Natural Passages

In This Issue

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  Natural Passages Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2010

 

Natural Passages:
Men Becoming Leaders

Background

Indigenous cultures refer to medicine as the essence of the person, place or thing. In our terms it is the essence of being a man as a spiritual, physical, mental and emotional being. In today’s society it is not always clear what it means to be a man. Moreover, it is not always clear how to be a man, nor is it always clear how to be the authentic self, fully present, regardless of circumstances. It seems that we have forgotten the essence of being a man, the medicine of being a man.

Rites of Passage—The Hero’s Journey

In prior times, the creation and development of medicine of men were done through various forms of initiations, now more commonly called Hero’s journeys. These journeys were structured rituals and ceremonies that brought the boy/man face-to–face with the boyish attitudes and beliefs that no longer served the evolving man.

These rituals and ceremonies were designed to ignite the deep masculine energies that would enable the boy to let go of the boyish ways that tended toward self–centeredness and move toward family and community responsibilities. These rituals and ceremonies often involved facing the deepest personal fears of boyhood. These processes would enable the man to evolve from the ashes of the boy.

Secrets of Being a Man—Leadership

Hero’s journeys were catalysts to burn away the psychology of being a boy so that new paradigms or world views could evolve. For the initiation to be successful, the initiatory process required that sacred space be created and held by others. In this sacred space, the initiates would be able to discover and release the habits and patterns of the past to create a new way of being. New paradigms were taught to the evolving men so that they would understand the energies within themselves that could be birthed and developed into skills and ways of being complete within the world. These paradigms or world views were considered the secrets of manhood.

Natural Passages: Men Becoming Leaders

Natural Passages: Men Becoming Leaders is a one year male initiation program. It is a program that enables the core integrity of the man to surface. It is designed to awaken, develop, and nurture the essence and fullness of being a man in today’s world. Our focus is developmental. We seek to invoke the unfoldment of mature masculine energies. Our goal is specific. We seek to assist each man to find his place in the world. Our hope is honorable. We seek to fill the void of mature men that can stay within the center of whom they are regardless of circumstances and lead others. Our dream is selfish. In supporting others to find their place in the world, we envision your leading others to do the same. Therein, we can build community and make a difference in the world.

We will experience

Natural Passages will build a community amongst nature. We will experience the healing of reconnecting to the earth by living in harmony with nature. We will experience a purification sweat lodge every week-end to enable each man to shed old skins of being in the world and be reborn. We will experience being fully present with ourselves and with others so that we can make meaningful contact instead of talk at each other. We will experience talking circles to explore what it means to be a man. We will experience the formation of a community and what it means to be a member of one. We will explore what it means to become a member of the male community. We will explore what is means to be a man.

We Will Meet

The One-year Initiation Program will meet four times over the course of the year. It includes four in-depth experiences of cycles of life and the stages of change. Each weekend will explore one of four male archetypes. Beginning in the Spring, we will explore the archetypal energies of the Warrior, including how we can become sidetracked into being a perpetual hero or an unconscious victim. In the Summer, we will explore, the archetypal energies of the Sage, including how we can be consumed by the energies of the trickster and/or fool. In the Autumn, we will explore the Healer energies where we come into our own sense of compassion and receptivity or become consumed by addictions or desensitization. Finally, we finish in the Winter in the world of the archetypal Sovereign, where we claim our internal power or become tyrants or wimps.

Who Attends

The program draws from a wide range of men throughout the country. We are diverse in age, occupation, orientation, race, income, culture, and ethnicity. Medical doctors, international consultants, computer programmers, college graduate students, business development directors, factory laborers, construction workers, various levels of management, and several CEOs from mid sized organizations have completed the program.

Facilitation

Herb Stevenson is the founder of the Medicine of Men program. He is President/CEO of the Cleveland Consulting Group, Inc., where he is specializes in executive and leadership development. He is listed in eight Who’s Who lists, including Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, and Who’s who in American Education. Herb is on the faculty at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland where he teaches in clinical and organizational programs and Cleveland State University where he teaches in the diversity management graduate school program. He facilitates Men’s Circles in the Cleveland area. He is on the Board of Trustees of The American Indian Education Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Herb has spent that last decade reclaiming his Cherokee and Shawnee Indian heritage. He can be reached at MenofMedicine@aol.com,
or 440-338-1705.

Dates

March 18-21, 2010
June 24-27, 2010
September 23-26, 2010
November 11-14, 2010

Your Investment

The fee for the One Year Initiation program is:

  • $2400 for individuals
  • $4800 for business and corporations

If the full amount is paid by February 1st of the program year, there is a $300 discount for individuals and a $600 discount for businesses and corporations, so that the program cost will be $2100 and $4200 respectively. Full payment is due March 1st of the program year.

