Welcome to The Male Journey. We affirm and support men seeking a life-long journey of spiritual consciousness in order to transform themselves, and through these journeys, their relationships, families, workplaces, communities and our environment.
Our programmes, events and resources provide men with opportunities to do their 'inner work' in the company of other men. We use ritual, teaching and ways of communicating to create safe environments where men can explore and discover their deeper selves and the true purpose of their lives. We provide spaces where:
- men can be vulnerable without being judged or shamed
- men can share their emotions openly
- men can let go of those patterns and beliefs that no longer serve them
- men can rediscover and reconnect with the power of nature, mystery and the universe
- men can establish true relationships with authenticity and integrity
We seek to engender a generation of men who will be leaders and elders in their diverse roles as sons, partners, fathers, grandfathers, colleagues, stewards and servers. To borrow the visionary statement of our US Brothers at Illuman:
- We are men transforming men through a power greater than ourselves
- We are seeking a life changing spirituality
- Our primary concern is inner work that makes a difference in the world
- We are fed by the wisdom traditions of forgiveness and radical inclusivity
- Our work recovers traditional patterns of male initiation, affirms a masculine path to healing, reveals the true and false self and honours the path of descent
- We do this through the power of ritual, image, story and council.
We welcome all men without regard to your age, ethnicity, background, sexual orientation, status, or creed. We aim to be inclusive. We support men of all faiths, and none.
If you've ever wanted to return to an MROP, here is your chance. Return to Source - Generative Men give you the opportunity to radically deepen your own inner work, form a greater understanding of initiation, and support the initiation of other men. (It is not a repetition of your initiation!)
About 'Return to Source - Generative Men'
Return to Source begins from where your own initiation experience ended, and enables you to go much deeper with your own inner work in a strongly supportive environment, whilst serving other men as they embark on their journeys.
Initiated men ask how they can participate in and support the initiation process for others. By design, the Men's Rites of Passage is run by a small team of 10-11 men. This helps keep the edges hot, but limits the number of elders that can participate. Return to Source provides an opportunity for more initiated men to return to the Men's Rites to engage in further personal soul-work and form a prayerful support container for the men who are being initiated. It supports you becoming a truly 'Generative Man' - someone who can source and take responsibility for his whole life experience and presence in the world
The programme will run parallel to the actual week of initiation rites. It gives initiated men the opportunity to hold the container for the entire MROP process. It follows the tradition of the elders taking the young men out into the wild to be initiated and holding the container. We are asking you to join us for the five days as we "keep the edges hot" in our role of supporting the MROP process. This will deepen your experience of what happened at your own MROP as we are present in each gathering in the Sacred Space for all rituals and teachings.
You will also be led through a series of specially crafted rituals, reflections, silences, and time in nature with your own dedicated Weaver as we form our own Sacred Council to explore and deepen our own inner work together, and engage in active Contemplation and Presence. Most of all, we will stand shoulder to shoulder, giving our prayerful strength and support to the MROP team and the men being initiated. Come join us for a meaningful week of men transforming men through soul work!
Return to Source is for you if:
- You have been through the MROP and are an initiated man
- You desire to deepen your spiritual journey by revisiting the messages of your own initiation and deepening your soul journey
- You want to be an active 'generative man" – a man who is fully present in the world and who invites and supports other men to into their Journey of Illumination
- You understand that you are not being initiated again
- You understand that you are not a member of the MROP leadership team, whilst actively supporting the team
- You can be present and be part of the container for the entire MROP event
There is a fee to participate in this programme and bursaries are available. Although not mandatory, you are encouraged to invite and mentor one or more other men to participate in their Men's Rites alongside you during the week. For each man that you invite and mentor, we will refund £50 of your fee for Return to Source. The number of men joining each Return to Source event is limited.
We aim to offer Return to Source alongside each Men's Rites. Please check our Events Calendar for the date and location of future Return to Source programmes.
As a registered charity (number 1163767) we welcome all donations from thosewho support our aims and ethos. As a small charitable organisation we have no paid staff and minimal overheads. All donations are used either to provide bursaries that enable people on low incomes to participate in our events, or support the ongoing development of our programmes and services.
Donate online using a credit or debit card via our dedicated fund-raising page. It's quick and easy. It's the simplest method for us to administer. Don't forget to tick the Gift Aid box please.
Post a cheque made payable to 'The Male Journey' to our treasurer, Maurice O'Shea, Highpoint, Dorking Road, Warnham, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 3RZ. Please also download and return our Gift Aid form so we can reclaim the tax.
Use your telephone or online banking to transfer money. Our account details that you will need are: Account name: The Male Journey. Sort code: 16-58-10. Account number: 20492510. Please also download and return our Gift Aid form so we can reclaim the tax.
If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid allows us to reclaim the tax you have already paid on your income and boosts the value of your donation by more than 20%.
Thank you. We really appreciate your support and will use your donation wisely.
We are in the process of creating a 'leadership pathway' that will nurture, develop and sustain initiated men as they choose to serve others as Elders and Leaders. Such service may be offered to other men within our network - as group facilitators, mentors, event elders, prospective ritual elders, convenors and weavers - or by initiated men in their families, workplaces, faith networks, and communities.
Every local group and every event has the possibility of leadership development contained within it. We are seeking to encourage men as facilitators, ritual creators, convenors and weavers. All initiated men are invited to step forward into such roles. A team of Elders is brought together to serve each of our events. We aim to provide appropriate support, encouragement and mentoring to men who offer themselves for such roles. If this interests you, please make yourself known to the event convenor, local group organiser, or any of our directors and stokers.
We are establishing a Wisdom Council of experienced Elders who will hold and guide our spiritual heritage and practices. This Council will offer discernment on new ritual traditions and on identifying men to serve in key roles as weavers and ritual elders.
