COMPASS VISION FASTING
“If we do not initiate our boys into
the village, they will burn it down
just to feel its warmth.”
– African Proverb
WE’VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO IDENTIFY OUR PURPOSE
AND FIND OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD
Although we all descend from a legacy of peoples who practiced land-based, coming-of-age rituals, the vast majority of us never had one of these ceremonies for ourselves. We don’t have traditional Rites of Passage or ways to initiate our boys into manhood, creating a traffic jam in adolescence where boys have become stuck for generations. We end up with “boys” in the bodies of grown men, with adult responsibilities, who lead a life for themselves instead of a life of service.
“WHO AM I?”
Most grown men cannot answer this question.
And, without answering this question ourselves, we allow the world to tell us who we are.
Parents, politicians, employers, media.
We give our power away without ever claiming authority for ourselves.
THE VOICE OF INNER TRUTH
Beneath all the noise of our day-to-day lives is a deep, internal voice of truth that is speaking to us at all times. Some experience moments of clarity when this voice can be heard and we see who we really are. But, these moments can be fleeting.
When was the last time you turned off your phone, went miles away from anything that resembles modern society, gave up food, creature comforts, even books, and sat alone for 4 days?
99.999% of people haven’t. Which explains why so many of us feel lost, confused, and frustrated by the lives we find ourselves in.
If only there was a way to turn up the volume on that Inner Voice of Truth…
WHAT IS A RITES OF PASSAGE?
A Rite of Passage is a process of transformation – physical, mental, spiritual – marked by a symbolic “death”, or completion, or one period or stage of life and the “birth”, or beginning” of another.
Often, the passage from one chapter of life into another is accompanied by a ceremony or ritual. However, these life transformations are not always elective or consciously embarked upon. The birth of your first child, moving out of your parents’ house, backpacking through Central America are all examples of Rites of Passages.
The legacy that Compass is born from teaches that there are 3 stages for every Rite of Passage:
SEVERANCE
“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”
– Anais Nin
In this first stage of any transformative Rite of Passage, Severance, an individual decides that something will change. Upon choosing to embark on this journey, the process begins. Sometimes, we refer to this as the “Stirring up the Sediment” phase. Everything that must be faced, completed, and addressed will emerge during this time as we “sever” ourselves from the identity we held and the live we’ve lived up to this moment.
In Compass, Severance covers the first 2 months of the journey. Your Fasting Guides will lead you through a series of 4 virtual calls to help you as your process unfolds. You will also receive a workbook to help you navigate the Severance process and prepare you for your fasting ceremony.
Severance continues into “Threshold Week”, right up to the moment you begin your fast. Stay poised, aware, and open. Witnessing your process and leaning towards the threshold is all you must do during this phase.
THRESHOLD
“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life.
Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”
– Joseph Campbell
As the caterpillar prepares itself for transformation, it enters the cocoon where it will dissolve its identity, deconstruct its current structure, and melt into DNA soup as it prepares to metamorphose.
Your first step across the threshold marks your completion of this chapter of life, but you are not yet in the next chapter. Some call Threshold the “in-between-worlds” stage of the journey. This is your time. Your 4 days to connect with that voice of inner truth that’s been speaking all along…only now, you can hear it with all of life’s distractions tuned out.
4 days. 4 nights. Solo in the wilderness. The mystery begins to unfold…
INCORPORATION
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
-Lao Tzu
As you return from the Threshold, your first steps as an initiated man are witnessed by other initiated men. Those who have gone before you, who KNOW what it means to fast alone on the mountain, in the desert for 4 days and nights.
Though you’ve made it through the crucible of fasting from all of life’s distractions, the most challenging part of this Rite of Passage lies ahead.
To “incorporate” means to “bring into the body”. Quite literally, embodying the insights, gifts, and clarity you received during your fast. The details of this part of the journey are different for every man, but one thing is the same: Incorporating the gifts you received will be a LIFELONG process, and the MOST CHALLENGING.
