Events

The Elders’ Rites of Passage (EROP) is a five-day intensive retreat that serves those beginning or already on the eldering journey. Eldering like all of life, has its own seasons, beginning with the most socially active and energetic eldering years, through the release of roles and responsibilities, the lifting of the eye to a broader more distant horizon, and the dawning of the Holy Fool within. The EROP holds all these seasons of the Elder, tending to each in turn.

Thus for some the EROP serves as an entrance into the journey, and for others it is a deepening of work that has been ongoing for a long time. Using ritual, story, time in nature, council, and image, participants are invited to harvest all that has been, sit with death, practice deep listening to the cries of the world, and discern what is theirs to do (and not do) in their final chapter. It is an encounter with life and death that is uncontainable, and calls one deeper into their own story as well as The Great Stories.

After the EROP one finds they have been ushered into a community of Elders, who have gone before, and are welcomed into a council of elders in which the work began can continue. In the end, how each Elder chooses to bless the world is as varied as their fingerprints, but one thing in common is that one cannot elder alone- there are no solo journeys into the sunset, eldering is a communal experience.

“Elder” by definition is a relational word, naming a sacred connection and responsibility on behalf of others. On whose behalf are you being called to elder? It is not (only) for or from one’s own self that the call comes. The call is on the lips of descendants, in the dreams from the ancestors–even the more-than-human world is crying out for men and women to rise up as Elders: to give, live, die, laugh, bless, on behalf of all that is…

Join Illuman and Fr. Richard Rohr as we explore the Masculine Path to Healing!

For many men the wounding of their souls is not generally recognized until midlife. The carrying of unresolved grief, internalized shame and guilt, loneliness, personal family traumas, intergenerational issues and societal pressures all serve to weigh men down in disparaging ways. The wounds of individuals spiral outward, leading to larger wounds in society such as racism, toxic patriarchy, and our ecological crisis–which in turn, further wound individuals in a negative feedback loop.

The injury to a man’s soul, and the wounds of the world, cry out for healing, and Illuman offers a pathway through. We are men transforming men, through a Power greater than ourselves. Using the ancient tools of nature, ritual, image, storytelling and council we will 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 join sisters and brothers, as healing agents in a hurting world.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

A Father for Gen Alpha led by Anthony Monticchio

They say the Spirit works in mysterious ways, indeed it’s true, she assembled a group of men from the Illuman Community in 2019, that worked together and designed a new eight-week online offering called: ‘A Father for Generation Alpha’. The offering is designed to meet new millennial Dad’s at a moment in their young lives when life has initiated them into Fatherhood. The offering’s approach is to drop keys of Wisdom each week, starting with ‘What it means to be a Man’ and then moving to ‘What it means to be a Father’ and ending with an overview of Men’s groups that they may want to follow-up with.

Registration is now open for our second pilot that will most likely be starting in the June time frame.
There is no cost to Register and all Registrants will receive more info about the program in their US postal mailbox after they Register.

Please see our page for endorsements from Fr. Richard Rohr, Illuman of DC and Illuman of Indiana-Michigan- https://a-father-for-gen-alpha.net/endorsements

What is the Men’s Rites of Passage?

For most men, the question of what it means to be a man is perplexing. Many men have a longing for the support and guidance of other men in their journey towards masculinity, maturity, and a deeper experience with the Divine. In ancient cultures initiation rites and vision quests were used to help boys make the journey into adulthood.

Opening the door to this journey can start with the Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP). The MROP is not just a men’s retreat, but five days of formal male initiation. These teachings on the “mysteries” and the accompanying rituals have been met with a very positive response in recent years. Over 5,000 men have now been initiated through these rites of male initiation over the past 20 years

This Journey begins with the age-old traditions that teach the five lessons every man needs to learn before he can fully engage in the adventure and mystery life will bring. MROP can awaken men to their own masculinity, their deep spirituality, their potential for leadership, and their life’s purpose. This is not about religion but about spirituality, about age old traditions that guide us into manhood (regardless of our chronological age), about coming to trust that there is something much greater at work in our lives than we could ever imagine.

The Younger Men’s Rites is led by a team of experienced elders who have themselves been through Rites of Passage. Supporters and Fathers of the men attending are invited to assist the Rites in various ways.

In the words of the program’s founder – Richard Rohr:
“Men are asked to come with a willingness to participate from beginning to end and not as an observer. All participants begin at point zero with no agendas to live up to or down to. All that is required is for a man to come with a “beginner’s mind’ and the readiness of a novice seeking wisdom. Ultimately, initiation, like life itself, is not a spectator sport.”

What is the Men’s Rites of Passage?

For most men, the question of what it means to be a man is perplexing. Many men have a longing for the support and guidance of other men in their journey towards masculinity, maturity, and a deeper experience with the Divine. In ancient cultures initiation rites and vision quests were used to help boys make the journey into adulthood.

Opening the door to this journey can start with the Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP). The MROP is not just a men’s retreat, but five days of formal male initiation. These teachings on the “mysteries” and the accompanying rituals have been met with a very positive response in recent years. Over 5,000 men have now been initiated through these rites of male initiation over the past 20 years

This Journey begins with the age-old traditions that teach the five lessons every man needs to learn before he can fully engage in the adventure and mystery life will bring. MROP can awaken men to their own masculinity, their deep spirituality, their potential for leadership, and their life’s purpose. This is not about religion but about spirituality, about age old traditions that guide us into manhood (regardless of our chronological age), about coming to trust that there is something much greater at work in our lives than we could ever imagine.