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THE WISDOM YEAR, 2024
The Wisdom Year is a year long commitment to a practice in rediscovery in a small community of like minded seekers.
As Carl Jung taught, and Stephen Jenkinson says, “we are relentlessly orphans” estranged from our wisdom traditions, the divine within and around us, our ancestors, and our true selves.
The post-modern life is quite persuasive, convincing us again and again that we can gain sufficient spiritual meaning from wealth, technology, consumption, and addiction. It sells us on avoidance, on a denial of the love & loss that is inextricably ingrained in our intimacy with others and in the ultimate intimacy, death.
The Wisdom Year, 2024 is a commitment opportunity for you. It is a significant commitment to self and the soulful life that is quite adamant about what must be lived through you.
Your families and community will benefit from these ripples you create for yourself.
We will form an intimate cohort and draw upon wisdom traditions, Carl Jung and modern teachers like: Pema Chodron, John O’Donohue, Joseph Campbell, Richard Rohr, Joanna Macy, Wendell Berry, Bill Plotkin, Francis Weller, Stephen Jenkinson and more.
Learn More and Register
*The Wisdom Year is not an Illuman program, but is being offered by an outside partner. As such, Illuman accepts no responsibility or liability for said program. This posting is for informational purposes only.*
A FATHER FOR GENERATION ALPHA
A 9-week online offering for Fathers and soon-to-be Fathers
This online community is designed to meet new Dad’s at a moment when life has initiated them into Fatherhood. In meetings of just one-hour each week, we will drop keys of Wisdom, starting with ‘What it means to be a Man’, moving to ‘Living in Relationships’ and then to ‘What it means to be a Father’. We end with an overview of Men’s groups that Dads may want to follow-up with.
If you are a new or soon-to-be Dad, then this group is for you! Or is there someone like this in your life that might be interested in our Journey together? Then share this with them and encourage them to join us!
Find more information at https://a-father-for-gen-alpha.net/
When asked for a few words of encouragement, a Dad who recently completed the Journey shared these words from his wife; “I’m sad it’s your last meeting! I hope you can find another nourishing group to meet with soon, because this was so good for you and us!”
The Spring 2024 session of A Father for Gen Alpha starts on Tuesday, February 27 and meets every Tuesday night from 9-10pm Eastern through Tuesday, April 23.
Click Here to Register
Send questions to: a.father.for.gen.alpha@gmail.com
The Way of Council is a central part of what Illuman does to promote healthier masculinity and “inner work that makes a difference in the world.” If you’ve ever participated in this practice, you’ve hopefully experienced good Council Stokers—i.e., the leaders who facilitate the Council practice.
While anyone can lead Council with some minimal resources (see the previous article), there’s an art to being an excellent Stoker. Developing this skill is easy to learn but requires practice, especially in getting out of your own way.
For those interested in going deeper into this core practice and developing this skill, we will be offering a six-session series on The Art of Being a Stoker beginning after the New Year. These 90-minute sessions will be offered on the first Saturday of each month at 9am Pacific/Noon Eastern. They will be led by Dave MacQuarrie, one of the original instigators of Illuman’s Virtual Councils.
The schedule is as follows:
- January 6 – Session One – The Intentions of Council
- February 3 – Session Two – Participant Roles
- March 2 – Session Three – Creating Sacred Space
- April 6 – Session Four – Themes and Prompts
- May 4 – Session Five – Managing Difficulties
- June 1 – Session Six – Loose Ends
All are welcome: the curious, first-timers, and repeaters. Even if you can’t make it to every session, it is okay to join the ones that you can.
If interested, please contact Dave at dave.macq@icloud.com.
A FATHER FOR GENERATION ALPHA
A 9-week online offering for Fathers and soon-to-be Fathers
This online community is designed to meet new Dad’s at a moment when life has initiated them into Fatherhood. In meetings of just one-hour each week, we will drop keys of Wisdom, starting with ‘What it means to be a Man’, moving to ‘Living in Relationships’ and then to ‘What it means to be a Father’. We end with an overview of Men’s groups that Dads may want to follow-up with.
If you are a new or soon-to-be Dad, then this group is for you! Or is there someone like this in your life that might be interested in our Journey together? Then share this with them and encourage them to join us!
Find more information at https://a-father-for-gen-alpha.net/
When asked for a few words of encouragement, a Dad who recently completed the Journey shared these words from his wife; “I’m sad it’s your last meeting! I hope you can find another nourishing group to meet with soon, because this was so good for you and us!”
The Spring 2024 session of A Father for Gen Alpha starts on Tuesday, February 27 and meets every Tuesday night from 9-10pm Eastern through Tuesday, April 23.
