Summer 2023 through Spring 2024
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat — near Harpers Ferry, WV
Sacred Circle is a year-long, nature-based experiential designed to bring wholeness, depth and breathe to any man’s life. It begins this July and includes guided solo time in nature, the practice of council, advanced Loyal Soldier work, an exploration of the human shadow, and more. The group will meet seasonally for in-person retreats in the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia with time together centering around seasonal outdoor experientials culminating in a contemporary version of a traditional vision fast. Sacred Circle will be led and facilitated by Joel Blunk.
Is it right for me?
Is there a threshold you’re afraid to cross?
Are there life questions that keep gnawing at you?
Do you long to actually do inner work that makes a difference in the world?
Is the life you’re currently living too small for you?
Are you ready to live more authentically in service of something greater than yourself?
Are you ready to explore your dreams and embody your soul?
Do you seek a vision and the courage to pursue it?
Joel Blunk is a spiritual director, retreat leader, musician and rites of passage guide committed to helping men come alive to their greatest gifts for the sake of the healing of the world. He’s been involved in men’s work since the late ‘80’s and currently serves as a weaver with Illuman. He was once a professional athlete, college football coach, and aspiring singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN.
Joel has worked with Bill Plotkin and benefitted personally from the journey of descent and soul encounter provided by multiple programs with Animas Valley Institute. He created and led a similar program for five years with Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development.
An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Joel served as the Associate Pastor of the State College Presbyterian Church from 1994-2015, where he led a community based youth program, started a a men’s ministry, developed a young man’s rites of passage, and focused on adult faith formation. He was Co-Pastoral Director of Richmond Hill from 2016-2021, where he lived as part of a racially inclusive community commited to spiritual development and racial justice. He is a member of Spiritual Directors International and completed Wilderness First Aid Training in May of 2022.
Joel now lives in community at the Rolling Ridge Study Retreat south of Harpers Ferry, WV, devoted to land stewardship and respecting the interconnectedness of all of creation. He and Kristen have three grown sons and a three-year-old granddaughter. He enjoys playing the guitar, singing, mountain biking, hiking and talking to trees.
I’d love to learn more.