Deep Masculine Journey

The Deep Masculine Journey (DMJ) is a rigorous, yearlong mentoring program offered through the men’s organization of Illuman. Guided by Dan and Dr. John Lew, the DMJ is a process of initiation entering the mystery of personal transformation. The journey invites men to explore the hidden terrain of the soul, where the deep masculine encounters a courtship with and by the divine feminine.

The DMJ is a sacred features two monthly virtual councils, monthly one-on-one mentoring, and three immersions into wild places in the western United States: five days in Aravaipa Canyon Ranch in the spring, five days in the Colorado Rockies in the summer, and a twelve day vision fast at Ghost Ranch in the fall. The next DMJ will be 2027.

The DMJ is heavily influenced by the work of Bill Plotkin and the Animas Valley Institute. Other influences include Richard Rohr, Robert Bly, and Marion Woodman. We recommend reading the first seven chapters of Plotkin’s “Soulcraft”™ before applying for the program. We also recommend reading “Wild Mind,” and Plotkin’s latest book “The Journey of Soul Initiation.”

The DMJ is a nature-based program. We want to be clear that while we give many invitations to go on solo wanders out in the wild, the program does not include 10 mile hikes or climbing mountains. We will be car camping with journeys out from basecamp, but it is not a wilderness survival experience. It is an inner wilderness experience, facing the protectors of the False Self, and listening for the deeper wisdom of the True Self that has been calling all along.

An application for the 2027 DMJ will be on Illuman.org in the late summer of 2026.

A man outdoors in a mountainous forest landscape wearing a black Carhartt beanie and black fleece jacket, smiling with mountain and pine trees in the background during daylight.

  • “Much thanks to you guides, gifted teachers and beloved friends. You put much skin into this program and took some great risks to make it happen. You befriended us and let us get close to you. Thank you so much brothers. I will forever be grateful.”

    — Gil

  • "The DMJ was highly organized from the beginning. It is apparent much thought and planning has gone into this. The description of the level of physical exertion required was on the mark."

    — R

  • “All my life I have protected myself from such closeness to the earth . . . What a marvelous and shattering experience to drink the night sky and feel the deep sense of vulnerability it brings with it.”

    — G

  • “Three or four years ago I was dead inside. The darkness surrounded me. This program made me alive again and I am forever grateful.”

    — John

  • "This has been the best year of my life!"

    — Eric

Practices of the Journey

During the DMJ, participants engage in a variety of soulcraft™ practices developed by Bill Plotkin and the Animas Valley Institute, as well as Illuman’s own traditions. These include:

  • Self-designed ceremony that reflects your unique soul calling

  • Council and mirroring, offering deep listening and reflection

  • Dream tending and imagery journeys to encounter the language of the unconscious

  • Grief work to honor loss and open space for renewal

  • Shadow work to recognize and integrate the hidden parts of the self

  • Core wound exploration, discovering the places that need healing

  • Solo wanderings in the wild, where nature serves as a mirror and a guide

  • Storytelling and mythic imagination as ways of reclaiming purpose

Between immersions, participants meet for bimonthly virtual councils and monthly one-on-one mentoring with a trained guide. The cost is structured with flexibility and scholarships to ensure that all who are called may participate.

The program intentionally features a threshold after the first immersion. Participants who feel that the timing is wrong may choose not to continue, with no obligation for the remaining fee. If you decide not to continue—no worries! The reality is that initiation is not for everyone, or at least not for every season of life. Your journey is not over—this just isn’t the next step.

A simple illustration of a branch with six elongated leaves on a black background.