Click Here to Register
Send questions to: a.father.for.gen.alpha@gmail.com
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
A FATHER FOR GENERATION ALPHA
A 9-week online offering for Fathers and soon-to-be Fathers
This online community is designed to meet new Dad’s at a moment when life has initiated them into Fatherhood. In meetings of just one-hour each week, we will drop keys of Wisdom, starting with ‘What it means to be a Man’, moving to ‘Living in Relationships’ and then to ‘What it means to be a Father’. We end with an overview of Men’s groups that Dads may want to follow-up with.
If you are a new or soon-to-be Dad, then this group is for you! Or is there someone like this in your life that might be interested in our Journey together? Then share this with them and encourage them to join us!
Find more information at https://a-father-for-gen-alpha.net/
When asked for a few words of encouragement, a Dad who recently completed the Journey shared these words from his wife; “I’m sad it’s your last meeting! I hope you can find another nourishing group to meet with soon, because this was so good for you and us!”
The Spring 2024 session of A Father for Gen Alpha starts on Tuesday, February 27 and meets every Tuesday night from 9-10pm Eastern through Tuesday, April 23.
Click Here to Register
Send questions to: a.father.for.gen.alpha@gmail.com
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
A FATHER FOR GENERATION ALPHA
A 9-week online offering for Fathers and soon-to-be Fathers
This online community is designed to meet new Dad’s at a moment when life has initiated them into Fatherhood. In meetings of just one-hour each week, we will drop keys of Wisdom, starting with ‘What it means to be a Man’, moving to ‘Living in Relationships’ and then to ‘What it means to be a Father’. We end with an overview of Men’s groups that Dads may want to follow-up with.
If you are a new or soon-to-be Dad, then this group is for you! Or is there someone like this in your life that might be interested in our Journey together? Then share this with them and encourage them to join us!
Find more information at https://a-father-for-gen-alpha.net/
When asked for a few words of encouragement, a Dad who recently completed the Journey shared these words from his wife; “I’m sad it’s your last meeting! I hope you can find another nourishing group to meet with soon, because this was so good for you and us!”
The Spring 2024 session of A Father for Gen Alpha starts on Tuesday, February 27 and meets every Tuesday night from 9-10pm Eastern through Tuesday, April 23.
Click Here to Register
Send questions to: a.father.for.gen.alpha@gmail.com
Come join a circle of men as we move closer to our wounds and then reimagine our relation to them. This will be done through an invitation to participate in council, ritual, wilderness wanderings, storytelling, and poetry. You can expect The Trickster to be there as well with a bag full of surprises. See the attached flyer for details.
“To approach forgiveness is to close in on the nature of the hurt itself, the only remedy being, as we approach its raw center, to reimagine our relation to it.
…at the end of life, the wish to be forgiven is ultimately the chief desire of almost every human being.”
David Whyte – Consolations.
REGISTER HERE
Healthy Masculinity and the Spiritual Journey
Mystics have long held that the pursuit of a “meaningful life” is an ongoing journey, but the questions arise, how do we traverse its many turns. Where is it leading? Are we on the path of self-understanding and acceptance? What are the pitfalls and traps along the way? Are we traveling on this journey alone? Ultimately, as men following a “power greater than ourselves”, what does it mean to live a spiritual life?
We start by acknowledging that we all have a deep desire and longing for union with the Divine. The road is rarely straight. The journey is sometimes “heroic” but often mundane. The lessons that life provides become our greatest teachers on the path to union with the Source of all life.
To discover how to engage these questions and more, please consider joining the men of Illuman of Illinois led by our wisdom teacher (and Illuman National Board member) Juan Hinojosa, for a morning of ritual, sharing, teaching, and connection.
Saturday, April 27, 8:30am – 12:30pm.
Free will offering (suggested donation: $20).
RSVP by April 25 to Convener@illumanillinois.org
Event Website
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
47 – Navigating the Midlife Passage
An Online Community for Men in Midlife
In our middle years we become vulnerable to new doubts, anxieties, and moods. We may suddenly fall in love, break up a marriage, storm out of a job in desperation. We may begin to feel empty, trapped in a life that seems to be living us. These are “dangerous” moments, but they can set the stage for a whole new phase of development. It begins to dawn on us, if we pay attention, that something more is needed.
—Robert Johnson, Living Your Unlived Life
A new Illuman community, “47 – Navigating the Midlife Passage,” is being offered this Spring for men who are navigating this delicate time of midlife. We will use Norman Fischer’s work, Sailing Home, as our companion on the Journey, along with other Wisdom Guides, to help show us the way Home.
