Men's Grief and Praise Gathering
June 13 & 14, 2025
"Colonialism made grief an individual burden. Ancestors knew better. Grief is not to be carried alone—it is meant to be dispersed, ritualized, made communal. The weight of loss is meant to be held by many hands." – Kett Lawd
An invitation for men in and around the Salish Sea bio-region to gather in ritual space with the ancient technology of grief tending, sacred witness and song for the collective healing work that is our ancestral birthright.
“Grief is Praise.” - Martín Prechtel
This is a unique space for *men. We highly value the open community healing spaces for this work and feel it's essential that we be in space together as a people. Still, there is necessary work that men need to do solely in the company of other men–something that is our responsibility to confront, befriend and take accountability for. Most men are used to grieving alone, or not at all. And there is something about grief that dissolves the edges of the armor we carry as men, something that is needing to be released and composted into something new.
All grief is welcome. This particular weekend there is an emergent theme of the Father arising being Father’s Day weekend) and an altar acknowledging Father energy and the grief and praise associated with it, is likely to have a presence.
We are fully committed to co-creating a safe and brave space for men to show up in to moisten the ground with our tears for the renewal of all life. This kind of ritual technology is ancient and we cannot do this alone. We acknowledge the ancestors and our none-human kin in this work of co-liberation.
Schedule
6pm-10 pm Friday June 13
9am-10pm Saturday June 14
Space
This gathering is held inside a retreat style space and all men will sleep offsite (at your home if you are local or other accommodations).
Reciprocity
All men are welcome here. Making this experience accessible to as many men as possible is important to us. We ask all men to make an honest assessment of their access to resources and income. A sliding scale is offered from 100 to 300 dollars. The base of 100 dollars covers expenses whereas 300 will support this work moving forward making long term viability of these gatherings possible in the spirit of reciprocity.
In addition, your generosity supports men to participate who face financial barriers to gatherings like this through gifting, scholarship and work trade.
Inquiries: [email protected]
An invitation for men in and around the Salish Sea bio-region to gather in ritual space with the ancient technology of grief tending, sacred witness and song for the collective healing work that is our ancestral birthright.
“Grief is Praise.” - Martín Prechtel
This is a unique space for *men. We highly value the open community healing spaces for this work and feel it's essential that we be in space together as a people. Still, there is necessary work that men need to do solely in the company of other men–something that is our responsibility to confront, befriend and take accountability for. Most men are used to grieving alone, or not at all. And there is something about grief that dissolves the edges of the armor we carry as men, something that is needing to be released and composted into something new.
All grief is welcome. This particular weekend there is an emergent theme of the Father arising being Father’s Day weekend) and an altar acknowledging Father energy and the grief and praise associated with it, is likely to have a presence.
We are fully committed to co-creating a safe and brave space for men to show up in to moisten the ground with our tears for the renewal of all life. This kind of ritual technology is ancient and we cannot do this alone. We acknowledge the ancestors and our none-human kin in this work of co-liberation.
Schedule
6pm-10 pm Friday June 13
9am-10pm Saturday June 14
Space
This gathering is held inside a retreat style space and all men will sleep offsite (at your home if you are local or other accommodations).
Reciprocity
All men are welcome here. Making this experience accessible to as many men as possible is important to us. We ask all men to make an honest assessment of their access to resources and income. A sliding scale is offered from 100 to 300 dollars. The base of 100 dollars covers expenses whereas 300 will support this work moving forward making long term viability of these gatherings possible in the spirit of reciprocity.
In addition, your generosity supports men to participate who face financial barriers to gatherings like this through gifting, scholarship and work trade.
Inquiries: [email protected]
Location
Near Chimacum, WA
~on the traditional lands of the Chemakum (Aqokúlo or Čə́məq̓əm) and S’Klallam (Nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm̕)
~on the traditional lands of the Chemakum (Aqokúlo or Čə́məq̓əm) and S’Klallam (Nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm̕)
Facilitation and Lineage
We are deeply grateful to our teachers and draw inspiration from Sobonfu and Malidoma Somé, Frances Weller, Martín Prechtel, Joanna Macy and Laurence Cole.
This ritual will be co-facilitated by Nico Kladis, Laurence Cole and Elia Serras.
“We need to clear the pipes of grief to let joy flow.” -Sobonfu Somé
“Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close.”
~Francis Weller
THE GATES OF GRIEF
Francis Weller outlined this work through what he calls the Gates of Grief. These are starting points, or pathways into feeling our grief:
Everything we love we will lose, the places that have not known love, the sorrows of the world, what we expected but did not receive, and intergenerational or ancestral grief.
*Additional gates to explore include intergenerational trauma and earth grief.
