Initiation into
Authentic Awakened Manhood
Men's Collective Retreat guided by Pete Bampton | June 2022
In June 2022 the Men's Collective gathered in the Alentejo heartland of South Portugal for our annual retreat. It was a profound, ecstatic and groundbreaking 10 day journey of further initiation into an authentic Awakened Manhood.

This retreat began with us all watching Pete's recent interview with Charles Eisenstein about the urgent need for an initiatory culture from boyhood to manhood on the first evening, and then we dived into a day of deep silence and meditation.

In our first group meeting Pete brought the theme of Initiation forward in relationship to the fundamental male condition of either choosing arrogance/casualness on one hand or some form of weakness on the other, when challenged to transcend the separate self or ego. A few men were directly confronted with the demand to go beyond this conditioned reaction when challenged, and so the very real "drama" of an Initiation into a strength and vulnerability sourced in humility was spontaneously activated.

Then, over the next two days, we had zoom video sessions with Sol Petersen, live from New Zealand, in which this wise elder graciously guided us into an exploration of the masculine archetypes - the Warrior, the Magician, the Lover and the King. Far from being merely conceptual or theoretical, these considerations landed in the consciousness of our Collective in such a way that they immediately became psychoactive. The Collective was clearly at a stage of maturity such that this precious input could be intuitively "felt", and hence was a catalyst that launched us into an adventure of further growth.

In the middle of the retreat we engaged in two Ayahuasca ceremonies and a Temascal (Sweat Lodge) led by shaman, Ramon Peregrino, whom Pete has known for several years. Preparing the sacred space, and constructing the Tipi and the Temascal, were integral parts of this ecstatic and for some, deeply challenging, shamanic process. Along with the invaluable guidance of Ramon, the plant medicine served our process by enlivening the archetypal energies in the Collective and illuminating the tendencies toward arrogance and weakness in several of the men. All were washed of their conditioned "act" and opened into devotional communion with the Very Divine. The depth of grounded humility and radiant surrender in the Collective after these ceremonies was palpable.

The days following the ceremonies included explorations into an authentic masculine assertiveness sourced in devotion, the dynamic play of polarity, and the true meaning and embodiment of "tantra".

The final day was joyously spent walking the wild coastal trails of the Serra da Arrábida and a delicious vegan dinner in the laid-back fishing town of Setúbal.

The video, testimonials and photos below will give you a taste of this extraordinary individual and collective journey of discovery, which we all feel was a journey that we were privileged to take for the further conscious evolution of all "mankind". Enjoy!
Testimonies of Initiation
By Floris, Holland

"WOW! I am so very proud to be part of this men's collective. In the last 7 years I've seen many men, including myself, change from weak, cut-off, unloving, arrogant men to Strong, Vulnerable, Loving and Open men in a way that I could never have imagined."
By Joel, France

"This retreat has been a landmark for me. There is clearly a before and an after. Something of me must have died because I can't find it anymore. The theme was 'an initiation into manhood' and my experience has been just that."
By Helder, Portugal

"This retreat was a tribal journey into the past and a quantum leap into the future. It was the union of past and present. It was healing, recognition and embodiment of oneness, interconnectedness and interdependence. This retreat was healing the Warrior ..."
By Javi Fernandes, Spain

"With our Teacher directing like the Maestro of a symphony, we relaxed into the mystery of life, were awakened to the intuition of a Magician, the passionate care of a Lover, the primal strength of a Warrior, and the self-sovereignty and fullness of a King."
By Jos Dohmen, Holland,

"This retreat has shown to me infinity. Infinity in the context where is shown to me that any security I want to obtain is an illusion, a creation of the mind. Seeing this and letting this in brings me more and more into a ground of the Infinite Truth, where I live ..."
By Sergio C, Portugal

"This retreat started for me in an unusual way - by the end of the first day, I was being called arrogant by my teacher. At first it looked like a train had hit me and I felt nervous and shaken…but right after, I was holding myself together so strongly, that, like a rock..."
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