The Sacred Masculine

Do Not Be Ashamed

You will be walking some night
in the comfortable dark of your yard
and suddenly a great light will shine
round about you, and behind you
will be a wall you never saw before.
It will be clear to you suddenly
that you were about to escape,
and that you are guilty. You misread
the complex instructions, you are not
a member, you lost your card,
or never had one. And you will know
that they have been there all along,
the eyes on your letters and books,
their hands in your pockets,
their ears wired to your bed.
Though you have done nothing shameful,
they will want you to be ashamed.
They will want you to kneel and weep
and say you should have been like them.
And once you are ashamed,
reading the page they hold out to you,
then such light as you have made
in your history will leave you.
They will no longer need to pursue you,
You will pursue them, begging forgiveness.
They will not forgive you.
There is no power against them.
It is only candor that is aloof from them,
only an inward clarity, unashamed,
that they cannot reach. Be ready.
When their light has picked you out
and their questions are asked, say to them:
"I am not ashamed." A sure horizon
will come around you. The heron will begin
his evening flight from the hilltop.

- Wendell Berry

The Sacred Masculine

This Soul Quests workshop aims to explore the deep wounding of men around the notions of masculinity, and to offer a more wholistic and empowering blueprint. Join other men for a weekend of insight, healing, and discovery as we open minds and hearts to the Sacred Masculine.

Regardless of sexual orientation, as men we carry deep shadows of shame and aggression, whether conscious or not. Most of us are living a largely imbalanced notion of masculinity, dragging around a heavy bag of conflicting messages handed to us by fathers (or lack thereof), society, and our own adaptations of what it means to be a man.

Few of us had role models who embodied a spiritual, balanced masculinity. In our media and culture, we are presented only with a narrow range of options; a very imbalanced, unhealthy, and one-sided manhood. Yet within ALL of us, male and female, exist both masculine and feminine qualities. Opposite and complementary, like yin and yang, both are part of the whole; each is imbalanced without the other.

An authentic, soul-centered masculinity embraces the Sacred Marriage: the creative union of both masculine and feminine in the heart and soul. This creative spark and hallowed union holds the essence of life.

As we bring a healing light to the wounds of masculinity (shame, aggression, etc) while cultivating the more "feminine" aspects of self (nurturing, compassion, intuition, etc), we begin to build a wholistic relationship with our Self. Embracing a conscious relationship with the Earth and the more-than-human world, we embody the Sacred Masculine... and become creative catalysts of cultural change.

The time has arrived to transcend outmoded and imbalanced stereotypes of masculinity. From archetypes and metaphors that support a spirituality linked closely to nature and healing (the Green Man, the Soulful Wanderer, the Erotic Warrior, and more), we can foster a balanced sense of identity as men. Healing the wounds we carry, we embrace both shadow and light, and celebrate essential wholeness. As we honor the Sacred Marriage in heart and soul, we then begin to nuture that in our outer relationships as lovers, partners, husbands, fathers, teachers, and elders. When we embody the Sacred Masculine, we become artists of cultural renaissance and transformation.

In this Soul Quests weekend, uncover the heart of the Sacred Masculine and a healthy, balanced, soul-centered approach to manhood. Whether gay, bi, or straight (and everything in between!), begin to build the Sacred Marriage within the Self... and the creative union unfolding through you. Join us for a powerful weekend of insight, healing and celebration.



2010 Schedule

15 - 17 October, Southwest England (venue TBD)

For booking or more information, please use the Contact page.