Director's Message for April 2011

Greetings Sacred Path Community,

Our 24th Annual Sacred Path Men’s Retreat gets under way in just a few days. It kicks off this Thursday in the afternoon through mid-day Sunday. At this point we have over 30 participants registered and a support staff of nearly 20. Yes, you can still sign up, and your presence will add dimensionally to the successful outcome of our time together on the mountain. It looks like we’ll have a community of 50-60 good men joining to bring out the best in each other.

In addition to our large group community time and small group Tribe meetings we’ll hold a number of breakout sessions. Thomas, Andrew’s cousin, will be pouring water for our Inipi (Sweat Lodge) ceremonies, and he plans to “do Lakota style doctoring” with all of the participants. I will speak about the significant global changes and the quickening we’re experiencing as well as the importance of spiritual purification and ways to prepare ourselves for this time of great awakening and transformation.

Among the other choices you’ll have for your work on the mountain: John Mafrici will facilitate the Sacred Breathing process; Steve Branker, Associate Director of MCLA, will take us through the Love letter clearing process; Nick Rath will be present to conduct a breakout session on fathering and Herb Rubinstein will facilitate breakout sessions featuring his passion for flying model scale planes. It’s an opportunity to tune into your inner child and further your bond with a youngster. He’s going to bring a number of planes with him and demonstrate and support participants as we build our own and learn to fly them. Read more in the side bar re: Herb’s plans to bring some new fun into your life.

Dan Franklin, my friend, colleague and Associate Director of MCLA, is launching his new web site and monthly newsletter. You can click on the link that will take you to his site and first edition of his newsletter and you can register to receive his monthly mailings if you wish. Just click here: www.danfranklinmft.com

On June 3rd and 4th we’re looking forward with anticipation to welcoming Leonard Orr, the Father of Rebirthing, for an evening presentation and a day-long experiential workshop for men and women. We will send out a special mailing and registration form in two weeks. For now, if you haven’t already marked your calendar, please do so. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet Leonard and learn from this amazing soul.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to join your brothers for the retreat at the end of the week. If you’ve been waiting to register or not sure if you could make it, I truly hope that you’ll realize that these are rare occasions to give something special and needed to yourself. What are you waiting for? Accept the gift...you are the present...open it now.

In the spirit of brotherhood,
Stephen

To download and print the fill-in registration form for the April 7-10 retreat, click HERE

To register for the retreat online, click HERE

Herb Rubenstein: Building and Flying Radio-Controlled Planes

Of all the cool things out there that you can do with your son, I would submit that building and flying a radio-controlled plane is one of the best bonding mechanisms there is.

At our workshop, we will explore this subject in depth. I will bring a simple plane that can easily be built in a couple of evenings, not some glitchy thing from the hobby store but a real plane that you build yourself, so that you are intimate with every detail and can repair it in minutes. I am talking about a 3-d style slow flyer that you will be able to control right away, and if it crashes – well, you know every connection, joint and component.

Because your kid is probably better on the joystick and has hundreds of hours of experience racing cars and maybe even planes, he will probably master the techniques of flying before you do! This is a great confidence builder for a kid. After all, when the two of you play basketball, who always wins? But flying an RC plane is an area where a kid is going to kick his dad's ass! The kid can be the expert and show his dad what's up – role reversal at its best.

I look forward to sharing my experiences and showing off my planes – and hopefully getting some recruits into the world of RC planes.

Herb

Neal Gabler: Day of the Lout

from the Los Angeles Times Entertainment Section, February 13, 2011

Unsophisticated, lazy, misogynist males may be the primary models for today's young American men. Ugh.

If you've seen a beer commercial in the last two years — and how can you avoid them? — you know the type. He's a twenty- or thirty-something, sort of a slacker, with a beautiful and adoring girlfriend who just can't seem to pry his attention away from his suds. She expresses ardor, he looks ardently at his mug or can of beer. She wants to talk romance, he wants to talk anything but. She gets exasperated; he snuggles obliviously with his beer as she departs in a huff.

Most modern takes on manhood say that guys will do anything to bed a woman, but this is a new kind of man, and he seems to be everywhere these days, not just on beer commercials but in movies, on TV, on hundreds of morning radio shows and in bestselling books, to the point where he is generating a culture of new masculinity. He may even be the primary model for young manhood in America today.

He's a lout, from the English word for "an ill-mannered fellow," which was itself derived from a verb "to stoop," and his emergence says something important about men today.

