“I just want to fuckin die.” Coming from the mouth of a 12-year old, this is a devastating thing to hear. It is something that we might expect from someone a little older. Perhaps someone that had had the chance to live, to know more about the struggles, pitfalls, devastations that can come with life. I’ve spent the last 15 years working with teens and young adults as a mentor, teacher, ally. Over the years this has grown into Tending the Fires, an organization I created to h

“The Lord of Animals or the Releaser of Animals, in the time before time, crossed the line from the animals’ side of things to the human side, and back. Tales of the Lord of Animals or the Master of the Hunt are everywhere present in Mediterranean, African, Siberian, aboriginal, Chinese, North European, and American Indian cultures.” - Robert Bly, Iron John Of all the archetypal forces, perhaps the most misunderstood and often the most feared is the Wild Man. From the begin

In traditional indigenous cultures the village takes part in everything. That is what proponents of village life have to tell us. People that experienced it firsthand, like Martín Prechtel, Malidoma Somé, and Francis Weller speak of the unity and power of the village in creating human beings. It was understood by these cultures that, left to our own devices, we never quite develop into full-fledged humans. Instead, we retain the characteristics and behaviors of adolescence

I work with a lot of young people. For twelve years I have spent a lot of time being a mentor, advisor, confidante, and guide to countless teenagers and young adults. And I love the work that I do. Especially because it isn’t work to me, it is a natural extension of who I am to be the support for those around me, especially the younger ones that are hungering for some genuine connection. The other day I was working with a young woman. She’s a beautiful girl, in her early

The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds. - Dalai Lama Have you ever had the world pulled out from under you? One of those experiences where your idea of what your life would be suddenly comes crashing down? It can be an unexpected illness, the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the loss of a job. It can be something more subtle, like waki