Last weekend was very special for me. House of Light hosted the Alpujarra Brothers as we ran our annual rite of passage event. Twenty two standing members and Elders came together to take thirteen new men through a three day journey of self discovery and initiation.

This ritual was many years in the creating and borrows from many traditions including original peoples wisdom from around the globe, the work of Sigmund Freud, the Archetypes at work from Olivier Mythorama. Practices from The Mankind Project and the ancient mythological story of Pazival and his journey from boyhood to becoming a man.

We enter liminal space together as both members and initiates access the emotions of grief, anger, fear and joy in the absence of shaming influences, modelling for and learning from one another how these feelings can be healthily expressed and why they are so important to have where we can see them. Observing where we have each come from, psychologically and emotionally, and naming where it is we want to be going, examining what beliefs we cary that may hold us back and what qualities we intend to bring on-line to achieve our goals. Getting clearer about what gifts we each bring to the world, our communities, our families and our work. learning how and when to ask for support. And experiencing the power of men, capable of sharing their strengths as well as their vulnerabilities.

We have met, in circle, every week since I pioneered this group over seven years ago, to discover what the mature masculine state feels like, to hone our facilitation and mentoring skills and to heal the absence of so many generations of Dad’s, lost to factories, ships, mines, offices, bars, war, prison and to mental health, addiction and suicide.

The intention of re-introducing the birthright of all young men in our community to be offered rite of passage by conscious elder men has been realised but, for me, this is a seventh generation project as my dream is that, in time, as this tradition takes root and grows, we will see men in positions of power, in politics, in police uniforms, fathers at the school gates and those speaking out against injustice, who have a deep visceral understanding of what it is to live and act with integrity.

With Love and Light, Adrian Wynter.