We have been guiding Wilderness Quests for over four decades, with thousands of satisfied participants. We know how to help you get the most from undertaking this program. Our pan-cultural approach works beautifully with people of all backgrounds and faiths.
When Leaving is About Returning A rite of passage, as a friend once said to me, is a process that begins with a death and ends with a birth. After the nine-day Wilderness Quest, you naturally turn towards the pull of home. This happens at a soul level–the reborn, renewed, remade person feeling the…
Men, Soul Work, and Service Men carry a lot of grief and shame underneath our heroic exteriors. We’re socialized to deny and repress it, and even to criticize other men who let it show, leading us to carry on like wounded soldiers. Our sense of failure can actually be our greatest ally in transformation,…
Aloneness and Community “The tension between being alone and together is a creative tension. As human beings we balance our longing to belong to one another, or to the collective, with our desire to be true to our individual paths.” – Joshua Boettiger I’ve lived in an intentional community in Northern California for over…
The Need for Community in Rites of Passage Who of us in our digitalized and remote lives has not wondered about our disappearing sense of connectedness — face to face, person to person and within a tribe? The more we find ourselves hitting “send,” “reply,” and “post,” the less connected we often feel and…
Talking with Mother Earth Good night, Mountains, you must protect us tonight. We are strangers here but we are good people. We don’t mean harm to anybody. Good night, Mister Pine Tree. We are camping under you. You must protect us tonight. Good night, Mister Owl. I guess this is your home where we…
There comes a time when you must leave family, friends and work behind and go off alone, looking within to discover your purpose and your gifts. A modern enactment of an ancient ceremony, the quest enables men and women to engage in a sacred journey in three stages: release of an old life, stepping across…
Reflections on the Youth Vision Quest by Steven Encinas “Where do I stand? What do I believe?” These were the questions one student stated that she hoped to find clarity for during her quest- common questions for, not only these, but all teenagers. And if they don’t capture that window of opportunity before they fly from…
Couple’s Quest The Couple’s Quest is a form of vision quest or wilderness quest for couples in a committed relationship. It began when Mike Bodkin (Rites of Passage Executive Director) and his wife, Renee Sweezey, quested together in August 2007. They were looking for a way to renew their partnership and marriage, and Renee suggested…
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS We know that the work of reintroducing rites of passage in nature speaks to people on an international, pan-cultural basis. We have always guided people of diverse ethnic, social and religious backgrounds, and in the past few years, we’ve worked with people from many countries, including Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Austria,…
The Men’s Wilderness Quest Purpose, passion, courage, strength, heart…these are a few words that describe the experience of men who choose to undergo the classic initiation ritual of the Wilderness Quest. There are three constrictions* that are in place during the solo time: no food, no people, and no four-walled shelter. (*note: The solo…