I didn’t know what to expect, but I felt like I was in transition and my inherited faith practices were falling apart in the face of reality. The MROP helped me clarify what I needed to leave behind and opened new doors for relating with my kids. It set me onto a refreshed way of integrating spirituality to life, of making sense of the old and opening up to the new. The entire experience still speaks to me deeply to this day.
~ Past MROP Participant
2019 Washington Men’s Rites Of Passage, May 15-19
Some of us are drawn to mountain tops, some to caves, some to forest clearings. For each person there is a place of alignment. Sanctuary has no further purpose. Being there is reason enough. ~ Frederic Lehrman, The Sacred Landscape
We are now accepting applications for the Washington Men’s Rites Of Passage, convening at the Skalitude Retreat Center in the Northern Cascade Mountains near Twisp, WA from May 15-19, 2019. Scroll down to complete the application.
***Already attended an MROP? Click Here***
A word about our location. The MROP experience does have local influences, but is largely the same from Australia to Germany, from New York to Texas. What is different from each location is the location itself. The terrain, the physical landscape of a place shapes us far beyond our ability to articulate. There is something quite different about the desert of Arizona in comparison to an Illinois river bank…and you’ll find that some MROP locations are more upscale in nature and some are more back country in their feel.
We couldn’t be more thrilled about offering Skalitude as an option for attending an MROP. Skalitude is a 160 acre minimalist retreat center surrounded on all sides by thousands of acres of national forest on the eastern (dry side) slopes of the North Cascade Mountains. Many vision quests and other similar styles of retreats have been led out of this wild sanctuary, which has been used by folks from the Animas Valley Institute, School of Lost Borders, and other similar communities. The Wilderness Guides Council, an international association of guides that has meetings all over the world, recently used Skalitude as the site of their main convocation out of all the amazing wilderness places they could have chosen, we agree that they made a great choice!
The heart of the center is the expansive meadow through which the wind creates waves of billowing blues and greens in the long grasses. Simply beholding this beauty settles the soul. From the valley floor you can quickly ascend in 3 different directions and enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, home to cougar, deer, bear, coyote, and hawks. There is a creek on the property which feeds an ice-cold pool of crystal clear water, perfect for a refreshing plunge. The weather in May is Sun with highs in the mid 70’s and night time lows that are still quite cool.
Total Cost: for the Washington MROP (meals, lodging, resources & event):
Standard Pricing $595 – What most people pay.
Supporting Pricing $750 – Help scholarship those in need and support the work of Illuman.
Pre-approved discounted pricing: $495 — Further scholarships and work/trades are available. Our goal is to ensure that money is never the reason men can’t participate.
Note: A non-refundable $150 fee is required with your registration and is applied toward the total cost of the MROP. If you are not accepted, your check will be destroyed and/or your money refunded. For those requiring financial assistance in order to participate, we offer a limited number of scholarships. Please contact us to inquire about scholarships.
How Do I Apply?
- Submit a $150 deposit on the MROP Deposit page. (opens in a new window)
- Complete the application form below. Spend time thinking through the questions and what they prompt for you…in some ways the process of considering and writing your story on this application is the first stage of the MROP. (You may opt to write your answers separately and cut and paste them into the form). There are no passing/failing/right/wrong answers. Whatever comes for you is ok!
- Next, you will be contacted by phone for an interview. (It may be several weeks before you are contacted). In this conversation you’ll get to ask any questions you have about what to expect.
- If accepted into the MROP you will receive a welcome email detailing the 3 “next steps” to finalize your registration, which are:
a) submit payment of the balance due (a check via postal mail is preferred)
b) submit a medical form
c) submit a travel form
Submit your $150 application fee to secure your application date:
Online – click here to visit our deposit payment page (opens in new window)
