The South Course: Elements of Shamanism

with Leo Rutherford, Dawn Russell, & Andy Raven

Elements has been running for twenty-two years, and over the years hundreds of people have travelled this journey of self-development and inner strength.

The next Elements (the 22nd since inception in 1987) starts January 2007. This course is residential and includes seven days at our wilderness camp in Wales.

" We will become tribes. A tribe is a consensus of thinking, similar spirits come together for the purpose of finding the Master within. Only a few have the courage to follow this path. The purpose of creating a tribe is that we make agreement that we are together to help each other wake up." Don Eduardo Calderon (Shaman from Peru)

A journey of initiation around the medicine wheel



A Warrior of the Spirit

A Warrior is someone who has taken courage to do battle with the inner enemies in order to face the truth of themselves and their world. The four attributes of the warrior are:

• Harmony of Spirit
• Honour of Mother Earth and the physical
• Humility towards the emotions
• Humour towards philosophies and belief systems, and all the "stuff" of mind.

The Way of the Spiritual Warrior is a path of transformation - not easy, not quick, but real. To become a warrior means to be in your centre , in your essence (innocence), living with trust - faith in the ultimate rightness and justice of the Universe - even though what is happening may be trying to knock you off centre in every possible way; to learn how not to be at the effect of anyone or anything , anywhere, anytime, in any way.

Our allies for the journey are the drum, ceremony, council, shamanic journeying, dance and trance-dance, voice work, play, art, group and individual process, and the great teachings of Mother Nature.

The Journey



Together we walk the classic path of the great shamanic journey of initiation.

To the South: The movement to erase personal history means to to release energy of past traumas which affects life today. The work is with the Star Maidens Circle medicine wheel, with negative and positive myths of life and with the seven arrows of the light and the dark, leading to the Circle of Mirrors, a very powerful ceremony in which participants experience themselves and their lives mirrored from all eight directions of the medicine wheel.

To the West: The work is to seek the qualities of introspection and intuition, to "face your death and make death your ally", to re-make your deep connection to Mother Earth and the Elements, Whilst the South is about personal healing, the West relates also to cultural healing.

The work includes:
• Shamanic Journeying to the lower and upper worlds
• Dance and trance-dance using techniques developed from the Afro-Brasilian traditions of Candomble and Umbanda. Dance is a gateway to healing and connection with Self and the Cosmos.
• Completion of the West is the Fire Ceremony which marks our movement to the East.

To the East: The work is to seek Vision, Illumination and Understanding.

The work includes;
• Wilderness camp week. Mother Nature teaches us.
• Camp and nature skills. Connection to elemental forces.
• Ceremony of rebirth to your true parents, Mother Earth and Father Sun
• Vision quest (24 hours) for all who are ready.

To the North: The last movement is grounding in wisdom manifesting your new self and your vision in the material plane, committing yourself to assuming authority over your life, your self and your circle, Walking your Talk as a Warrior of the Spirit , touching the world with beauty wherever you go in the Great Vision Quest Called Life HO! This course is for those who seek to change their lives and dream a new dream into manifestation. It is about finding your true purpose in becoming incarnate at this time, and gaining access to the inner strength and the tools necessary to materialise your chosen dreams from the Nagual - fifth dimension to the Tonal - third dimension of gross matter. ‘To dance your Dream Awake’.



The Course takes place in a series of delightful residential venues in different parts of the country. The first meeting is non-residential in the London area.