The male image has gone through all sorts of transformations, especially over the last 50 years when feminism evolved and obligated men to adjust to the new circumstances of coequal women. The old strong, silent type, essentially a breadwinner and breeding stud, gradually gave way to the sensitive male, the engaged male, the homebody male who shared child-rearing and household duties with his wife.

Of course, some men found this emasculating and actively resisted the process. Some tried to laugh it off. But culturally speaking, there may have been a less overt resentment that has been simmering for a long time and that may account for the recent eruption of the lout. He seems to be a form of passive-aggressive revenge against what some men see as the indignities feminism has forced upon them — indignities that have been exacerbated by economic hardship.

The lout is not exactly a reversion to the old macho stereotype. He isn't tough, muscular, steely, monosyllabic, able to build a car engine or a house singlehandedly or sail around the world solo. He's not a sophisticate either, a Dos Equis most-interesting-man-the-world type. He doesn't dress to the nines or know his wines or drive a Porsche, and he isn't able to make witty cocktail party repartee. A lout is someone who is proudly stuck in a kind of adolescent parody of manhood that conflates insensitivity and machismo.

Louts luxuriate in their lack of sophistication. Louts travel in packs or just hang out with one another. Louts dress in T-shirts and jeans and eschew fashion. Louts guzzle beer rather than sip wine, and they are most likely to be spotted in bars or lounging on living room couches watching football. Louts don't talk feelings; they talk sports and beer. Louts have few needs and no shackles. Above all, louts may ogle women and snicker about them, but women are pointedly never their top priority. At most, women are objects, just like in the old days. That's the revenge part. Louts don't have to make any concessions to women. Louts barely need women. Just give a lout a Bud and his buds and he's happy.

Of course, embedded in loutishness is the idea that the lout is irresistible to women even as he disdains them — in fact, because he disdains them. In this view, women, who have allegedly been overpampered for the last few decades, just love louts, even when they pretend they don't. As this male fantasy goes, men are so cute when they act like galoots. So not only does he not have to make concessions to women, he can do or say whatever he wants without any consequences because in lout culture insensitivity is the new sensitivity.

I'm Gone Now: A Love Poem

I'm gone now, but I'm still very near.
Death can never separate us.
Each time you feel a gentle breeze,
It's my hand caressing your face.
Each time the wind blows,
It carries my voice whispering your name.
When the wind blows your hair ever so slightly,
Think of it as me pushing a few stray hairs back in place.
When you feel a few raindrops fall on your face,
It's me placing soft kisses.
At night look up in the sky and see the stars shining so brightly.
I'm one of those stars and I'm winking at you and smiling with delight.
For never forget you're the apple of my eye.

Mary M. Green

Director's Message for March 2011

Greetings, Sacred Path Community,

Last Sunday evening my 30-year old son, Derek, received word that a very close friend of his had been killed earlier that day in a skiing accident in Tahoe. My wife and I held Derek as we all cried, releasing heart-wrenching pain over such a tragic loss. It immediately brought back the memory of losing my close friend, Pete, to a motorcycle accident just before graduation from high school in 1965. I remembered being held by my parents on that fateful day.

I knew Derek had loved Jeff like a brother. Our family had come to know him as a wonderful young man who had touched the hearts and minds of everyone whom he had befriended, and he made friends easily. I knew he loved life and adventure and committed 100% of himself into everything he did, including snow boarding, rock climbing, team sports and poker, to name a few.

His rock-climbing buddies always could count on Jeff to keep them safe. I knew that he was an intelligent young man with a curious and inventive mind who found work as a computer programmer in a San Francisco-based firm. And I knew that he was a bright light that radiated love and caring to all and that all who knew him held him in high regard.

But at his memorial yesterday I came to realize truly what an exceptional man Jeff had become. Many of his friends from all walks of his life told stories as testaments to a life well lived. I became aware of just how many of his friends considered him a true brother who they could always count on in innumerable ways. One after the other spoke of how Jeff always “had their backs” and would do anything for them.

Jeff had created his own community. It was a fellowship that comprised brothers and sisters engaging in the enjoyment of life and nurturing a loving bond that united them in a spiritual family. Everyone commented on how Jeff would make them laugh and how he gave each of them a greater appreciation of the value of friendship and living life to the fullest. There was unanimous agreement that their lives were enhanced so much more as a result of knowing him. He will definitely be missed.

