Last updated February 22, 2024
This Cookie Policy explains how The Male Journey ("Company," "we," "us," and "our") uses cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our website at https://www.malejourney.org.uk ("Website"). It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.
In some cases we may use cookies to collect personal information, or that becomes personal information if we combine it with other information.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners in order to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.
Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, The Male Journey) are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies." Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website (e.g., advertising, interactive content, and analytics). The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognize your computer both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.
Why do we use cookies?
We use first- and third-party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons in order for our Website to operate, and we refer to these as "essential" or "strictly necessary" cookies. Other cookies also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our Online Properties. Third parties serve cookies through our Website for advertising, analytics, and other purposes. This is described in more detail below.
How can I control cookies?
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie rights by setting your preferences in the Cookie Consent Manager. The Cookie Consent Manager allows you to select which categories of cookies you accept or reject. Essential cookies cannot be rejected as they are strictly necessary to provide you with services.
The Cookie Consent Manager can be found in the notification banner and on our website. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our website though your access to some functionality and areas of our website may be restricted. You may also set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies.
The specific types of first- and third-party cookies served through our Website and the purposes they perform are described in the table below (please note that the specific cookies served may vary depending on the specific Online Properties you visit):
Essential website cookies:
These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our Website and to use some of its features, such as access to secure areas.
Name: |
JSESSIONID |
Purpose: |
Used to maintain an anonymous user session by the server in Java™ 2 Platform Enterprise Edition web applications. It is a necessary cookie that expires at the end of a session. |
Provider: |
.nr-data.net |
Service: |
JavaServer Pages Technologies View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
session |
Name: |
rc::a |
Purpose: |
Used to track and analyze user behavior to distinguish humans from bots or automated software. |
Provider: |
www.google.com |
Service: |
reCAPTCHA View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
html_local_storage |
Expires in: |
persistent |
Name: |
__cf_bm |
Purpose: |
Cloudflare places the cookie on end-user devices that access customer sites protected by Bot Management or Bot Fight Mode. |
Provider: |
.vimeo.com |
Service: |
CloudFlare View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
http_cookie |
Expires in: |
29 minutes |
Performance and functionality cookies:
These cookies are used to enhance the performance and functionality of our Website but are non-essential to their use. However, without these cookies, certain functionality (like videos) may become unavailable.
Name: |
yt-remote-connected-devices |
Purpose: |
Stores a list of connected devices for YouTube |
Provider: |
www.youtube.com |
Service: |
YouTube View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
html_local_storage |
Expires in: |
persistent |
Name: |
yt-remote-device-id |
Purpose: |
Stores a unique ID for the user's device for YouTube |
Provider: |
www.youtube.com |
Service: |
YouTube View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
html_local_storage |
Expires in: |
persistent |
Name: |
ytidb::LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY |
Purpose: |
Stores the last result entry key used by YouTube |
Provider: |
www.youtube.com |
Service: |
YouTube View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
html_local_storage |
Expires in: |
persistent |
Analytics and customization cookies:
These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our Website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our Website for you.
Name: |
_ga |
Purpose: |
Records a particular ID used to come up with data about website usage by the user |
Provider: |
.malejourney.org.uk |
Service: |
Google Analytics View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
http_cookie |
Expires in: |
1 year 1 month 4 days |
Name: |
_ga_# |
Purpose: |
Used to distinguish individual users by means of designation of a randomly generated number as client identifier, which allows calculation of visits and sessions |
Provider: |
.malejourney.org.uk |
Service: |
Google Analytics View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
http_cookie |
Expires in: |
1 year 1 month 4 days |
Name: |
vuid |
Purpose: |
Used by Vimeo player to check if certain features or preferences have been selected by the user on websites with embedded videos from Vimeo. |
Provider: |
.vimeo.com |
Service: |
Vimeo View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
http_cookie |
Expires in: |
1 year 1 month 4 days |
Name: |
689d5b4562 |
Provider: |
bam.nr-data.net |
Type: |
pixel_tracker |
Expires in: |
session |
Name: |
NID |
Purpose: |
Set by Google to set a unique user ID to remember user preferences. Persistent cookie that stays for 182 days |
Provider: |
.google.com |
Service: |
Google View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
6 months |
Advertising cookies:
These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.
Name: |
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE |
Purpose: |
YouTube is a Google-owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites. Used by Google in combination with SID to verify Google user account and most recent login time. |
Provider: |
.youtube.com |
Service: |
YouTube View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
5 months 27 days |
Name: |
YSC |
Purpose: |
YouTube is a Google-owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites. Used by Google in combination with SID to verify Google user account and most recent login time. |
Provider: |
.youtube.com |
Service: |
YouTube View Service Privacy Policy |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
session |
Unclassified cookies:
These are cookies that have not yet been categorized. We are in the process of classifying these cookies with the help of their providers.