For this specific offering, we invite all those who identify as a man or male, as well as anyone who has been socialized as a man or male anytime in their life. If anyone has any questions or concerns about who this gathering is for or how we will cultivate a culture of belonging, safety, and accessibility for those in attendance, please reach out to Elia at [email protected]. Also, for those interested in a healing retreat like this but doesn't feel like this would be for them, please feel free to reach out and Elia can point you in directions of other community offerings that align with other identities and affinity groups.
This ritual will be co-facilitated by Nico Kladis, Laurence Cole and Elia Serras.
“We need to clear the pipes of grief to let joy flow.” -Sobonfu Somé
“Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close.”
~Francis Weller
THE GATES OF GRIEF
Francis Weller outlined this work through what he calls the Gates of Grief. These are starting points, or pathways into feeling our grief:
Everything we love we will lose, the places that have not known love, the sorrows of the world, what we expected but did not receive, and intergenerational or ancestral grief.
*Additional gates to explore include intergenerational trauma and earth grief.
For this specific offering, we invite all those who identify as a man or male, as well as anyone who has been socialized as a man or male anytime in their life. If anyone has any questions or concerns about who this gathering is for or how we will cultivate a culture of belonging, safety, and accessibility for those in attendance, please reach out to Elia at [email protected]. Also, for those interested in a healing retreat like this but doesn't feel like this would be for them, please feel free to reach out and Elia can point you in directions of other community offerings that align with other identities and affinity groups.
Nico Kladis
Nico Kladis, MA is a facilitator and trained psychotherapist with a relational, somatic and culturally sensitive lens where personal healing and collective liberation can meet the conditions we are facing as a people, including our non-human kin and living world. He is a steward of place based men’s work, grief tending and community based rites of passage. He is also a budding song-catcher and breathwork facilitator drawing inspiration from the diverse ecosystems within and around the Salish Sea bio-region. He lives in Port Townsend, WA (s'Klallam/Chimakum land). Read more about Nico Here.
Laurence Cole
I was born in 1943, during the 2nd World War. My earliest memories are of living in Los Angeles before freeways. So I’m kinda old. I’ve had many good teachers, whom I revere and thus seek to pass along their insights, wisdom and useful practices. Much of those teachings have been a quite useful fit for my work in co-facilitating, with similarly experienced folks, an ever evolving process of communal grief tending.
For many years, I have also been writing and leading songs with groups of people all over North America. Group singing is a birthright of everyone, and a vital and natural part of community ritual. Such rituals have been universally utilized as living and natural “technologies of belonging and connection”since time immemorial. It is my great and humble honor to assist in passing along these perennial gifts and blessings from our deep time ancestors.
PS. If you’d like details on the many occupations and guides I’ve had along the way, just ask. I love to tell stories and get specific
For many years, I have also been writing and leading songs with groups of people all over North America. Group singing is a birthright of everyone, and a vital and natural part of community ritual. Such rituals have been universally utilized as living and natural “technologies of belonging and connection”since time immemorial. It is my great and humble honor to assist in passing along these perennial gifts and blessings from our deep time ancestors.
PS. If you’d like details on the many occupations and guides I’ve had along the way, just ask. I love to tell stories and get specific
Elia Serras
ELIA SERRAS
Elia is an EcoSomatic facilitator and guide for individuals, groups and organizations. His work is to empower embodied belonging through Truth, Healing, and Wholeness. Contact with wilderness saved his life as a younger man and inspired him to live and learn in communities ranging from traditional villages to contemporary Ecovillages in 11 different countries.
Elia is a cofounding teacher of Great Earth School, and a facilitator on multiple Jam teams with YES! He has been working with men and masculinity throughout the US since 2018 with several organizations including Mankind Project, Sacred Sons, and Kinhood.
He currently lives in a cabin in the woods on the Olympic peninsula, and can often be found singing, dancing or breaking bread wherever the village fire is burning bright. See more at EcoSomaBe.
Elia is an EcoSomatic facilitator and guide for individuals, groups and organizations. His work is to empower embodied belonging through Truth, Healing, and Wholeness. Contact with wilderness saved his life as a younger man and inspired him to live and learn in communities ranging from traditional villages to contemporary Ecovillages in 11 different countries.
Elia is a cofounding teacher of Great Earth School, and a facilitator on multiple Jam teams with YES! He has been working with men and masculinity throughout the US since 2018 with several organizations including Mankind Project, Sacred Sons, and Kinhood.
He currently lives in a cabin in the woods on the Olympic peninsula, and can often be found singing, dancing or breaking bread wherever the village fire is burning bright. See more at EcoSomaBe.