When I saw the picture (taken from a painting that was presented to Michael Lynch as a gift of acknowledgement) of the two men climbing together I was immediately struck by the image of the bond between men united in adventure and brotherhood. I asked Michael if we could put it in the newsletter and he received permission from the artist to do so. I believe it captures the essence of what we do on retreat in the spirit of men helping each other to climb higher and to become better men. I dedicate this image to the memory of Jeffrey Halperin (1980-2011) and to all of you that will be joining us on retreat next month.

Life is precious, and the opportunities to join in fellowship are too few, when you consider how many obligations and responsibilities pull us in divergent directions. I hope that you will consider this opportunity in April (7-10) to be one of those all too precious moments not to let pass unattended. Let’s unite once again in the spirit of brotherhood to bring out the best in us. Even though we’re not conducting the CTA portion of the retreat, we will have a number of fathers and sons joining us, and we’ll certainly have plenty of opportunities to reward ourselves through the adventure of what we’ll create during the 24th Annual Spring Sacred Path Men’s Retreat. Please read about it and register now.

Also in this newsletter are some articles that we believe you’ll find interesting and helpful. I’m pleased that my article, What Your Marriage Needs to Survive, submitted to the Good Man Project Magazine through the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, remains among the top 5 most popular articles into the second month of publication. Dr. Andrew Smiler’s article, Are Men Natural Born Cheaters? and Billy Johnson’s article, The Benefits of Sharing Emotions, also submitted through SPSMM are featured in this issue. My friend and colleague, Dr. Ron Alexander has released two new Mindfulness Meditation CD’s that can be acquired through accessing his web site. His article, Expressing Mindful Love Through Service, is also featured in this issue.

We’re looking forward to Leonard Orr’s two MCLA/SP events on June 3rd and 4th. Be sure to mark your calendars now and watch for more information in the April newsletter.


I’m sure you have heard a lot about the significance of the end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012, and the prophesized occurrences impacting our earth and the world’s inhabitants. The truth is that the full lunar eclipse on winter solstice, December 21, 2010, occurring at a time of rare planetary alignment, signals the beginning of what amounts to an unparalleled spiritual Renaissance of consciousness in modern times. This period is being referred to as the Great Awakening and The Quickening. The protests and dramatic changes in the middle east, the weather and environmental conditions occurring in Australia, New Zealand, the US and elsewhere, including other curiously unexplained events like birds dropping from the sky and fish beaching themselves, appear to be harbingers of things to come. Read below where I have included something from Daily Om and some information expressed by Shaman Kiesha Crowther, aka “Little Grandmother,” offered to us as urgent reminders of the importance to not be asleep now but rather to awaken, rise up and fulfill our destinies. We’re all here today to make a difference in tomorrow.

Namaste,
Stephen


February 22, 2011
Universal Awakening
Rippling And Tipping

At this time of awakening, even small acts can become great forces in the world, like pebbles making ripples in a pond.


A snowball at the top of a mountain has the potential to become huge, just by rolling down the mountain and gathering more snow. In a short time, this tiny snowball can become a force to be reckoned with. We humans are like this when it comes to exchanging energy and vision, and no matter how few people are involved at the beginning, there is the potential for massive change. As consciousness seekers, we are in the midst of this process, and it is amazing to see people we thought might never come around, waking up to their truth. Each time we see this, we can count ourselves blessed to be living at a time when the awareness of humanity seems to be at a tipping point, as more and more individuals open their minds and change their ways.

For some people, this revolves around an awareness of the environment, for others it is a spiritual awakening, and for many it is both. A great change in consciousness is sweeping through us all, as we recognize that things are not what they have seemed to be, that there is more to our lives than meets the eye. Many of us have the awareness and the energy at this time to break through old, outmoded ways of seeing things and to move into a new way of being in the world, and it is essential that we do so. The beauty of living at this time is that even small actions have a powerful ripple effect, and the reverberations of what we do have the power to reach and open many minds.

It is as if a scale is about to tip in favor of higher consciousness, and each one of us has the power to bring humanity closer to that point with the smallest of actions. Each time we move in the direction of our dreams and visions, we can visualize another small pebble dropping into the pond, or another gold weight on the scale, rippling and tipping our way to universal awakening.

