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Return to Source - Generative Men

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.

How to Donate

The Male Journey is a charity, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.  Our registration number is 1163767 and we welcome donations from those who support our aims and ethos.

As a small charitable organisation we have no paid staff and minimal overheads.  All donations made via this page are credited to our general reserve and may be used to provide bursaries that enable people on low incomes to participate in our events, support the ongoing development of our programmes and services, or go towards essential running costs such as insurance or website hosting.

Donate via telephone or online banking

Account name: The Male Journey

Sort code: 16-58-10

Account number: 20492510

Payment Reference: General Donation

Should you wish to gift aid your donation, please request a form from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you.  We really appreciate your support and will use your donation wisely.

Eldership and Leadership

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.

News for Initiated Men

This page provides news and information of interest to Initiated Men.

3 March 2017: Booking is now open for the new Return to Source - Initiator Programme. There are places available for 8 men to deepen their soul journeys and help provide the support container for this year's initiates. The programme runs in parallel with the Rites of Passage on 26-30 July.

2 January 2017: Applications are now open for this year's Rites of Passage on 26-30 July.

10 December 2016: Chris O'Donnell is shadowing Peter Fishpool as the National Convenor. Andrew Clark is shadowing Tim Pickles as the Journey of Illumination stoker. The transition of roles will be taking place over the next few months.

13 September 2015: Eldership and Leadership - plans for our developmental pathway

15 August 2015: Booking now open for the Moot 2015

31 July 2015: Updated information about mentoring for initiated men, including newly published mentoring guidelines

28 November 2014: Site requirements for a Rites venue - a listing and explanation of the necessary requirments for any new venue to host future rites in England or elsewhere.

27 November 2014: Council notes, Moot 2014 - a record of the report from the directors and other matters raised at the Council meeting.

15 November 2014: The Male Journey Ltd annual accounts - for the year to 28 February 2014.

1 November 2014: Stokers and Directors - information about these roles within our network and an invitation to offer yourself in service.

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