We Exist to Help Men Dive Deeper Into Life
“Illuman invited me to live life beyond the one I'd rehearsed.”
—Paul, Washington
Our aim is to help men become loving, generative wisdom-carriers who care for others and the world.
We do this by walking the Journey of Illumination together.
Our Mission
Illuman is a spiritual movement helping men deepen in connection with ourselves, others, and the needs of the world.
Our Vision
As men awaken, we participate in the flourishing of Earth. We long for a world in which all are living from our deepest selves. We foresee men walking a lifelong journey of inner work, being transformed through Spirit, a loving power greater than ourselves.
Our Practices
We live out our mission and vision through five essential practices: nature, ritual, image, story, and Council. We seek to form future generations of men who will restore these practices, building a world that celebrates the beauty of all beings.
At each gathering, we draw on the power of nature, story, ritual, image, and Council to support men on their spiritual journey. These practices aren’t magic, but have stood the test of time in many traditions, helping men realize a full, intense, and well-grounded presence in the world.
Our Values
Spirit-Led: We are men who wholeheartedly seek connection to a loving power greater than ourselves. This connection is the source of all our action, the place we turn to before we act.
Love: We are men expanding our capacity for compassion so that love guides our way.
Wholeness: We are men moving beyond the illusion of separateness and recognizing the interconnectedness of all beings.
Releasing: We are men relinquishing that which no longer serves us or the greater Earth community.
Wisdom: We are men learning that knowledge is not wisdom and moving our thinking mind into our heart’s service.
Radical Belonging: We are men who have experienced that separateness is a construction of the mind, which can be undone through inner work and outward action.
“The needs of the world are too great, the suffering and pain too extensive, the lures of the world too seductive for us to begin to change the world unless we are changed.”
—William Willimon, Bread and Wine
You Are Welcome Here
In a world that’s increasingly divided, we deeply value the wisdom principle of radical inclusivity. This spirit of welcome runs deep in everything we do, creating a profound sense of belonging for all. At Illuman, you’ll find men who are rich, poor, queer, straight, conservative, progressive, religious, agnostic, and everything in between—all breaking bread together, extending radical welcome to one another. What a scarce and needed thing in our world!
Illuman Offers:
Transformative Inner Work
Illuman provides opportunities to do the “inner work” of personal growth and spiritual transformation in the company of other men. We use rituals, story, contemplative practices, and a small-group framework known as the Way of Council to help men explore the things that matter most.
A Liberating Environment
In Illuman, men can speak without being judged or shamed. Men can express their emotions freely. Men can find healing from traumatized and unhealthy forms of masculinity. Men can rediscover their authentic selves.
Support & Brotherhood
Illuman invites men to discuss the real life challenges of the various roles they play: son, father, grandfather, partner, provider, nurturer, lover, friend, and more. Men support one another as they journey through life’s toughest challenges and transitions, forging deep and lasting friendships with other men.
Contemplative Spirituality
Illuman emphasizes contemplative spiritual practices and unique ritual experiences more than conceptual teachings. Through story, image, nature, rhythm, and stillness, Illuman creates one-of-a-kind opportunities for men to explore the deepest parts of their inner selves.
We are seeking a life-changing spirituality.
We are focused on inner work that makes a difference in the world.
We are fed by the wisdom traditions of forgiveness and radical inclusivity.
We recover traditional patterns of male initiation.
We affirm a masculine path to healing that reveals the true and false selves and honors the path of descent.
We do this through the power of nature, ritual, image, story, and Council.
Are you ready to begin your Journey of Illumination?
