Paths of Initiation
A Mentoring Retreat for Younger and Older Men
Mendocino, California ~ August 17-22, 2010
Mendocino Woodlands Camp, Mendocino, CA
Through stories, poems and the compelling speech of the soul, through the suddenness of ideas and the surprise of ritual we will seek the spirit of practice and the life of the soul.
The soul begins its initiatory path at birth, each birth initiating a particular life story. Awakening to one’s inner story and finding life-long initiatory paths comprises the “real work” and genuine opus of our lives. Although each soul is naturally gifted and secretly aimed, many aspects of modern culture lead us away from the very paths of knowledge that the soul would have us take. Inside, the dream of our life keeps trying to awaken us from the sleep of the daily world.
The deep self is a “living library” that carries the exact knowledge and inner medicine needed to serve our life purposes. Yet, there is also a “cross-wise” aspect of life that obscures what we need to know and diminishes what we might become. Paths of initiation require that we shed the skins imposed upon us and those we choose to hide within. Each shedding removes something false or dead and helps to reveal the deep self and renew the vitality of our lives.
Initiation means the continuous breaking open of areas of the soul; it involves healing old wounds as well as revealing the unique project of the self. The world can’t help but offer continuous opportunities for initiation; the difficulty is “the problem of tuning-in” to the paths our souls would have us take.
This retreat is about tuning in to the exact speech of the soul and to changes that the deep self would have us make in order to move further along the paths of healing and self-revelation.
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Join us on this path of discovery as we approach the territory of initiation with a diverse and surprising faculty who will present ideas and elements of initiation from tribal traditions, spiritual practices, psychological perspectives, and a rich array of personal experiences.
Michael Meade is a renowned storyteller, author, scholar of mythology and ritual. He has the ability to synthesize this material and connect it to the stories we are living today. Michael is the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, author of The World Behind the World, The Water of Life, editor of The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart and an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Luis Rodriguez was won prestigious awards for both poetry and non-fiction. He is the author of Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times, Always Running- La Vida Loca: Gang Days in LA, Concrete River,My Nature Is Hunger, and other books. As a community activist he works with prisoners and at-risk youth. He is the founder of Tia Chucha Press and Café Cultural.
Duncan Allard will teach songs and dances from the musical traditions of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and will perform on the haunting music of the mbira.
Kokou Soglo Katamani brings percussive Ewe music and tribal songs from his homeland of Ghana.
Noel Amherd will offer introductions to Aikido and martial “stick practices” and insights from his writings on Ifa rites and rituals.
Hector Aristizabal will work with the “wisdom of the body” gleaned from extensive work with the Theater of the Oppressed and the Program for Torture Victims.
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RETREAT DETAILSDATES: Tuesday, August 17 to Sunday, August 22, 2010
LOCATION: The Mendocino Woodlands Camp is nestled within a beautiful, rare redwood forest. It is approximately four hours north of the Bay Area. After registering, you will receive a confirmation letter including directions and other pertinent information.
COST: $725 includes simple cabins, healthy food and all events. A deposit of $300 will hold your space. Final payment is due August 1, 2010. Proceeds from this event support work with at-risk youth.
DONATIONS: Your donation beyond the conference fee will support the Mosaic Scholarship Fund, Voices of Youth and other cross-cultural and inter-generational projects.