There is a non-refundable $200 application fee for the One-year Initiation Program and the Intensive program. It will be applied to the program fee, if applicable. See application for details. Checks should be made payable to: the Cleveland Consulting Group, Inc.

Payment plans are available, but must be arranged prior to the start of the program. You may download a printable application form or signup online here.

Camp Set-up and Tear-down

Registration is from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. Camp set-up is from 10:00 a.m. The weekends will close on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. after the tear down of the camp.

Some items you will need

We will be living amongst nature. Tents will be provided. However, you will need to bring a sleeping bag, ground cloth, and a ground pad or cot. You will need to bring rain gear as we will meet rain or shine or snow or sleet. You will need to bring clothing appropriate to being outside. Insulated boots would be appropriate for the winter. Flash lights and washable eating utensils, including plate/bowl, cup, knife, fork and spoon are required. You will need to bring soap and shaving gear as desired. Be mindful that the walking path to camp is rough terrain. Each man needs to bring 2 to 3 gallons of water for each week-end, as well as dried fruits, nuts, protein or granola bars, etc. to be commingled into a community pantry.

We will explore

The Four Responsibilities of Manhood

  1. The ability to Show up and be present without preconceived notions
    while taking action and enforcing boundaries
  2. The ability to assess, analyze, and contain,
    while Saying what’s so when it is so without blame or judgment
  3. Ability to connect and feel, while Paying attention to what has heart and meaning
  4. The Ability to Initiate, Support and Create Order, While being Open to Outcome

The Four Great Values

  1. Courage Fight
  2. Respect Fawn
  3. Compassion Flight
  4. Generosity Freeze

The Four Fear Responses

  1. Fight
  2. Fawn
  3. Flight
  4. Freeze

The Four Chambered Heart

  1. Strong
  2. Clear
  3. Open
  4. Full

The Four Laws of Change

  1. Change come from within
  2. Permanent Change requires a vision
  3. A great healing or shared learning must occur
  4. A healing force/forest must be present

The Four Actions of Male Maturity

  1. Doing
  2. Knowing
  3. Caring
  4. Holding

The Four Enemies of Male Maturity

  1. Cowardice as seen through: Victimization, conflict avoidance, dissociation, rage, irresponsibility
  2. Entitlement as seen through: Control focused, Abuse of power, Cleverness
  3. Living behinds masks that no longer serve, judgmental, deflection
    Superiority as seen through: Perfection, Seriousness, Addictive behaviors, Alienation/Separation
  4. Inferiority as seen through Worthlessness, co-dependency, narcissism, tyrannical, know-it-all.


Upcoming Programs

Natural Passages

One-Year Initiation Program for Men
Starting in Spring, March 18, 2010
4 Seasons, 4 Weekends:

March 18-21
June 24-27
Sept 23-26
Nov 11-14

Natural Passages one-year program is a 4-session male initiation. It is a program that enables the core integrity of the man to surface. It is designed to awaken, develop, and nurture the essence and fullness of being a man in today's world. Our focus is developmental. We seek to invoke the unfoldment of mature masculine energies. Our goal is specific. We seek to assist each man to find his place in the world. Our hope is honorable. We seek to fill the void of mature men that can stay within the center of whom they are regardless of circumstances. Our dream is selfish. In helping you to find your place in the world, we envision your helping others to do the same. Therein, we can build community and make a difference in the world.

Download the PDF brochure


MoMen Return

July 15-18, 2010

The MoMen Return weekend is a return to where we started. It is an exploration into the four principles of presence. The focus is to delve deeply into the relational next steps of the four chambered heart, the four phantoms of fear and the resulting shadow behavior. Dynamic exercises will be provided to support an inward journey and then the opportunity to share these private stories with each other.

The intention of the weekend is to take advantage of the wooded area of the Pebble Ledges. Living in tents, we will have the magic of solitude, the comfort of the surrounding forest, and the support of the community of other MoMen. Woven into the fabric of the weekend are experiences that support personal and interpersonal explorations of whom are you as a man in today’s world.

Find out more...

Download the PDF brochure


Norwegian Program

Luster in Sogn, Norway
June 7-12, 2010

The weekend introduction is a five-day workshop. It is a five-day experience that develops into the four laws of change applied through exploring the archetypal energies of the deep masculine, deep wisdom, deep feminine, and deep caring. Each day will surface specific issues that revolve around maturity and being a man, while enjoying the beauty of nature. We will enjoy the sense of building community with other men, learning that most of us have never learned how to support ourselves or other men.

Find out more...