The Hero's Journey for Elders
The Elder Journey
The point of aging is to slow downward,
to descend further into the life intended by the soul.
The point of aging is to fully incarnate the dream that brought
each soul to life to begin with... the genuine elder becomes a complex living symbol;
on one side evidence of the inevitable decay of life; on the other side an example of the inner gold of the deep self shinning through the tatters of one's life.
~ Michael Meade
An invitation into Conscious Elderhood…
As our lifetime extends, so must our awareness, our faith, our love.
Rabindranath Tagore once observed that "truth comes as a conqueror only to those who have lost the art of receiving it as a friend”. The same can be said of the aging process, which comes as a conqueror only to those who have lost the art of receiving it as an ally.
As we enter those years where physical age begins to summon us toward callings of a larger order and tenor than what we knew in our early and middle years, we are increasingly called to living the life that has been waiting to be lived through us. Vocation calls more deeply than profession; the desire for a soul enriched life overtakes the attention formerly dedicated to material gains and ego holdings. A re-visioning of life is set in motion as we enter into a new relationship with time—as both increasingly expansive and increasingly limited-- and what we choose to do with our time here.
All of these currents inevitably transform the way we relate to who we are in our personal life and in our multifaceted relationship with the world. There is a refinement process underway that changes our relationship to our friends and lovers, to our sexuality, to our bodies, and to the living earth that has granted us temporary possession of our bodies. And, ultimately, all of this beckons us toward a truer, more real and intimate, relationship with the nature of God and our own God nature.
The soul’s imperative to reclaim our one true life, and live it completely, shines like a north star in the darkest of nights. And the generative question… What do I have to give to this life?... matures into a pulsing resonance in the center of the chest. It leads us into the terrain of a deeper introspection:
How might I best use the totality of relationships and events that have contributed to who I am now, in the most generative way possible?
What imprints of fate and of my own unconscious doing am I called to face, forgive and accept in order to live more fully into my destiny?
What is my vision and vocation for the elder journey of my life?
What do I live by and what do I live for?
* Life Review: Scanning our life for events that we feel are calling for forgiveness. Forgiveness of others, forgiveness of self. Engaging in a recapitulation process that begins to put our past to rest.
What is the calling of the elder phase of life and, in particular, what are the features of this part of life's journey that speak uniquely to me?
In what ways am I feeling death as an antagonist; as an ally? What have the many "little deaths" I've experienced in a lifetime taught me about this transition and how have they prepared me to celebrate this passage?
Support for this journey…
We will gather as a vital part and in membership within the larger community of the Hero’s Journey Men’s Intensive. The far reaching and inward touching aspects of our exploration will be supported by a most inspiring natural landscape and by the collective presence of men of all ages who are being called to investigate and embody the most authentic expression of manhood available to them at this significant time in their lives. The multi-generational context of the Hero's Journey Men's Intensive community provides a rare opportunity for self reflection, healing and life renewal.
We will participate in the essential thread of our community-wide Hero’s Journey processes and events. Yet we will move through the week together as an distinct elder group, engaging in inner and outer explorations specific to our
age-related
needs and capabilities. As opportunities and
invitations arise, we will explore ways of presencing our life perspective with
the Young Men's Journey participants.
This will also provide us with the unique possibility for a recovery and
healing of our own lived, and unlived, adolescence.
What to expect…
Certainly, the unexpected. This is the only thing that we, or anyone else for that matter, can stand behind with an unconditional guarantee. You will see us allude to this posture of "expect nothing, but be ready for anything” in many places and in many ways throughout our work. We don’t offer this as a clever slogan but the necessary means for the human ego to transcend its childish demand for total control and uncompromising comfort. And so, from our spiritual perspective, we will take up the liberating attentiveness practice that is fostered by this discipline of relaxed expectation and open awareness.
Yet we also understand the need, on the physical level, for a certain amount of stability and information which enables us to purposefully enter the unknown.
You will have the option of camping or making arrangements to stay in indoor dormitory style accommodations. Due to the isolated natural setting of our basecamp, cell phone and internet service are not immediately available. Thus, external distractions are kept to a bare minimum. A rare condition in modern life and a necessary condition for the soul's life. All emergency calls are handled through our residential phone landline.
Our meals are carefully prepared by our own chef and cooking teams who will accommodate most dietary needs and restrictions. Our basecamp is owned and managed by The Mountain Institute, in Circleville, WV. The Institute operates a number of mountaintop ecological and cultural centers across the world, this one being the Appalachian preserve. More information can be found at: http://www.mountain.org/spruce-knob-mountain-center
An exceptional team of guides and a large community of returning support staff will help you clarify and energize your heroic journey in a way that serves your unique passage through this phase of your life and is likewise directed to enliven the whole of life.
Upon enrollment…
You will be given a detailed guide to help you prepare for your Hero’s Journey Intensive. This will include guidance to help you begin your journey at home, self-reflective questions and meditations, and suggested further reading. We will elicit a brief written reflection from you, focusing on four key preparatory questions, which you will send to us before your arrival on the mountain.
All physical and logistical concerns such as recommended clothing and equipment lists and travel information will also be addressed by the preparatory information.
The Hero’s Journey Elder Group is facilitated by Joseph Jastrab.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS
FOR THE JULY 2012 MEN’S SUMMER INTENSIVE.
The investment for this week long intensive is $1995.00
Click here for enrollment information
Click here to email us with specific questions
or call 845-658-9025