EuroSoul 2024

Seven years ago, men who had experienced Richard Rohr’s Men’s Rites of Passage met in Essen, Germany. We listened to each other and our stories. From this the desire grew to meet more regularly and from this was born EuroSoul. We agreed our aim was initially to be in the deepening of relationships that would be grounded in our common humanity while respecting our differences.

As we grew together and experienced the change in our own lives, we decided to extend the welcome to all men who might be drawn to this work. Each year we gather in a different country and also by Zoom three times a year. We have met in Germany, Czech Republic and Scotland (UK). This year, we will meet in Ireland.

Men have been welcomed from Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Russia, South Africa, UK and USA.

Working together in relationship as Brothers without Borders we act to seed our communities in ways that offers men a different vision of masculinity. One that also encourages a sense of connection with the more than human world, animals, plants and all that grows in Creation for we are part of this network of relationships.

And from all of us here in Ireland we wish to extend a very warm welcome to all of our brothers who will travel to us in August where we will once again sit in council and share some more of our stories.

Throughout our time together we will use the way of council upon which there are four pillars.

1. Speak from the heart – Say what it is that you are here to say
2. Listen from the heart – You don’t have to agree with what another man is saying but you are committing to listen deeply to him
3. Be Spontaneous – Try not to rehearse what you are going to say. When we do this, we cannot deeply listen from the heart to another
4. Be lean of Speech – This does not mean that we need only say a few words. What it does mean is that we let the words we use come from that deep place of gold within us and let the dross of the uncommitted conversations float away unspoken

During Council we will use our talking stick. We call him “Grandfather” and he is a piece of carved Bog Oak and he is older than the Pyramids so he has heard many stories. This ensures that when a man is holding Grandfather, he also has the floor and nobody talks over him. This is to fairly give a man time to say what is his to say.

Journal: There will be time for solitude and journaling, so bring your journal with you.

Story or Song: Come armed with a story or a song; we’d love to hear it!

Clothing: We will be spending some time outdoors so bring appropriate clothing for such.

Come to Castletown full of curiosity and a beginner’s mind, for, in the words of Shunryu Suzuki: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.”