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Now, more than ever, we need to call on a masculinity that values and respects the feminine, that is infused with wisdom and restraint, that offers discernment and deep caring for the world and its people.

We must continue on the journey from boy to man to elder.  In previous retreats, we have addressed the boy’s wounds, sought to live into sturdy male identity, and reached for the elder that we all have the potential to become.

We now focus squarely on the authentic male persona, the man who wishes to deepen into masculine soul and bring all his gifts and medicine into the world.  We will bring in the Blessing Man, the man who cherishes the sacred and honors all of creation.  We offer to those men who will join us the opportunity to deepen into these most beautiful aspects of themselves and celebrate them with a group of full-hearted brothers.

Grandfather Oak is an archetype that represents the seasoned masculine.  Rooted firmly and deeply in the ground, his branches can dance in the wind.  They can bend and flex.  They are like knobby arms that hold up the sky, embrace beauty, and protect the feathered ones.  These arms never stop blessing. They twist their way into heaven, even as the feet burrow deep in the earth.

The authentic masculine is like Grandfather Oak: unique, deeply rooted, reaching into the heavens, blessing and protecting the sacred.  It carries a legacy of strength, of holding and using power wisely, inspiring and reflecting loyalty and honor.  This is a masculine that gives generously and receives so much in the giving.

RETREAT DETAILS:

The group will be limited to 25 men to allow for maximum participation and interaction.  We encourage early registration to ensure a spot at the retreat and to access the lower early registration fee.

RETREAT FEES:

PIONEER: $525; Full payment before Dec. 9, 2016;                                              

STANDARD RETREAT FEE: $575--Full payment by Jan. 27, 2017

DEPOSIT: $175; holds your spot; full payment due by Jan. 27, 2017

LATE REGISTRATION: $675; after Jan. 27, 2017; final registration deadline is Feb. 10, 2017

FRIEND DISCOUNT: Bring a friend and get $50.00 off on both your registrations.  Click on the Promo Code box on the registration form and enter: FRIEND

This retreat will be held at Camp Whittier in the mountains behind Santa Barbara, CA.  We will be on 55 acres of land populated by oaks and deer, not far from Lake Cachuma.  Camp Whittier provides bunk style accomodations and meals prepared by their on-site chef.  We will have access to a wood-paneled lodge and outdoor fire pits.  This promises to be an ideal setting for open, honest communication in an environment of physical and emotional safety.

RETREAT FAQs: click for more information

 

This poem conveys the essence of this retreat:

 

CARGO

(For Malidoma Some’, Loon Lake, 2000)
 

 

You enter life a ship, laden with meaning, purpose and gifts

sent to be delivered to a hungry world,

and as much as the world needs your cargo,

you need to give it away.

Everything depends on this.
 

 

But the world forgets its needs,

and you forget your mission, and

the ancestral maps used to guide you

have become faded scrawls on the parchment of dead Pharoahs.

The cargo weighs you heavy the longer it is held.

Spoilage becomes a risk.

Your ship sputters from port to port and at each you ask:

“Is this the way?”

But the way cannot be found without knowing the cargo,

and the cargo cannot be known without recognizing there is a way.

It is simply this:

You have gifts.

The world needs your gifts.

You must deliver them.
 

 

The world may not know it is starving,

but the hungry know,

and they will find you

when you discover your cargo

and start to give it away.

  
                                --Greg Kimura

 

 REGISTER NOW.

Tom McGee and Richard Palmer are dedicated to helping men develop the wisdom and maturity that is their potential.  We have been working with men in groups and individually for over twenty years, assisting them in growing into healthy relationships and fulfilling lives. This retreat is a continuation of the "Healing the Boy, Strengthening the Man" retreats that is the culmination of all of our work.  In this retreat, we will be focusing almost exclusively on the Man, who is growing into his full masculine identity.