When you return, your story is witnessed and heard for the first time, and the guides help you to re-acclimate to life at basecamp. In just a couple of days, you step back into the world that has no reference or understanding of what you just did. It is now your mission to live your life and give your gift in a world that forgot how to initiate.
The Guides lead you and your fellow fasters on virtual Incorporation calls for 2 more months. But, Incorporation support continues for a lifetime!
Currently, our fasters have a seasonal incorporation call for ANY MAN who has completed Compass, and we will soon be holding our first in-person Compass Incorporation events in 2022!
“INITIATION”
The process of being formally accepted and admitted into a private society or community, often in conjunction with a ceremony or series of actions that each member has completed.
COMPASS FASTING GUIDES
SHAWN BERRY
Lead Guide
For over 20 years, Shawn Berry has served as a vision fast guide, outdoor educator and mentor, group
facilitator and creator of ceremonial containers. With a deep love for nature, a commitment to a regenerative environment and culture, Shawn brings his passion and creativity forward to inspire people of all ages to engage with their own unique journey in connecting deeply with nature.
JEDDY AZUMA
Lead Guide
With a decade of experience in Men’s Leadership and Empowerment, Jeddy is the founder of The Rising Man Movement. As a Guide, Mentor, and Coach, Jeddy has impacted the lives of thousands of men on a mission to initiate an entire generation of men into power and purpose-driven service. Despite his many roles in men’s work, Jeddy considers his most important jobs to be Father and Husband.
PHIL GOMEZ
Lead Guide
As a father and devout walker of the Native American path and traditions, Phil has 8+ years of experience in transformational work. From leading men’s teams and serving in Native American Church ceremonies, to 4 years as a Sundancer, Phil is committed to serve the practices & ways of life that have transformed him any many others, for the sake of creating a better world with stronger leaders for the next 7 generations.
ROWAN TYNE
Guide
After 2 years of travel across 5 continents, Rowan found himself in the mountains on a 4 day vision fast seeking direction and purpose in his life. His incorporation has included moving to the west coast, turning his passion for video into a full time career, becoming a compass guide, and creating a life of freedom on his terms. Rowan aims to inspire others to forge their own path and connect with who they truly are.
RYAN WILCOX
Apprentice Guide
ERIC ELY
Apprentice Guide
FAQS
How long is the fast?
- You are fasting from food for 4 days and nights. You return to basecamp on the 5th morning. However, Threshold week (the in-person portion of Compass) is 8 full days allowing for preparation and integration time before and after your fast.
Where does Compass take place?
We are currently offering Compass on the West Coast (typically California) and East Coast (New England Region) of the United States. However, we hope to be international by 2023! Lookout Europe and Australia, here we come!
What do I do for 4 days by myself?
Every man’s Compass experience is uniquely his own. Though the guides give you some direction around self-generated ceremony and specific parts of this Rite of Passage that may be powerful, ultimately, you decide. The only thing we know is you will not be eating, reading books, or scrolling social media!
How many men will I be fasting with?
We take up to 10 men for each round of Compass.
Will I be alone in the middle of nowhere for 4 days?
We prefer the term “solitude”. You will never be more than 30-45 mins. away from another human from our group, and the guides will be in basecamp throughout the duration of your fast. However, you will not see or hear from another human during your 4 days.
What about lions?
Tigers? And bears!??? – Oh MY! We consider it a blessing to have “visitors” during your fast. We also recognize that you may have a different level of wilderness experience than another man. We prepare everyone who goes out to fast with how to respond to any type of safety issue or challenge you may encounter (including wildlife visitations!) during Severance and the lead up to Threshold. All jokes aside, most animals are not interested in coming into contact with you and at most will usually only observe from a safe distance.
When is compass happening?
March 15th-23rd 2024 – Death Valley, CA
April 5th-13th 2024 – Sam Houston Nat’l Forest, TX