Name: |
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA |
Provider: |
.youtube.com |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
5 months 27 days |
Name: |
hexeris-58de5d51275b38a9f6ba96fda5d5c279-font-size-is |
Provider: |
www.malejourney.org.uk |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
11 months 30 days |
Name: |
e360fae651e2d77a066f6e27eb8cf7c8 |
Provider: |
www.malejourney.org.uk |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
session |
Name: |
5dd81afd36bb0f3fd23e2e64eb06e5ea |
Provider: |
www.malejourney.org.uk |
Type: |
server_cookie |
Expires in: |
session |
How can I control cookies on my browser?
As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser to browser, you should visit your browser's help menu for more information. The following is information about how to manage cookies on the most popular browsers:
In addition, most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit:
What about other tracking technologies, like web beacons?
Cookies are not the only way to recognize or track visitors to a website. We may use other, similar technologies from time to time, like web beacons (sometimes called "tracking pixels" or "clear gifs"). These are tiny graphics files that contain a unique identifier that enables us to recognize when someone has visited our Website or opened an email including them. This allows us, for example, to monitor the traffic patterns of users from one page within a website to another, to deliver or communicate with cookies, to understand whether you have come to the website from an online advertisement displayed on a third-party website, to improve site performance, and to measure the success of email marketing campaigns. In many instances, these technologies are reliant on cookies to function properly, and so declining cookies will impair their functioning.
Do you use Flash cookies or Local Shared Objects?
Websites may also use so-called "Flash Cookies" (also known as Local Shared Objects or "LSOs") to, among other things, collect and store information about your use of our services, fraud prevention, and for other site operations.
If you do not want Flash Cookies stored on your computer, you can adjust the settings of your Flash player to block Flash Cookies storage using the tools contained in the Website Storage Settings Panel. You can also control Flash Cookies by going to the Global Storage Settings Panel and following the instructions (which may include instructions that explain, for example, how to delete existing Flash Cookies (referred to "information" on the Macromedia site), how to prevent Flash LSOs from being placed on your computer without your being asked, and (for Flash Player 8 and later) how to block Flash Cookies that are not being delivered by the operator of the page you are on at the time).
Please note that setting the Flash Player to restrict or limit acceptance of Flash Cookies may reduce or impede the functionality of some Flash applications, including, potentially, Flash applications used in connection with our services or online content.
Do you serve targeted advertising?
Third parties may serve cookies on your computer or mobile device to serve advertising through our Website. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services that you may be interested in. They may also employ technology that is used to measure the effectiveness of advertisements. They can accomplish this by using cookies or web beacons to collect information about your visits to this and other sites in order to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services of potential interest to you. The information collected through this process does not enable us or them to identify your name, contact details, or other details that directly identify you unless you choose to provide these.
How often will you update this Cookie Policy?
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please therefore revisit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.
The date at the top of this Cookie Policy indicates when it was last updated.
Where can I get further information?
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post to:
The Male Journey
8 Rennison Drive
Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV5 9HN
United Kingdom
A reflection by Donald Griffin, originally published in the Penman Review
I can see them, the dancers, over there in the distance. Men and women whirl around the fire their silhouettes mimicking every movement upon the lighted canyon wall behind them. Drum beats reverberate through the cool crisp night air, like a thousand hearts beating and pumping life out into the cosmos. A primal and ageless ritual. The fire’s long fingers stretch out into the night sky. Embers flutter about like glowing moths. Like a frightened animal, lurking in the deep shadows, I keep my distance.
I have traveled the span of the universe to be here. Yet—I hesitate—for all the fear that is in me causes my long hard journey to seem but a worthless venture.
Human bodies sway with the rhythms of life. With ecstatic force many hands fall upon the drum skins. The ancient spirit awakens within all who dance. Their spirit, much like the fire, is set ablaze with wild abandon.
Yet, I stand in these cold shadows. The silent specter beside me. Always beside me. To join this circle is why I have come here tonight, but I am frozen in place with feet made of stone. The specter’s cold lifeless hand rests upon my shoulder. I tremble not knowing how to let go. To open my heart when it is clasped firmly shut. Will they wound me like so many others have done before? I yearn to join them.
These insecurities inside of me, they grip me, I cannot free myself of them. I desire to join this dance of life, to feel that fire burn within me, to feel the beat of the drum within my own heart, to join and to be threaded together with all my brothers and sisters in this ancient dance. If they see who I really am though? All my sins laid bare… I cannot.
Some dancers have taken notice of me. I see heads turn my way, shadows dance and play upon their faces. Some gesture and invite me in. The drumming continues and the beat runs through me. A thought darts across my mind, I am not worthy to join them. If they knew this horrible darkness inside of me, this sickness, would they still be so inviting?
