American Indians who once graced this beautiful setting in the Catskill Mountains of NY and the food was delicious. The accommodations were adequate, but there was a pervasive smell of mold in the dorm room where I stayed in the guest house. Also, during certain parts of the ceremonies that took place, a group of over 15 people were packed into a teepee with a wood fire and up to six people smoking cigars all at the same time, which caused me to have an adverse reaction due to a history of asthma and sinus issues including headaches and infections. I had mentioned this to Eliot the first time I was affected after having to sit in the teepee next to the half open door for over two hours, and the next day I was again subjected to the same thing despite mentioning my health issues and adverse reaction, so I felt that my issues weren't addressed. I am afraid that because of these issues, I would not recommend attending the healing camp to anyone with real health issues. On a positive note, the staff were great and I really enjoyed the other participants who also attended the camp.

Initially I was on the committee to locate the site of the Blue Deer Center. I selfishly wanted it to be in the Southeast, near my home. I was later gifted the funds to attend a class with Eliot Cowan . I flew to Albany, then shared a rental car with three other women. The car I had rented was much too small for four adults and their luggage for five days. Somehow we squeezed in and made the hour or so drive to Margaretville. Though fascinated and inspired by miles of rural landscape and villages, I arrived at the Blue Deer Center tired and cranky. I seem to remember someone helping me get my luggage up to my room. What I definitely remember is the warmth and concern of the BDC's dietician and chef. I have multiple food allergies, so workshop settings are often difficult for me around mealtime. Coral made every effort to see that I had enough food that was tastefully prepared, and reserved for me to pick up at the kitchen. Her kindness and generosity of spirit made a deep impact on me.

The workshop itself was held in a cozy yome, circular so everyone had equal access to the instructors. We learned to dream without sleeping, to meet our special guides, our Animal Totems. After private consultation and guidance with Eliot, we set to work carving our animal helpers, getting covered in bone or wood chips or stone dust.
It felt like community, like a community of ancient times as we sat outside under an awning while a mixture of snow, sleet, and rain fell. Justin Starting was ever at hand to offer advice or help with a particularly difficult part of the work. We shared tools, laughter, and hot tea to stay warm.

Though we tried our best, we inevitably tracked in stone dust and wood chips. We pitched in to help keep the hallway clean after a gentle reminder by the director. We also took turns on kitchen duty, re-learning that many hands make light work, and for me personally, learning another lesson in community living. I am a part of the BDC, not simply a guest to be waited on.

We also had free time to read, write in our journals, sit by the fire and play music or just chat. I spent some time down by the river. It gave me some healing, and I am drawn to go back there when the time is right.

I appreciated the simplicity of our living quarters, though the dining room was a bit crowded. I appreciate the new friends I made and still keep in contact with from time to time. One of these friends found the feather of one of my animal friends and gifted it to me.

To sum up, the Blue Deer Center is a place in Margaretville, NY, as well as a place in my heart. I have friends whom I delight in talking with on the phone, and even more when I get to see them in person. It is a place where a sacred river runs through, offering its own healing. It is a place of learning and growing in community. It is a place that I love.