The Call: Meaning, Purpose and Direction Weekend Men's Retreat

So many of us believe that if only we knew what we really wanted to do with our lives then we would be an unstoppable force singularly focused on pursuing that passion. We wish for a calling and without it we feel dissatisfied, rudderless and stuck.

We’re waiting for the adventure of our lives to find us, when actually it is us that need to answer the Call that sets the adventure in motion.    

The Call

A deep wisdom within us knows exactly the direction we need to follow to find more aligned work, relationships and lifestyles. This wisdom is the Call to adventure, the Call into the life that wants to be lived. 

It shows up in subtle ways, invitations from life to take small actions that seem insignificant but actually lead us into a sense of purpose, meaning and direction.

Most men, as Thoreau wrote, refuse that call and live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song unsung within them. 

Refusing the Call

We refuse the call because we’re scared to fail, scared that the adventure won’t live up to our expectations, scared to challenge the limiting stories we have about ourselves, scared to risk our potential being unmet. So, we stay in a familiar stuckness. It's frustrating and uncomfort but it’s familiar. We stay there and then wonder why we are there.  

★★★★★ “I only understand now how powerful it can be for growth to be surrounded by a group of truly supportive men. Conor created a space that felt safe, calm, authentic and supportive”

 The Fire to Answer the Call 

But the call remains within us, inviting us out of the known and into the life we could live if only we would answer that call. Eventually we find that the stuckness is more uncomfortable than the fear of change and so we take a step to move out of stuckness and into possibility.  

It takes real courage to answer that call, to turn and face the question of what you really want from this life. This weekend is about finding that courage and answering that call. 

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process, is its own reward.”​ - Amelia Earhart 

This is not a quick fix. You shouldn’t expect to come on this weekend and have all of the answers handed to you.

To transform stuckness into a sense of excitement and possibilities you will have to confront your resistance to making that change.

Come with the willingness to ask yourself the difficult questions and the openness to hear the answers that emerge.

Every journey starts with a single step. 

Day One:

• The Call to Adventure: We will use the map of the hero’s journey to explore our current situation, how we keep ourselves stuck and how we might begin to come unstuck.                                                                                                                                                          
• Refusing the Call: Each of us in some way is refusing the call out of the place we have found ourselves and into the adventure that we long to go on. Bring awareness to this refusal gives us an opportunity to choose something different.                                    
• Finding our Fire Stuckness requires energy to break free from and we will begin connecting with the fire in the belly that we will need to answer the Call. 

Day Two 

• Obstacles on the Path: If this path were easy we would already be on our way. There are obstacles on the path that we must look at and confront.                                                                                                                                                                                                
• Stuckness to Possibility: Everyday of our lives, we are on the verge of making the slight shifts that will change everything.            
• Onward on the Journey : “There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.” - Louis L'Amour​. Answering the Call and taking the first steps so that the universe can begin to conspire this us to create the life we long to live. 

★★★★★ “Conor holds a powerfull space for brotherhood” - John S

What to Expect

Ritual

Rituals serve as powerful symbolic acts that signal to ourselves that we are ready for something new.  

Men’s Sharing Circle

A space for each man to share and be heard by other men in an encouraging supportive environment. 

Embodiment

The body holds wisdom that tells us more about our experience than the “plausible” stories that our minds construct.

Psychological Maps and Frameworks

No map is ever the territory but some can help us to navigate our inner landscapes with more clarity and ease. 

Mythopoetics

Myths are stories humanity tells itself to better understand itself. They carry universal insights that can help make sense of our experience, whether they are from ancient Greece or repackaged and animated by Disney. 

Inquiry

Inquiry is the practice of getting past the familiar stories we tell ourselves and find the new ground of fresh insight. 

Meditation

Bringing our awareness inward we can find subtle strength and hidden power.

Psychotherapeutic techniques

Using techniques from various schools of therapy we will answer the call to greater self-knowledge. 

Support and shared experience

Ultimately for most of us it will be the experience of being together with other men being real about where we are at and what’s going on for us that will be most healing. 

Facilitator

Conor is a group psychologist trained as a counsellor and coach (www.conorcregg.com). He has been leading Men's Groups and Retreats for the past 7 years. He uses a person-centric approach combined with somatic experience to support individuals to come to a deeper awareness of behaviour patterns that no longer serve them. Conor's facilitation style supports individuals in their inquiry by holding a light presence without agenda, listening for questions that want to be asked and supporting people to come to greater ease and flow. Conor's background is in psychology with a B.A. in psychology and an MSc in behaviour change, he has also trained as a holistic counsellor. 

Influences on his work include Rafia Morgan, Carl Jung, David Deida, Ken Wilber, Hanzi Freinacht, Joseph Cambell, Brene Brown, Carl Rogers, Almass, Robert Bly, Sam Harris, Bessel Van Der Kolk, Patrick Cregg and more...

★★★★★ - "Conor has created a group that's doing such important work for men now and the boys who will be given new freedoms to become better men in the future as a result” - Luke

★★★★★ “Conor is one of those rare souls who manages to 'walk the walk' of what he teaches. His ability to hold space, to explore difficult emotions with sensitivity, compassion and bravery, and the way he models the very journey he encourages us to walk is genuinely inspiring.” - Andrew

DATES & TIMES

Saturday 4th Nov 2023 11am - 5.30pm - Sunday 5th Nov 2023 11am - 5:30pm

ENQUIRIES

Please email conorcregg@gmail.com

Please note that we can not offer refunds. We do encourage swapping or reselling tickets on Ticketswap. 

Did you know that Members of the Psychedelic Society get 10% off all our events? Join from £5 a month and become part of this unique community with invites to special events and more!

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

Our facilitators have agreed to our code of conduct. Learn about our procedure for raising concerns

MEMBERS of the Psychedelic Society get a discount off almost all of our events.
Join from £5 a month and become part of this amazing community with invites to special events and more.