For Love of Mother Earth: The Great Shifting
By Kiesha Crowther "Little Grandmother"

WE ARE ALL LIVING at a very profound time on our planet. Mother Earth is going through a shift she has never gone through quite like this before. We are living on the planet in a time that has never been before. The planet is going to start shifting and changing and moving into her High Self. She will change into her own kind of heaven. This is the time of great change that all indigenous peoples have been speaking about for hundreds and hundreds of years…


Kiesha Crowther "Little Grandmother" video clip "Time To Get It" www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezmISnZ_WpY

Spirit has taught me that Mother Earth is sacred and that human beings will not be allowed to kill her. She is sacred to all life forms in the universe, not just to human beings. If human beings will not be allowed to kill her—then we need to raise our vibration high enough so that we can shift with her into a higher being, because we have been causing her great harm for so long that something major must happen to correct the path we are on, to help her to breathe again. For human beings, the situation is urgent. We must shift into a higher consciousness if we are to remain on planet Earth as her children.

If you listen, none of the indigenous elders or wisdom keepers on our planet is saying, “Now you must go and do something.” They are saying, “Be.” They are telling us to be the change, to focus on “being” rather than on doing, for once. If enough of us can connect with our hearts and the Love that is there, the Love that is all around us in nature, and understand the beauty and sacredness of this life we are given—we will flip the ruling consciousness of the planet from mind, to heart. We are sparks of the Divine consciousness. Each of us has a “Great I AM,” which sent a spark of us here to experience and learn from being in a human body and from having this amazing human heart. I am here to help you to remember.

By living from love, and being in the heart, we remember that most sacred truth that we are all brothers and sisters and children of one mother—Mother Earth. We are not separate from each other, or from any other life form. What happens to one of us happens to all of us. Because human energy is identical to Earth energy, what happens to Mother Earth also happens to us, and vice versa. Yet we are capable of changing this world we live in. There is a prophecy in many indigenous cultures that at the time of the great change on earth, in this time we are living in, humanity would unify as one family, one tribe… and that this tribe would be made of “many colors.”

When I was initiated as shaman and told that I was a “wisdom keeper,” I was told that my tribe was to be the “tribe of many colors.” I know now that my Great I AM sent a spark of me here at this time to help the children of planet Earth to remember who they are, to love our Mother Earth, and that “we are the ones that we have been waiting for.” We are the Tribe of Many Colors, the strongest of strong souls who chose to be on Earth at this time, to fulfill the tremendous task of shifting the consciousness on the planet back to the heart and to Love. We must unite under the banner of Love and show our most sacred Mother how much we love Her, how we are willing to do anything to save Her, and to continue on as Her children here on Earth. We are capable of creating a beauty we have barely glimpsed on earth. And we will.

"When birds fall from the sky and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people ...shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be known as the warriors of the Rainbow." —Hopi Prophecy

Attention: very important!!! Something is very wrong with the electromagnetic field... animals are dying everywhere... Mother needs our prayers NOW... this is what we are here for as the tribe of many colors, to counter act those humans acting against the laws of nature!!

To download and print the fill-in registration form for the April 7-10 retreat, click HERE

To register for the retreat online, click HERE

Stacey Windrich: May 22, 1959 - February 2, 2011

Stacey was married to Zoran Windrich, a long time member of the Sacred Path community and the Wisdom Council. They were married for 24 years and have two beautiful children. Their daughter Zantara is in her first year of college, and their son Zane is in his first year of high school. Together, the four of them created a family that taught each other many life lessons as they moved through time together. Stacey faced a long and courageous battle with cancer and was finally able to make her transition with peace, dignity and grace. A “celebration of life” gathering was held in her honor on Saturday, February 26th, at the Topanga Community Center. Nearly 200 of Stacey’s relatives and friends came together to view a pictorial history of her life and to share their experiences in knowing her. Stacey dedicated herself to taking care of others and doing whatever she could do to make a difference in their lives. Many people spoke of their relationships with her. It was a typical Stacey gathering where people on many different paths came together, stories were told and tears were combined with laughter to create another meaningful experience for everyone. And at the end, we all knew that Stacey was there with us once again, showing her bright and beautiful smile. I know that our thoughts and prayers go out to Zoran and the children at this time. If you would like to send a personal message to him, his email is: Zoran@Windrichgroup.com.

Stephen Johnson's Article Remains in Top Five into the Second Month of Publication

If you didn't have the chance to read and comment on What Your Marriage Needs to Survive, here is another opportunity.

To read the article in Good Men Project Magazine, click HERE