Mythic Warrior 2014

Mythic Warrior is a program for men run by Circles of Air, Circles of Stone. This years program begins November 16th. For more information visit www.questforvision.com

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On a mid-winter Saturday morning in Western Massachusetts 20 men walk through knee high snow toward a stone circle. Most, utterly unprepared, will have socks and sneakers drenched, and cold feet to warm by the wood stove on their return. Standing around this circle a shout begins the morning prayer - "Father sky, mother earth, one love..." 

These are not prayers rehearsed or set to some religious end. These men are speaking from the heart, shouting in the mid-winter air, their truth. An exercise in expressing the quiet and nagging need that lies underneath the walls we build to protect ourselves, our dreams to tender to risk.

These men, for the most part do not know each other. Yet, over the course of several weekends will cry, shout, and sing the tenderest parts of themselves. All of them dedicated to identifying and bringing their deepest gifts and passions to the world.

Since 1994 long-time vision quest leader and shamanic teacher Sparrow Hart has been leading the Mythic Warrior program - a 9-weekend workshop using the "Hero's Journey" as a backdrop to bring real and sustainable change to the lives of more than 250 men, and the lives of those they impact. 

The program, 9-weekends over 9 months, takes a participant through a series of exercises that sometimes seem utterly unrelated. Each one is an invitation to live and express ourselves more authentically, to heal the psychic wounds we carry, to find our juice, our energy, our passion. From the first weekends focusing on our "call to adventure" to the last focusing on the return and how to live and share our gifts, the work done and fellowship experienced creates a container to foster a greater sense of self and greater commitment to our place in the world.

Sparrow, and co-leader Blase Provitola, have been doing this work for 20 years. As leaders their camaraderie and ease set the tone for each participant to find truth in themselves. There is no set of beliefs one needs to subscribe to, no goal, other than each man comes closer to standing in his own. Sparrow and Blase have a beautiful way of creating and making space for each participant to explore the work they need to do within themselves. Their trust, honesty, and humility is refreshing in a world full of elevated gurus. 

The program, even though it is a men's program, is not one of these "up with men" type of things. For a man to live truly and authentically he must begin to open up to his connection and relationship to all things - internal and external. Mythic Warrior does just that in allowing each man to find his own masculine voice beyond the backward idea that men need to be dominant or aggressive. Real masculine power is in love and the responsibility we choose to take on in the world we live in.

I've had the pleasure of working on staff at Mythic Warrior for a few years now and I cannot recommend the program enough.

If you are (or know) a man who feels disconnected from his purpose, bottled up with emotions, struggling with commitment or missing passion and joy in life Mythic Warrior is the perfect experience to open the door to change.

If you are interested contact me. More information, including dates, is available at www.questforvision.com. This years program begins November 14th.