Linda E.

It has been several years since I walked away from the Whispering Song Teaching Lodge and it has taken me that long to tease out the valuable teachings that were helpful to me and release all the anger, pain and frustration around allowing myself to be manipulated, led on and abused by this self appointed "Tribal elder" (a blatant appropriation of Indigenous culture). I was a student for many years, traveled to Sacred sites, and participated in many private and group "healings". I allowed myself to be seduced by promises of amazing experiences (granted, many of them were) and inclusion in a select group (but only if you allowed her complete control of everything). Being in her "circle" entailed walking on eggshells so you wouldn't unknowingly break any of the unwritten and often unexpressed rules. To do so left you open to a blast of her anger, often over the most trivial things. And there was no defense or excuse allowed! At one point I felt that she was attempting to hijack my creativity to help support the Lodge. I watched many people come and go over the years and wondered why. I finally had a chance to ask several of them and found out my growing unease was well founded and not, as she would have told me, me "running away from painful truths". My perceptions were valid! There are some valuable teachings to be had but only venture in if you have a very strong sense of self and can deal with manipulation and anger from this "teacher".