Men's Village

The Men’s Village at Forest and Village

Reclaiming the life-serving potential of manhood

Join us for four days of camping and community in the land known as Woban-aden-ok in the Algonquian language, the ‘place of the high white mountains, of crystal and mica’.  Together we’ll head out into the forest and create a lively intergenerational village, exploring sacred manhood, healthy boyhood, and deep intimacy with the wild world around us.

Click HERE for Details and Registration. Or read on to learn more about our vision and values, and see if this is for you…

Mission

As the men of Forest and Village we’re responding to our current social and ecological predicament by creating vehicles for learning, wholeness, maturation, and brotherhood. We are providing real experiences of what’s possible when men and boys come together as a village to reconnect with nature, self, and community in authentic ways. We’re planting the seeds of ecocentric culture here in the Northeast, nurturing healthy life-ways for current and future generations.

Context and Vision

There’s an overabundance of evidence that systems based in centuries of patriarchy, domination, racism, extractivism, and concentrated wealth and power have proven to be a disaster for people and the planet. And for men, living with the shame and shadows of unearned privilege, conscious or unconscious misogynistic attitudes, and narratives of ‘victimization by the feminine’, distorts and diminishes our best potential and our relationships. This also serves powerful political and economic interests by keeping us divided within and among ourselves.

In response, the Men’s Village at Forest and Village is rooted in a vision of regenerative, Earth-centered, place-based cultures that recognize the developmental needs and capacities of people at every phase of life. Only with the innocence and playfulness of free-spirited children and the wisdom of true elders can we hope to achieve this evolutionary vision. Men and boys can embody their true power and potential only as part of healthy intergenerational communities that are rooted in wisdom, respect for girls and women, and sacred relationship with the web of life.

In this kind of village, each person’s soul journey is honored, their gifts, medicine, and mythic identity evoked through relationships not only among humans, but through direct contact with the wild Earth and life’s deep mysteries. In this vision, living simply among all our relations with abundant connection and joy is the heart of a deeply meaningful life.

We carry the seeds and the spark for this transformation within our blood and our bones. For direct inspiration we turn to our ancestral lineages and wisdom traditions, and to conscious relationship with each other, with Mystery, and the animate world around us.

We come into the forest to listen. What better place to learn about reciprocity? And what better teachers than Moss, Moose, and Mink, Hobblebush, Hemlock, and Hermit Thrush? Teachers who have been perfecting their unique ways of knowing and coexisting for millions of years.

We start to re-member here and now by invoking our ancestors and their seemingly simple technologies and practices: things like sitting in council around the fire; accessing our deep imagination and sharing myth, story, dream, and vision; joining our voices in song and praise; enacting ceremonies that connect and reconnect us with the wild and sacred.

Values

Conscious relationship. How we communicate and relate to one another and the other animate beings around us matters. This includes awareness of how adults interact with young people.

Intergenerational weaving. Mature and healthy cultures are based in active and reciprocal relationship between the generations.

Diversity. We welcome and celebrate diversity of race, culture, age, physical ability, and gender identity and expression. We support this with BIPOC scholarships, and invite opportunities to share in the design and leadership of future gatherings.

Moving beyond patriarchy. This includes moving beyond oppressive gender stereotypes, and internalized forms of misogyny, gender hierarchy, and racism.

Soulcentric development. We hold a long-term vision for cultivating wholeness at all life stages and supporting each person’s soul journey

Reverence for Life. We celebrate and offer our devotion to the animate Earth and Cosmos.

Who This is For

The gathering is for men and boys (age 7+) who are ready to unplug, head out into the forest and create something new together that rises from wild and ancient roots.

Forest and Village is for men who:

Resonate with our Mission, Vision and Values.

Are called to a path of deep inner development that emphasizes and centers psychospiritual wholeness, self-responsibility, integrity, and accountability.

Are called to heal their wounded and defended parts and patterns, as well as addressing developmental needs that went unmet earlier in life.

Seek opportunities to explore and experience healthy full-spectrum manhood, including capacities not valued by stereotypical versions of masculinity.

Desire greater intimacy with the wild, animate, more-than-human world, as well as their unfolding relationship with Mystery.

Want to be part of a movement that aims to reweave human cultures back into the sacred web of life.

Are passionate or curious about expanding their path of service to include mentoring boys and younger men. (This isn’t required for this event.)

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For Boys: This invitation is going out to boys and young men from 7 years old and up who are ready for adventure, fun, and learning some new skills. Portions of each day will be spent in one of three age groups: 1) 7-9 years old; 2) 10-13 years old; and 3) 14 and older. Each boy in the 7-9 age group will need to be accompanied by his father or other trusted male guardian as part of the Youth Guide Team. See below for more info.

What to Expect

The beating heart of the gathering will be our woodland village for boys and men. This is where the days’ meals will be shared, and where our minds, hearts, and voices will join together in laughter, song, and storytelling by the fire’s flickering light. Everyone will have ways to contribute as part of one or more teams that tend to the village’s needs, including: food prep, fire tending, safety, ceremony, wisdom keepers, and more. On Sunday afternoon, there will be a ceremony of reconnection with the women and girls, and an optional evening feast and celebration.

For Boys: During the days, varied experiences will be offered for each age group, including games, foraging, natural building, and skills like knot-tying, plant ID, and open-fire cooking. While there will be opportunities for self-reflection and group sharing, the emphasis will be hands-on activity, and learning by doing.

For Men (Option 1) is to be part of the Youth Guide Team. This is for men who are feeling particularly called to show up for boys and young men. Their primary focus will be sharing fun and meaningful experiences for the boys, while also developing their experience as mentors and guides. Youth Guide Team members will also have opportunities to be part of men-only containers for certain time blocks during the weekend.

For Men (Option 2) Spend more time in a men-only space. This will be for men who want to spend part of the weekend in the Village — while also having significantly more time in men-only spaces. This path is for those who feel called into deeper brotherhood, self-inquiry, and solitude in the forest. There will be an optional overnight solo quest, with preparation and integration support from experienced guides.

Questions? Contact, ForestandVillageMen@gmail.com