Beyond Desire & Diminishment: Finding New Intimacy and Generativity as We Age

An event for initiated men or those sponsored by an initiated man

We have been given sacred gifts of desire, passion, and sensuality. The energetic pull of these divine offerings leads us into connection, intimacy, and procreation. Yet we struggle with the natural expression of these powerful attributes as a consequence of cultural conditioning, abuse, neglect, or any combination of these woundings.

As our physical capacities diminish through changes in health or the passage of time, we confront profound shifts in how our desires manifest. Often, we face the grief inherent in the losses these changes may bring. Rather than fully feeling this grief, which can serve as a portal to expanding consciousness, we are conditioned to fight our aging process, cling to youthfulness, and avoid the spiritual transformation of our own journey into dying.

Unburdened by the compelling and sometimes consuming nature of desirous longings and erotic preoccupations that might have dominated our younger decades, new possibilities in intimate relating may emerge in concert with our diminishments. This offering invites us to explore this realm of our maturation.

Guided by Illuman Elders Glenn Siegel and Jonathan Miller, Beyond Desire and Diminishment offers a highly experiential immersion that allows participants to explore deep questions of intimacy and sexuality, including loss, grief and hope.

We will be invited to:

Ground ourselves in the gifts we all carry and receive
Grieve for unfulfilled longings, what has been lost, or what never came to pass
Explore realms of intimacy beyond sexuality based on climax
Find our creativity and generatively in the midst of waning vitality & desire

We do not want cost to prevent any man from attending. Scholarships are available. If you would like to request a scholarship, please email illumanoftexas@gmail.com

NOTE: This event is for initiated men or for men sponsored by another initiated man.

The event will be held at McKinney Falls State Park, just outside of Austin. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the park via the website, and the check-in and out procedures.

Over and above our JOI registration fee of $160.00 there is a daily Park Fee of $6.00 for which you are responsible to pay to the park upon entrance. If you are a frequent user of the state park system, you may either have or want to purchase a SP Pass that allows you to forego the daily Park Fee. The SP Pass also covers the daily fee for persons with whom you are carpooling. Great reason to plan to ride with others.

We reserved five (5) cabins, numbered 1-5 on the park map. Each of these accommodate four (4) participants in either bunk beds or four single detached beds.

We want to support those that cannot sleep in tents due to physical or medical issues. Therefore, as you complete the registration form, indicate the requirement to have indoor accommodation.

We have six (5) camps sites, holding a total of 40 men. Please know the park website sets the number of participants for the campsites and limits the number of tents by restricting tents to the tent pad- (16 x16 sq. feet).