Leo Rutherford

[Sad-Old-Druid]

Yes that all rings completely true. It was routinely like that. It's only from the outside now that I see how stupid it can be.

To my knowledge there is nobody at all within Leo's 'College' (an institution which, by this word, claims professional status but is self-appointed and therefore invalid) who is both properly trained and properly qualified to do such serious work.

[Cheesy Little Life]

Re: eagle feathers (?)

I am not the only person who remembers Mr Rutherford using a very large smudge fan made from a bird’s wing.
It might have been a real eagle's wing (but I might be wrong).

Perhaps US Fish & Wildlife might be interested to enquire further.

[Sparks]

… Eagle's Wing, which is a fraud outfit in England founded by the late exploiter Leo Rutherford.

Leo Rutherford is still around: http://eagleswing.co.uk/individual-sessions/leo-rutherford-individual-sessions/

… and now reported to do a workshop in Norway this spring: https://www.facebook.com/events/1766346403604525/

[Translated from Norwegian]:

«The Medicine Wheel is an old tradition that has had a very great influence on the North American Indian culture. It gave in its time also inspiration for the American "Founding Fathers". Leo Rutherford, "The Godfather of British Shamanism", is Europe's leading promoter of this knowledge. It is with great pleasure that we invite to courses with this acclaimed capacity.»

See also: http://www.livstreet.com/kurs/2017/3/24/kurs-i-medisinhjulet-med-leo-rutheerford

[Translated from Norwegian]:

COURSE IN MEDICINE WHEEL
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the first course on the North American Medicine Wheel to be held in Norway. This is a several thousand year old knowledge that largely shaped the original Indian culture. A knowledge that both gives us an understanding of the Universe and its contexts, and guidelines for cooperation and development of society. Our oldest democratic ideas are sourced from here. The Medicine Wheel also gives a deep insight into the human mind, and shows which roads and pitfalls there are on the path to self-realization. The Medicine Wheel encompasses the major questions while giving practical guidance in daily life. It is an incredibly good tool for those who seek greater insight and understanding of their own and others minds.

After the whites almost ruined Native American culture, this knowledge went underground and was through generations only shared with initiates. It was first made known to the public through the books 'Seven Arrows' and 'Lightningbolt' of Hyemeyohsts Storm.

The European who above everyone else knows the Medicine Wheel best is Leo Rutherford. Not without reason is he called 'The Godfather of British Shamanism'. Leo has over 30 years experience both as a psychotherapist and as a shaman. He has, among others, been trained by Hyemeyohsts Storm, the legendary Michael Harner, Harley Swiftdeer, Sandra Ingerman, Gabrielle Roth (trance-dance), Felicitas Goodman (trance postures), Jean Houston, and Sun Bear. He has also gained a lot of knowledge in Peruvian shamanism from Alberto Villoldo and don Eduardo Calderon, and in African shamanism from Malidoma Somé.

He has led courses in England since 1985, trained many who today are practicing shamans, has accompanied many groups to Peru, and led over 300 Sweat Lodges. He has written four books:

- Principles of Shamanism / Way of Shamanism
- Shamanic Path Workbook
- The View through the Medicine Wheel
- Spirituality versus Religion

Leo is a very talented, inspirational and inclusive teacher. He speaks a clearly understandable English.

[In English at the above-mentioned site]:

HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS

Medicine Wheel maps of relationship. With Leo Rutherford

When we go somewhere new, the first thing we usually do is find a map to help in plotting our course. But have you ever had a map of life? I didn't until I discovered the Medicine Wheel - and what a difference it has made!

You can put any life issue or question onto the Medicine Wheel and once you find it's correct 'sitting place', the wheel will show you what energies are working and what they are doing – and therefore what to address in order to change and heal the issue.

The Medicine Wheel is a series of interlocking maps of life and shows us the forces that operate on us from all directions. The wheels are circles of power and knowledge, ways of knowing life and its cyclical and circular nature.

'Medicine' means vital force, it is anything which brings personal power, power over our self, the ability to respond to and to consciously co-create our life. The Medicine Wheel is not a belief system It guides us to steer a good heart-full path through life's many challenges and vicissitudes.

The Twenty Count, also known as the Childrens' Count because it was a way children were taught, is the foundation wheel and shows the forces of the Universe and how they compliment and oppose each other.

The Seven Arrows are a map of how we make ourselves miserable and how to get out of such spirals of self destruction to a place of happiness and rejoicing in life.

This workshop will give you new ways to understand your self and your life and new ways to deal with the challenges that life sends you. It will include shamanic drum journeys, ceremonies and other experiences which will enable you to feel into the messages taught by the wheels and how they relate to you. It will open the door to a much greater sense of personal empowerment and possibility.

The Star Maiden's Circle is the central circle of the Twenty Count and is the circle of human life and development.

All those "teachers" who are named are well-known to me and to this forum. Hyemeyohsts Storm is frequently mentioned in the forum, but I found no separate thread on him. I'd like to recommend this excellent article:

https://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/Hyemeyohsts_Storm

My main reason for posting here is to ask if there is as much as an iota of truth in these descriptions of the "Medicine Wheel"? Is there any recent and decent scholarly work tracing the New Age origins of this concept? If it really is "an old Indian Tradition", can it be traced back in the history of any Native American Nation?

[LionHeart]

I have worked with Leo for some time now and never seen or have been asked to take any psycho active substance. I have found him to be incredibly kind and he holds a space really well, almost like a mother would hold a new born baby. I guess that comes from the many years of experience he has gained working with different groups of people.

I would say that we all learn from many different people and some we like and some we do not.

The only way to find out is to try out new things and if it makes you uncomfortable then you have found a way to evolve beyond your own judgement.

