Crisis, Kairos, and the Metamorphosis of the gods

“A mood of universal destruction and renewal has set its mark on our age. This mood makes itself felt everywhere, politically, socially, and philosophically. We are living in what the Greeks called the kairos­­- the right moment ­­for a “metamorphosis of the gods,” of the fundamental principles and symbols. This peculiarity of our time, which is certainly not of our conscious choosing, is the expression of the unconscious human within us who is changing. Coming generations will have to take account of this momentous transformation if humanity is not to destroy itself through the might of its own technology and science… So much is at stake and so much depends on the psychological constitution of the modern human.” ~ C. G. Jung

Among the ‘fundamental principles and symbols’ that are changing are our models and images of masculinity and manhood.  What models did we grow up with?  How do they fit our current circumstances? How do we imagine our future?  How does our vision meet the needs of this time of transformation?  And, how do we get from where we are to where we want to be, individually and collectively?

 For this radical re-appraisal we can use myths and stories, film and theatre; we have body-mind practices, also reconnecting with the body of the Earth; we can employ psychology, and make ritual.  First and foremost, however, we need the support of similarly-motivated men, and a safe space for sharing.  This is it.

(Kairos (Καιρός) was the personification of opportunity, luck and favourable moments, the youngest son of Zeus.  He was shown with only one lock of hair. His Roman equivalent was Occasio or Tempus.)

Facilitator, Martin Paine: ‘I have been in three men’s groups in my time, the first in the mid-late 1970s’.

There are no Well on the Way Men’s groups meeting regularly at the present time. Please enquire if interested…. A possible format is:-

Back to the Woods Men

A GROUP FOR MEN EXPLORING OUR RESPONSE TO TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

Six Saturday workshops over 6 months in a woodland setting, 12 midday to 7 pm approx. (we will cook together and share an evening meal).

What will we be doing?

• The first thing is to establish a safe space for sharing: something we sometimes find difficult.  Being in a beautiful woodland – the closest thing we have (on land) to a natural environment – helps here!

• We shall do some work in the woods together.  Us men often bond by working together….

• We shall follow the spiral of the Work that Reconnects, https://workthatreconnects.org/spiral/, with exercises and rituals for both gratitude and grief, drawing for the latter also on the work of Francis Weller, https://www.francisweller.net/ 

In this way we shall explore, with hope for healing, both our own personal issues and the pain we feel for the planet – and the connections between the two.

•  We shall look at our enculturation as men – the expectations and experiences we had and have as men in our culture(s),

o   drawing on stories and myths, for example in guided visualisations and meditations; 

o   Taking the long view of anthropology, and

o   Setting up Systemic Constellations (link)

These workshops will involve both emotional work and soul work.  The more we see what is, the more choices we have about who and how we want to be.  The more we are in touch with both nature and our true nature – deep down they are the same thing! – the greater our resilience in these precarious and uncertain times – tapping into these resources of strength for ourselves and others, including our planet!

 Cost: £125 per day, sliding scale negotiable.

The group would remain open initially, for a couple of Saturdays.  After that we may feel we want to close the group to new members as we build our community; it will be up to the group to decide….