In contemporary society, men are no longer culturally supported to become truly wild, intuitive, creative and embodied custodians of the earth. Without this healthy relationship to the earth, we see the personal and collective shadow elements arise: savagery (i.e violent, brutal and cruel), conformity (i.e unethical, unimaginative and disempowered) and entitlement (i.e greedy, ungrateful and selfish). It is now up to us to re-imagine what it truly means to belong to ourselves and this Earth we call home.
For thousands of years, many animist and spiritually-connected cultures have revered the Earth as a living being that gives birth to all forms of life. In the Andean cosmology from Peru for example, the Earth is referred to as “Pachamama” or “Mother Earth.” She is the one who gives birth to the natural world, representing the sacred feminine, and creating a home for all life forms, her children, to live.
In the fourth and final part of this Men’s series, we will explore our relationship to Earth as an element and also one of its symbolic associations: Embodiment. By embodiment, I refer to being fully incarnate in the body and ‘down-to-earth.’
Through the use of Earth-based ritual, music, self-enquiry, deep listening and collaborative dreaming we will explore some of the following questions:
What is my relationship to the Earth? What qualities does the element of Earth represent for me in my life?
How do I relate to my body, and what does it mean to be fully embodied?
What does it feel like to be fully embodied in my wildness and intuition?
When, and where, do I feel like I belong the most? How do I experience belonging?
About the Series
Re-wilding Man is a 4-part series dedicated to the exploration of what it means to be an authentic, wild, and spiritually connected man, living in today’s modern dominant culture.
Through the lens of the elements, we will collaboratively explore ancient, conventional, and emerging ideas to re-imagine as a community of men: how can we practically engage with the Earth and Nature to affect positive change?
This series is a part of a rolling series of Men's Circles held at Fairfield Uniting Church. They are an opportunity for Men to come together and explore important themes and ideas. They are an opportunity to sit with like minded men in a space geared towards curiosity and deep listening.
About Alexandre Jodun
Bookings
We have limited space for these workshops and registration is a must. Please contact Anthony Olsen to book or find out more information.