Chris, a participant in our trial run of the program this past spring, offered these words about it:
If you are looking for something that allows you to look at your life from a different perspective, I would invite you to this program. Taking a few steps back from your own story and detaching from the pain can be very helpful. In this program, you will find an alternative to the myth that “as a man, you must do it alone, and I have to make my own way.” I found that my story, while unique to me, is part of a bigger story, and I can rest in the comradery of fellow sailors who are living their journey as well. This program offers connection with new friends and soulmates of a different kind that I didn’t know I needed. I found a place of belonging and don’t feel as separate anymore.
Click here for more information and to register
The offering will begin on Tuesday, April 30th from 8:30 – 9:30 pm Eastern Time and continue for the next six Tuesdays at that same time, ending on June 11th. All meetings will be held via Zoom.
We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Send questions to: midlifetime.47@gmail.com
The Way of Council is a central part of what Illuman does to promote healthier masculinity and “inner work that makes a difference in the world.” If you’ve ever participated in this practice, you’ve hopefully experienced good Council Stokers—i.e., the leaders who facilitate the Council practice.
While anyone can lead Council with some minimal resources (see the previous article), there’s an art to being an excellent Stoker. Developing this skill is easy to learn but requires practice, especially in getting out of your own way.
For those interested in going deeper into this core practice and developing this skill, we will be offering a six-session series on The Art of Being a Stoker beginning after the New Year. These 90-minute sessions will be offered on the first Saturday of each month at 9am Pacific/Noon Eastern. They will be led by Dave MacQuarrie, one of the original instigators of Illuman’s Virtual Councils.
The schedule is as follows:
- January 6 – Session One – The Intentions of Council
- February 3 – Session Two – Participant Roles
- March 2 – Session Three – Creating Sacred Space
- April 6 – Session Four – Themes and Prompts
- May 4 – Session Five – Managing Difficulties
- June 1 – Session Six – Loose Ends
All are welcome: the curious, first-timers, and repeaters. Even if you can’t make it to every session, it is okay to join the ones that you can.
If interested, please contact Dave at dave.macq@icloud.com.
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
47 – Navigating the Midlife Passage
An Online Community for Men in Midlife
In our middle years we become vulnerable to new doubts, anxieties, and moods. We may suddenly fall in love, break up a marriage, storm out of a job in desperation. We may begin to feel empty, trapped in a life that seems to be living us. These are “dangerous” moments, but they can set the stage for a whole new phase of development. It begins to dawn on us, if we pay attention, that something more is needed.
—Robert Johnson, Living Your Unlived Life
A new Illuman community, “47 – Navigating the Midlife Passage,” is being offered this Spring for men who are navigating this delicate time of midlife. We will use Norman Fischer’s work, Sailing Home, as our companion on the Journey, along with other Wisdom Guides, to help show us the way Home.
Chris, a participant in our trial run of the program this past spring, offered these words about it:
If you are looking for something that allows you to look at your life from a different perspective, I would invite you to this program. Taking a few steps back from your own story and detaching from the pain can be very helpful. In this program, you will find an alternative to the myth that “as a man, you must do it alone, and I have to make my own way.” I found that my story, while unique to me, is part of a bigger story, and I can rest in the comradery of fellow sailors who are living their journey as well. This program offers connection with new friends and soulmates of a different kind that I didn’t know I needed. I found a place of belonging and don’t feel as separate anymore.
Click here for more information and to register
The offering will begin on Tuesday, April 30th from 8:30 – 9:30 pm Eastern Time and continue for the next six Tuesdays at that same time, ending on June 11th. All meetings will be held via Zoom.
We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Send questions to: midlifetime.47@gmail.com
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
47 – Navigating the Midlife Passage
An Online Community for Men in Midlife
In our middle years we become vulnerable to new doubts, anxieties, and moods. We may suddenly fall in love, break up a marriage, storm out of a job in desperation. We may begin to feel empty, trapped in a life that seems to be living us. These are “dangerous” moments, but they can set the stage for a whole new phase of development. It begins to dawn on us, if we pay attention, that something more is needed.
—Robert Johnson, Living Your Unlived Life
A new Illuman community, “47 – Navigating the Midlife Passage,” is being offered this Spring for men who are navigating this delicate time of midlife. We will use Norman Fischer’s work, Sailing Home, as our companion on the Journey, along with other Wisdom Guides, to help show us the way Home.
Chris, a participant in our trial run of the program this past spring, offered these words about it:
If you are looking for something that allows you to look at your life from a different perspective, I would invite you to this program. Taking a few steps back from your own story and detaching from the pain can be very helpful. In this program, you will find an alternative to the myth that “as a man, you must do it alone, and I have to make my own way.” I found that my story, while unique to me, is part of a bigger story, and I can rest in the comradery of fellow sailors who are living their journey as well. This program offers connection with new friends and soulmates of a different kind that I didn’t know I needed. I found a place of belonging and don’t feel as separate anymore.
