Fall rites of passage program with School of Lost Borders
Fall is a potent season, the leaves change, the nights lengthen, and the composting of all that is overripe begins. It is a time of harvest and a time of shedding. We begin to draw inward, to listen, and to be with the seeds of change.
We begin to ask what is our responsibility as true, whole, initiated adults and elders to tend to the collective unraveling within us and around us. What is this time asking of us? How can we tend our communities, cultures, planet, and more than human kin? What inherited stories, structures, and systems are overripe and ready to decompose?
As we surrender into the natural rhythms of the cycles and seasons – something new emerges. It is time to nurture your aliveness, and to know and live your place in the web of life. Marking life passages allows you to shed old stories and versions of self and fully embrace all of who you are now. Spending time alone, in a wild place on the earth, something deep in your bones is revived – a call you have been longing to answer.
This initiatory time can transform your life and allow you to emerge with a new story. You will have the opportunity to share this story and to be witnessed by community amongst the stunning Fall aspen leaves in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. This experience can cultivate belonging and meaning in your life and invites you to show up as the invaluable human being you are and give your gifts in true service and reciprocity.
“I don’t fully have the words to articulate how deeply meaningful and impactful this program has been and how skillful the guide team has been in supporting us! This work is so transformative and needed in the world. To be witnessed lovingly in this process, in community, and with the land is the medicine I, and we, need!” – L.R.
“I felt like part of an open, caring family, every day. There was an enormous amount of respect for listening to everyone, especially on the part of the guides, Kelly and Pedro, who held space for everyone’s story. There were many tears and laughs. I felt truly heard, seen, and part of something beautiful.” – T.B.
“I don’t think I’ve ever shown up so raw and angry and vulnerable for the ceremony. It was a huge, desperate leap to trust enough and let go of any attempts to pretty up so many rough edges and broken places. So much gratitude to you for holding that, and for taking on the extra work of creating accessibility and support for my physical needs. I am still incorporating all that happened, but please know that I continue to feel deeply in my soul that this Fast, more than met the needs that I brought to it, and continues to be a source of healing for the wounds that were brought into the circle.” – W.M.
If you are feeling the need to be in community and do deep, personal work for yourself, your community and the earth, then this program is right and the time is now. To secure your place, the first steps are to enroll by clicking the enroll button below and sending a deposit or sending a check to the School of Lost Borders. You will then receive more information about the next steps in the process. Scholarships and payment plans are available and we have additional funds for BIPOC participants if needed. Please contact the guides for more information.
Program overview:
This eleven-day initiatory program is divided into three sections; severance, threshold time, and incorporation.
Once you commit to coming, the severance process begins where you sever from the life you have lived in order to step into the life of who you truly are now. You physically leave home, but the psyche also severs from the old during this time. The first days of the program are a time of physical separation from your daily life, psychological preparation, and setting the intention for your solo time.
The threshold time is your solo time of four days and nights on the land to mark your own life passage(s). This is the liminal space for you to deal with the past, let go of what no longer serves, and celebrate all of who you are now. Base camp will be held not far from your solo spot and you will have a ‘buddy’ to ensure both your and their wellbeing each day.
The days spent after your solo time are the beginning part of the incorporation process. You are invited to share the story of your solo and be witnessed in the community of the group. The guides will reflect or ‘mirror’ your story back to you and the gifts you bring to this new phase of life. Finally, we will prepare you to carry your story, your gifts and yourself back into the world where your incorporation process will continue to unfold over the year ahead.
Logistics:
We encourage people to arrive at 4:00 pm on the afternoon of Sunday, September 28th for orientation and to get settled before the program begins the next day. The ceremony will end by mid-afternoon on Saturday, October 11th. Before making travel plans, please communicate with Pedro so you won’t miss any important time on the land or with the group.
Practical preparation:
We will provide fresh drinking water, and a basic outdoor kitchen. Most days we will be together in council, so you may want to bring a comfortable chair (or we can provide one) and layers of clothing for a range of weather conditions. An equipment list will be sent to you once you register. Extra equipment is available, so please ask if you are in need of anything.
Program cost:
The School of Lost Borders has created a sliding scale for all its programs and trainings in an effort to keep our courses affordable to a wide range of people.
Scholarships are available.
Tuition: $1000 - $3000 sliding scale
Deposit: $300 (Non-refundable & non-transferrable unless seminar is cancelled)
Extra Fees: $120 Camping Fee
*This program is offered through the School of Lost Borders and will be held on the land we call Wild Mountain in Colorado. Please see schooloflostborders.org for more information.