IN-PERSON
Eating the Shadow
A 5 Day Immersion into archetypal embodiment, collective ritual, and the erotic underworld.
Oct 15-19, 2025, Vancouver Island.
In the story of Iron John, the young prince is given the opportunity to don three suits of armor to compete in the courtly tournament. These suits symbolize stages of inner transformation and maturity.
White Armor: Represents purity and innocence, marking the beginning of the hero's journey. When the young man first dons this armor, it signifies his emerging potential and the first steps toward self-awareness.
Red Armor: Associated with vitality and passion. The red armor reflects the capacity to access warriorhood and discipline. It is the color of blood that surges in the heat of battle and in the lover’s chamber.
Black Armor: Symbolizes the darker, unconscious aspects of the psyche, including struggles, challenges, and the confrontation with shadow elements. Wearing the black armor signifies the young man's deeper engagement with his own inner turmoil and growth.
Robert Bly
“When a [man] moves into the black, that process amounts to bringing all the shadow material back inside. That process could be call retrieving and eating the shadow.
How many years pass before a man finds the dark parts of himself that he threw away? When he does find those parts, and retrieves them, other people will begin to trust him.”
Eating the Shadow invites you on a journey into the underworld, where you will consciously unearth, explore, and integrate the hidden aspects of your psyche. This experience offers the chance to dance within the liminal space—between awareness and the unknown, between the personal and the archetypal. You will call upon the forces of mystery to reclaim lost parts of yourself, forging a path towards a renewed sense of wholeness.
This 5 Day experience is a deeper dive into the profound territory that opened up in our hearts, minds, and souls from the Level 1 - Awakening The Wild Erotic. In Eating the Shadow, we dive into focused explorations of 3 main categories of self-actualization:
1) The Sexual Shadow
By diving into the "forbidden territory" of the erotic, we aim to uncover the unique core erotic wounds that each of us carry as men, and discover how our erotic imprints have influenced the development of our personality and relationship patterns. Equipped with this awareness, we learn how to gently unwind those wounds and gracefully transition into erotic maturity.
2) Archetypal (Transpersonal) Embodiment
Through sacred ceremony and ritual, we explore the universal blueprints of archetypal energies and how they can be accessed and utilized in practical ways in our lives. We de-mystify and re-mystify the territory of the transpersonal, drawing upon the wisdom of these ancient maps to inform healthier ways of relating to ourselves, each other, and the rest of life.
3) Community Connection
Through vulnerable and engaging community processing, we are exposed to the incredible healing power of honest self-disclosure in a group of trustworthy men in order to dissolve guilt & shame and reclaim our sense of worthiness, acceptance, belonging, and connection.
We will gather at a beautiful private location in the lush rainforest of Black Creek, Vancouver Island.
Space is limited to 14 participants
What’s Included:
5 days & 4 nights guided by experienced facilitators
Chef-prepared meals
Indoor heated accommodation
Empathogen medicine journey
Ecstatic Dance & Cacao + more
Meet Your Guides
Ian MacKenzie is a filmmaker and cultural storyteller that has been tracking the seeds of emergent culture for over 15 years. His films include Sacred Economics (2012), Occupy Love (2013), and Amplify Her (2017) and the currently touring The Village of Lovers (2023). He is also the creator of The Mythic Masculine Podcast and co-founder of The School of Mythopoetics.
Deus Fortier is an Accelerated Evolution Coach, Transformational Artist, Numa Breathwork practitioner and Plant Medicine facilitator. He has over 17 years of experience in the immersive study and practice in non-ordinary states of consciousness, Kriya Yoga, Earth-based spirituality, body-centered psychotherapeutic methods, art therapy, embodiment practices and trauma-informed facilitation.
Additional FAQ’s
Q: Will there be direct sexual connection between men at this immersion?
While we will be engaging in erotic and sexual themes and practices throughout the duration of the retreat, these are energetic and somatic explorations and under no circumstances will direct sexual contact be invited or allowed.
There may be ‘edgy’ practices and processes that invite an uncommon level of intimate, vulnerable connection as a group in consensual and safe, supportive ways.
Q: Are trans men welcome to attend this weekend?
We acknowledge the sensitive nature of this conversation. After much reflection between the co-facilitators of the event, we have decided to only accept applications from male-bodied men (of any sexual orientation). This is largely due to the recognition that the power & presence of the naked female body can generate a specific consequence, whether or not intended, within a group of men. If you are a trans or intersex man, and wish to discuss, please email contact@ianmack.com