The Men's Rites of Passage

First and foremost you won’t find out much about what happens at the MROP. It is designed that way. One of the main tenets of the MROP is that you engage in the whole process with a “beginner’s mind.” The threshold to the beginner’s mind is having no expectations and embracing the mystery by allowing yourself to be challenged and open to the possibility of transformation.

There is no way to tell if you are ready. Just the fact that you are reading this is a good indicator that you are open to transformation and the spiritual path.

There is really no age that qualifies you to go. It is more about your life experience that leads you to a place of interest in the mystery that you might find at the MROP.

The MROP is not like a “talking head” retreat where someone gets up and talks to you about your life and what you need to do next. The MROP is a full participant retreat. You will be asked to participate in several different rituals over the 5 days. You will not be forced to do anything against your conscience or your readiness to participate fully. However, you will be asked to explore deeply any resistance to participating. These rites have been developed from the wisdom of thousands of years of initiating men. We do not pretend that they are places we want to go willingly. However, their purpose is to find our authentic selves.

No. We welcome men wherever they are on their spiritual journey. The MROP is focused on the mystery and spirituality of life. We are rooted in the Judaeo-Christian tradition and use rites and symbols from that tradition. But we also draw inspiration from other cultures who have recognized the importance of helping men make the transition into fully awakened spiritual beings. We hope to help all men who attend the MROP, to experience their own purpose and the Divine, the Mystery or Source of our being.

The answer is Yes. In fact, we encourage this because it will take you awhile to “unpack” all you will go through at the MROP. When you have a friend (who lives in the same area as you) going to the same MROP there is a common bond. It is very important to have a community of men to be able to unpack what the MROP gives you. With a friend you can start to meet together weekly or monthly to see what new things are happening in your life because of the MROP.

If you have requested, “Yes – Please make contact with me about groups and events” on your MROP application, Illuman NorCal will contact you and encourage you to attend the local meetings. Or if there is no men’s community in your area, information and assistance will be provided to help you get a community going. We are part of an international men’s movement called Illuman and can get you in touch with men in your area who are connected through Illuman.

No. We support all men on the spiritual path and have regular support groups. You can join our community in whatever way you choose. We hope that once you get to know us and hear about how MROP has had a positive effect on members you would eventually go but it is not a requirement.