Like a cancer, my wounds fester inside of me. How I long to cast all this darkness off like an old heavy cloak that has worn out its usefulness. My silent companion stands beside me and whispers in my ear, “You’re no good, you’re not like them, you don’t belong here, go back to where you came from.” Yes, I think to myself, you are right, I don’t belong here. My specter is pleased at this.
In the quiet stillness, another voice whispers to me. From the groundless depths of my being the voice comes to light upon my consciousness, “You do belong here, you are called to this freedom, there is healing inside that circle, you must step forward and join the dance.” This voice is calm, quiet and reassuring, so much quieter than this specter who stands beside me hissing in my ear.
Have I traveled so far only to stop here, just a few steps away from the dance? The battle within me rages and the armies of mind and heart fight a bloody war that none can see.
This is a war that has been fought since the day I first awoke. The last battle is being waged. Mind and heart, duality of the battlefield. All the thoughts that tell me how worthless, insecure, and unwanted I am. This army of my mind seems to have all the strength, and often overwhelms the warrior within my heart. There are days when the heart rises up, declaring its worth and value, letting me know that I am a beloved son, granting me precious moments that feed me hope.
The battle rages on. I feel so alone. There seems to be no one out there who can see this in me, no one who can help me. Silently, I cry out for help, but no one seems to care. The battle is lost and hope turns and flees from me. Desperation, panic, fright, nowhere to run, I am but a shell of myself. Who am I?
The dance continues, and the fire in the circle burns hotter, the drumming is intensifying, the people shout with a primal voice, a shout from their very depths. For me however, I am drowning in my fear, the specter beside me has me firmly in its grip. So cold. Darkness swallows me. Even as I slide down into death, time seems to stand still, breathless, I notice the myriads of stars above me. They look down on me, they seem to empathize with me and with my plight. Their light is strangely comforting; they have been with me for so long. Little rays of light that pierce this darkness of mine.
It is then that one from the circle turns around and looks straight at me. He looks me in the eyes. Even from such a great distance it seems as if he is staring straight into the furthest reaches of my soul. There is love, tenderness, and compassion in his gaze. There is an invitation there. He takes a step towards me. He leaves the circle of dancing light and comes into the shadows towards me.
As this man approaches me I can see a multitude of scars covering his body. He wears the garb of the natives. His chest is bear, his body is bronze, his beard is long, dark as night with grey streaks running through it. His hair is white as snow and falls to his shoulders like silk. He is aged and I can see he is worn with travel himself. His scars are numerous, but they are healed and smooth and glisten in the light of the fire. They make him look all the more beautiful. His eyes are like dark pearls, ageless, eternal, absolute compassion staring back at me. I can see that he understands me, he can see my fears, he knows my journey, for he too has stood where I now stand. I seem to know this intuitively.
This elder approaches me and joins me in my darkness. He has not said a word; he does not need to. His presence alone envelopes me in this darkness and comforts me. Who would leave that circle of celestial light to join me in the outer darkness? As he stands he wraps his strong arms around me discarding the strong grip of my specter’s skinless hands as if brushing off some dust, and love floods into my soul. It feels so good to be loved when I deserve nothing but contempt, or so my mind tells me. This man knows, he understands. We stand in this embrace and the love of a father envelops me and invites me in. With tears in my eyes, I accept.
After a moment, this wise man beckons me to follow him into the dance. With my bleeding wounds, and my tattered soul dragging behind me like old garments, I follow. My companion, the specter, stays behind melting into the shadows. As I get closer to the circle joy filled faces turn to welcome me. They part like graceful waters to make a space for me. The fire dances towards me, I can feel its warmth against my skin. The wounds of my soul invite the flames into it. I step into the circle.
The drum beats pierce my being with a force like I have never felt before. The fire leaps into my chest and races inside of me. Body arched straight, my wounds on fire, and I see each one of them with such depth and precision. I feel every single one of them as pain explodes within every fiber of my awareness. The pain starts to slowly fade. There is love and forgiveness, there is healing, and I am welcomed home. The wounds start mending, the bleeding stops, the infection that has plagued my soul for so long is gone, scabs form and then peel away. Where there was once festering wounds there is now beautiful scars. The drums beat, my heart flutters, my feet move, my primordial scream comes forth. I am threaded into the circle and I begin to whirl. My journey has come to an end. I am home. I am the fire, I am the drums, I am the heart beat that pours out life into the universe, I am in the dance, I am the dance.
I dance for eternity and time is no more. I look back out into the darkness and realize there are others standing out there in that cold darkness where I once stood. Their own specters standing beside them. With my heart full of love, I know that I too am called to leave the circle to set the captives free.