Much kindness to all and may our Mars be strong in this world

[educatedindian]

I have worked with Leo for some time now and never seen or have been asked to take any psycho active substance. I have found him to be incredibly kind and he holds a space really well, almost like a mother would hold a new born baby....

The only way to find out is to try out new things and if it makes you uncomfortable then you have found a way to evolve beyond your own judgement.

Much kindness to all and may our Mars be strong in this world

Mr. Peter Askew, why would you think peddling a Nuage fraud posing as a Native holy man, or that quoting from a goofy version of ancient Greek beliefs, would win us over?

Rutherford was selling a dangerous fraudulent version of ayahuasca ceremony up to 2009 at least.
https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20090606062325/http://www.shamanism.co.uk/ayahuasca-experience/ayahuasca-4.html

Does peddling fraud, and dangerous fraud, seem "kind" to you? And do you always recommend others try dangerous self destructive and fraudulent ceremony that seems "new" to them? Seemingly so, for Rutherford's phony version of sweatlodge that your site hosts and markets for cash is just as dangerous as selling ayahuasca.

Perhaps you should be the one to try something new to you. Realize the immorality and harm you have done and refund every penny you've ever made from it, apologize, and never host Rutherford again, or injure others that way anymore.

[Sparks]

http://www.shamanism.co.uk/
(The second from the left - the little old man with the white hair)

That's my favourite twinkdork photo!

— Seems "the little old man with the white hair" referred to the link below the text, not above:

http://www.shamanism.co.uk/
(The second from the left - the little old man with the white hair)
http://www.conts.com/shamanism.htm

The first link now goes to "SHAMANISM IN ROMANIA", while the second is about "Contemporary Shamanism" and Leo Rutherford.

[Piff]

Leo Rutherford, the old con artist, cracks himself up laughing in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IeJLatKEUw . Around the 13 minute mark, while talking about his trance dancing events and claiming that dancers will always get exactly what they need, he says "sometimes that even includes a bucket", "now and again, people need to puke", and "the bucket will always be there, just in time".

I've no clue why he thinks that is funny. Encouraging his paying customers to dance until they vomit is abusive.

[Defend the Sacred]

Peter Askew / "Lionheart"'s tangent has been moved to his own thread here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4989

Also note that Askew has changed the URL on his site for Rutherford's workshops. Rutherford's pay to pray and dangerous fake ceremonies, hosted by Peter Askew, are now at this link:

http://yogaevolutionretreats.com/shamanism-retreats-workshops.html

[Irena]

Hello all. Like Peter Askew, I was alarmed by the negativity surrounding Leo Rutherford. It seems more like a hate/mock-fest...? In case anyone is interested in ensuring a balanced perspective, just to say that Leo has helped two of my relatives with issues very successfully, I have also had personal experience of his help.  In all these experiences, Leo has been extremely sensitive and kind. There has never been any hint of commercialisation of what he did for our family, or any other pressure or pretence about his teachings. On the contrary, Leo has very self-deprecating humour. I am also surprised by one comment regarding Leo's gender attitudes: I simply do not recognise this at all, it's as if the discussions on the forum were about a different person.  It is true that some group exercises of many kinds (my experience was with Chinese chi sessions) can leave participants in a difficult state, and perhaps women might find that disturbing (incl. me), but that would not necessarily mean that help was needed or that the leaders were uncaring. In any case, just for the avoidance of doubt, I am not connected in any way to Leo, but just really found the balance of the opinions here alarming given my own direct experience. I would wonder whether the forum really seeks a balanced perspective...
With kind regards.

[Smart Mule]

Irena how can you balance appropriation and fraud? You can't.

[educatedindian]

Hello all. Like Peter Askew, I was alarmed by the negativity surrounding Leo Rutherford. It seems more like a hate/mock-fest...? In case anyone is interested in ensuring a balanced perspective, just to say that Leo has helped two of my relatives with issues very successfully, I have also had personal experience of his help.  In all these experiences, Leo has been extremely sensitive and kind. There has never been any hint of commercialisation of what he did for our family, or any other pressure or pretence about his teachings. On the contrary, Leo has very self-deprecating humour. I am also surprised by one comment regarding Leo's gender attitudes: I simply do not recognise this at all, it's as if the discussions on the forum were about a different person.  It is true that some group exercises of many kinds (my experience was with Chinese chi sessions) can leave participants in a difficult state, and perhaps women might find that disturbing (incl. me), but that would not necessarily mean that help was needed or that the leaders were uncaring. In any case, just for the avoidance of doubt, I am not connected in any way to Leo, but just really found the balance of the opinions here alarming given my own direct experience. I would wonder whether the forum really seeks a balanced perspective...
With kind regards.

IOW, because you think he helped you, you ignore:
A lifelong history of exploitation by him for cash.
A lifelong series of falsehoods from him about indigenous beliefs.
Him openly mocking and treating with contempt those who follow him.
Sexist mistreatment of women.
And constantly holding false versions of ceremonies he has no real training in that endanger the lives and mental health of those attending.

That is very unbalanced of you.
If people were to discuss a con artist, and one of his victims still believed in him and defended him, would that also be "unbalanced"?
If a fellow con artist like Peter Askew also defended their mutual con games, would skepticism of the second con artist also be "unbalanced," "hate" or "mocking"?

[Sparks]

Peter Askew / "Lionheart"'s tangent has been moved to his own thread here:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4989

Also note that Askew has changed the URL on his site for Rutherford's workshops. Rutherford's pay to pray and dangerous fake ceremonies, hosted by Peter Askew, are now at this link:
http://yogaevolutionretreats.com/shamanism-retreats-workshops.html

I posted updates about Leo Rutherford in the Peter Askew thread today:

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4989.msg46744#msg46744