My guest today is Miguel Rivera, a seasoned ceremonialist, musician, and ritualist.

This conversation is a two part series recorded in 2024 at the 40th anniversary of the Minnesota Men’s Conference. Miguel is a longtime facilitator to the conference where he has played a pivotal role in guiding men through transformative experiences.

Miguel's journey began in the vibrant cultural landscape of the 1980s, where he was drawn to the path of healing through indigenous medicine and becoming a Sundancer. His involvement in the men's movement began with an invitation from Robert Bly in 1992, where he suddenly found himself at the heart of a cultural force that sought to reconnect men with their inner selves and the sacred.

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In our conversation today, we delve into the transformative power of men's gatherings and the role of ritual in healing and initiation. Miguel shares his experiences of how these ceremonies amplify healing and create a sense of belonging and brotherhood.

We also discuss the challenges faced by modern men, including the "lone wolf syndrome" and the importance of finding older men who can offer guidance and mentorship. Miguel's insights into fathering and the necessity of creating a safe and nurturing environment for the next generation are both poignant and profound.

We ask: what is the legacy and evolution of the mythopoetic men’s movement? How can modern men find their way back to a sense of community and belonging in an increasingly isolated world?

You’re invited to join the 41st Fall Conference Oct 7-12, 2025 “Men Who Stand Atop the Old Mound of Miracles”

Also don’t miss my interview last year with conference organizers Walton Stanley and Ben Dennis.

ADDITIONAL EPISODES

Check out these conversations for more on the history of the men’s movement.

Recently I spoke with Adam Lewis, co-founder of MANCAMP, a Canadian gathering dedicated to “the celebration of masculinity.” (Disclosure: Adam is also a mentorship client of mine).

Now entering its second year, MANCAMP emerged from Adam’s experiences organizing raw and elemental camping trips with small groups of men in the wilderness. What began as paddling into Algonquin Park has grown into a vision of 150+ men coming together for a weekend of transformation, brotherhood, and celebration.

Adam shares the story of how MANCAMP was born—first as a seed of inspiration, then through the alignment with his co-founder Geoff ‘Rawa Larden, and finally in the inaugural gathering last September that drew men from across Ontario.

Despite the (sometimes) chaotic organizing of a first-year festival, the event sold out and left lasting ripples in the lives of the men who attended. From deep heartbreak to profound breakthroughs, Adam recounts stories of men who returned home more grounded, more alive, and more connected to their families and communities.

In our conversation today, Adam and I explore the ingredients that shape the container: archetypal frameworks drawn from King, Warrior, Magician, Lover and a roster of diverse facilitators, as well as sweat lodge, ecstatic dance, shared meals, and the sober presence of men choosing to lean into the work, together.

The medicine found in connection and brotherhood itself becomes the initiatory field.

I am honored to join as a speaker at this year’s event, taking place September 18–21, 2025 at Merkaba Acres in Ontario.

Use my promo code below for MYTHIC20 for 20% off the ticket price.

Get full info & tickets here http://mancamp.ca

My guest today is Darren Silver, a rite of passage guide, ceremonialist, and storyteller.

With nearly two decades of experience, Darren has devoted his life to ritual, wilderness living skills, and guiding transformational experiences across the world.. An apprentice to the old myths, he weaves the power of the natural world, vision, and community in service of regenerative culture.

Darren’s path began in the forests of Virginia and later deepened through the teachings of Tom Brown Jr. From these roots, he cultivated a lifelong devotion to vision, animacy, and the mysteries between humans and the more-than-human world. His journey led him to wilderness therapy, guiding quests, and the practice of divination as passed down through the lineage of Malidoma Somé and Carter Brown.

The Mythic Masculine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In our conversation today, we explore the initiatory dimensions of blood rites and the sacred hunt, and how encounters with mortality awaken a man’s power and responsibility. Darren shares stories of divination as a way of orienting one’s soul, restoring ancestral connection, and realigning with the genius each of us carries.

We look at the role of wilderness rites of passage in breaking the spell of modern isolation, how vision arises both as daily practice and as life-altering encounter, and why ritual remains essential for men seeking to live in right-relation with themselves, their communities, and the living world.

Together we ask: What do blood rites reveal about masculine initiation? How does divination open a dialogue with the unseen? And in an age of rupture, how might men return to the wild conversation that remakes us whole?

LINKS

* Courting the Sacred Hunt - Men’s Initiation Program beings Oct 1st

* Darren’s official website

ADDITIONAL EPISODES