Click here for more information and to register
The offering will begin on Tuesday, April 30th from 8:30 – 9:30 pm Eastern Time and continue for the next six Tuesdays at that same time, ending on June 11th. All meetings will be held via Zoom.
We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Send questions to: midlifetime.47@gmail.com
The Young Men’s Rites of Passage (YMROP) is a five-day, wilderness-based retreat for young men between the ages of 18 to 29. Join other young men, mentors, and elders on a life-long journey of spiritual transformation, healthy masculinity, and initiation into manhood though the work of Illuman. ILLUMAN is a fellowship of “men transforming men, through a power greater than ourselves.” Our primary focus is inner work that makes a difference in the world. We are fed by the wisdom traditions of forgiveness and radical inclusivity. Using the ancient tools of nature, ritual, image, storytelling, and council we help one another reclaim the soul’s wisdom and the gift of joy. Bearing gifts that often come straight from the wound itself, we then re-join our sisters, brothers, and kin as healing agents in a hurting world.
Click Here To Learn More and Register
Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way.—The Dalai Lama
Illuman (US) is an organization of male-identified people who are predominantly White of European descent. Given the history of this country (USA), an essential part of Illuman’s mission to promote “inner work that makes a difference in the world” must be to address the deeply conditioned and embodied aspects of Whiteness that have grievously built and shaped our national culture and inherent institutions (educational, health, legal, political, religious, and economic) and continue to do so.
Although open to all men, healing the Whitewashed Soul was particularly created for white identified men who are committed to the struggle to end White Supremacy, have begun to awaken to how the construct of Whiteness has profoundly damaged and distorted their own humanity, are wanting to repair the breach with the natural world, and are looking for a supportive community where they can gather to face, grieve, and seek healing from their own moral and psychic wounds.
This experiential offering is built on the premise that Wendell Berry addresses in his book, The Hidden Wound, where he speaks of the profound psychic trauma that White Supremacy inflicts not only upon people of color, but also upon the psyches of those who are ‘privileged’ in the system. As James Baldwin writes, “that transformation [into Whiteness] ‘choked many a human being to death,’ because to become white meant the subjugation of others, an act that disfigured the soul by closing off the ability to see oneself in others, and to see them in oneself. This systemic internalized trauma, in turn, perpetuates patriarchal abuse, racial oppression, and destruction of the living system of our planet. Only by taking a crucial inner journey of courageous self-reflection can Whites truly prepare themselves to be part of the multi-racial coalitions required to end the global racism that manifests in the ongoing toxicity and destruction affecting most human and other-than-human communities.
~|~
Program overview:
- Initial full-day intensive on Saturday, April 13
- 10 two-hour long virtual plenary sessions, and 6 two-hour long break-out council sessions, held Mondays 7-9 pm Eastern Time (6-8 Central, 5-7 Mountain, 4-6 Pacific) from April 15-August 5 (excluding Memorial Day)
- Closing commitment gathering (possibly in-person)
Multiple nature based wanders throughout the series in home locality.
Topics will be introduced and explored through poetry, movement, video clips, rituals, short teaching times and small group discussions. Between sessions other resources such as reading, videos, and podcasts will be offered.
“Deepening Invitations” will be offered at the end of each plenary session that will include suggestions for wandering in the more-than-human world, journaling, and other means of soulful expression.
Program Fee: $550 with a sliding scale option
For more information or to register contact Glenn Siegel (gslizard@gmail.com) or Bryan Smith (bds3261@gmail.com)
~|~
Glenn Siegel, M.D. facilitated personal transformation as a psychiatrist for over three decades, co-developing a unique treatment model based on Authenticity as the “curative” force. Now retired from psychiatric practice, Glenn has entered a larger conversation with Wholeness and Self-Healing through the wisdom of the more-than-human world. He is a ‘Wild Mind’ guide trained through the Animas Valley Institute (Bill Plotkin) for those courageous enough to risk encounters with their soul gifts and the psychospiritual upheaval that may result. Now an Illuman Wisdom Elder Emeritus, Glenn has an enduring commitment to add both his voice and actions to the dismantling of patriarchal hierarchy, white supremacy/racism, and gender-based inequities.
Bryan Smith, M.Div. is a transformationalist who companions people as they discover, embrace, and manifest their wild calling and inherent genius that our enchanted and suffering world needs in a time such as this. Bryan has done this in myriad ways, including co-creating Seminary of the Wild, which has evolved into the Center for Wild Spirituality, where he serves as a guide and content creator. He also is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, an International Coaching Federation credentialed clergy coach, an Animas Valley Institute certified nature-based human development guide, and an anti-racism trainer. In his anti-racism work, Bryan is committed to helping individuals and organizations dismantle white supremacy and facilitate racial healing.
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