The Journey of Illumination: A Communal Definition
Richard Rohr gave Illuman two great gifts: the Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP)—our signature offering which has transformed thousands of lives all over the world—and the Journey of Illumination (JOI), a phrase he coined to describe the spiritual journey of men from birth to death. For Richard, the MROP played a crucial role in this larger journey, as men transitioned from the first half of life (a Journey of Ascent) to the second half of life (the Journey of Descent).
For a long time, Illuman men have shared the core teachings, spiritual practices, and other things that have shaped them on their own JOI. We’re a community full of insight, one that believes in the wisdom of each other. And as we increase our attention to trying to better articulate key aspects of the JOI, we need your voice. At the recent Oracle leadership gathering, we began a project that helps us hear from everyone on this, and now we’d love to hear from you. Log in to our online community and share (in the JOI thread) your own perspective on key practices, teachings, and other components of the JOI. Together, we’ll bear witness to what we’ve collectively learned.
From my own perspective, the Journey of Illumination has included a first half of life in which one ideally gets deeply in touch with his belovedness in God. This birthright can’t be earned or destroyed, marred or enhanced, but it is the foundation from which any young person’s action in the world best begins. As he builds his ego, he is not serving his own interests but the interests of a larger realm, offering his life blood for the common good. Of course he’ll need mentors, elders, and a healthy community of peers, a growing capacity for authentic connection, and there of course will be wounds to tend to from the get go. Learning how to move through the wounds and find healing is a key part of the journey, as is growing an ego that is healthy, strong, and grounded or humble.
The Journey of Illumination, for me, includes seeking and encountering the Holy Mystery out in the more-than-human world. We are a but a blip on the scale of cosmic time, and God’s more ancient languages—the wind through the pines, the stars in the night sky, the roar of ocean, the extravagance of the Grand Canyon—speak to my masculine soul in a way that words simply can’t. This is a core practice for Illuman.
This is just the beginning, of course. There is much more to say. I could also talk about the descent in the second half of life, the key role of initiation ceremonies into adolescence, adulthood, the second half of life, and elderhood. I could mention the importance of a variety of spiritual practices to help us wake up and love, including contemplative practices, shadow work, and the sufficiency of the present moment, and so much more. My goal isn’t to give an answer, but some incomplete musings that might get the juices flowing for you, so that you can take a stab at it yourself—right here on Illuman’s Online Community.
What are the key practices, teachings and other components of the JOI from your perspective? Log in and let us know.