Illuman is committed to supporting your personal Journey of Illumination. Our vision is to make a masculine path to healing available to all men, to remedy the traumatized and toxic versions of masculinity too often found in our present culture. 

If this purpose energizes you as well, we invite you to get involved. Start by participating in one of the programs mentioned above. We also invite you to consider volunteering your time and skills on one of our leadership Councils (email [email protected] about volunteer opportunities). Finally, your financial support is essential to adequately leverage the thousands of man-hours already put in by our volunteers and staff (click here to donate).

Illuman’s Passion Circles are a new kind of Virtual Council that provide opportunities for men to gather online around shared common interests or personal experiences. In addition to the ones already running, we have recently added two new Circles:

Join the Trekking with the Authors circle for a journey through Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide, a moving collection of reflections, stories, and practices from the life and experiences of Father Adam Bucko, interreligious pioneer, new monastic leader, priest, spiritual director, and activist. Let your Heartbreak Be Your Guide is uniquely positioned to accompany us through the disillusionment and violence of these times. Father Adam writes from the heart, offering practical guidance on how to adopt “engaged contemplation,” a lived spirituality responsive to suffering and injustice. This circle meets via Zoom at 8pm Eastern Time on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, beginning Monday, January 9th. Click here to register or email [email protected] with any questions. 

from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings (Doubleday, 2008)

At this in-person writing retreat, we will soak in the wisdom and beauty of the poetry of Mary Oliver. We will use the fire and water of her words to illuminate and wash over our own lives. We will try to capture our thoughts on paper. We will share our journey over the course of a full weekend retreat. This will be the sixth year that Ohio Illuman has sponsored a writing retreat. We are thrilled to invite men, both local and from around the world, to join us in this reflective writing journey as we gather in person to share our real-life experiences. The event cost is $275 for single-room lodging with a private bath and six meals.

What are masculinity and the deep masculine? How do I encounter my soul and the divine feminine? What is the dream of the Earth asking of me?  We will live into these questions and more in a year-long apprenticeship into what Robert Bly called “the deep masculine.” Heavily influenced by the work of Bill Plotkin, Richard Rohr, Robert Bly, and Marion Woodman, we will explore the nature-based map of the human psyche as found in Plotkin’s Wild Mind, with special attention to the True Self and the divine feminine, through which we come in contact with the deep masculine. This cohort experience includes three in-person intensives in the wilds of Joshua Tree National Park, the Colorado Rockies, and Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, as well as bimonthly virtual Councils and one-on-one mentoring.

The Way of Council is a central part of what Illuman does to promote healthier masculinity and “inner work that makes a difference in the world.” If you’ve ever participated in this practice, you’ve hopefully experienced good Council Stokers—i.e., the leaders who facilitate the Council practice. For those interested in developing this skill for yourself, we will offer a six-session series on the Art of Being a Stoker beginning January 7, 2023. These 90-minute sessions will be offered on the first Saturday of each month at 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern.

Connect with other men wherever you are. Just click here to find a list of Virtual Council options and pick the one that works best for you. All are invited!

Illuman is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose vision is to see men transforming men and, through them, families and communities for generations to come. Our mission is to support men in their life-long journey of spiritual transformation.