#53 | Igniting the Playful Hearts of Men - Jason MacKenzie (Sacred Sons)
“Regardless of how many shadows an older man may have or not, being able to really hold presence is profoundly healing and profoundly scary for most younger men. ”
My guest today is Jason MacKenzie, co-founder of Sacred Sons, a men’s organization whose self-professed aim is to “steward the return of the father archetype through men's relational and physical training.”
I first met Jason in 2019 at the Sacred Sons Convergence in San Diego, a powerful gathering of 300 other men. I experienced firsthand the container that he, alongside his core collaborators Aubert Bastiat and Adam Jackson crafted together.
In our conversation today, Jason and I dive into his own experience with drug and alcohol abuse early in life. He speaks of finding his way into men’s work and committing himself to the ManKind Project, before ultimately departing to follow his own path. We talk about the deep longing for elders in a largely elderless time. And finally, he speaks of his learnings from the ending of a partnership, and coming into a new relationship with his own feminine spirit.
Before we begin, you might consider listening to episode #51, which is my interview with Bill Kauth, the co-founder of the ManKind Project. This sets up the lineage that connects to my conversation with Jason. You might also wish to read the essay I wrote after my participation at the Sacred Sons Convergence, titled “The Rise of the Embodied Masculine.”
LINKS
SHOW NOTES
A introduction to Sacred Sons
A nomadic upbringing and a journey of transformation
The first encounter at MKP mankind project
Profound experiences with Men’s work
A father-son relationship with MKP
Separation from the father and the launch of Sacred Sons
A story of Bill Kauth, one of the founders of MKP, and Robert Bly
A shout out to the co-founders of Sacred Sons, Adam Jackson & Aubert Bastiat
Navigating the decision-consequence process within Sacred Sons without elder support
Seeking elders in an interesting paradoxical time
Slowing down and tapping into the feminine through partnership
The cultivation of self-receptivity
An opportunity of autonomy and self-forgiveness in solo-space as compared to partnership
The aftermath of separation and the discomfort of emptiness
Accessing the feminine sensuality within
A hunger of belongingness projected onto women
Reconnecting with playfulness and humor as a foundation for healing
Men’s work memes
