Join a Virtual Council

Join us for Illuman Virtual Councils

We are often asked, How can I find other open-hearted men to connect with? If you aren’t near a local Illuman Chapter or are simply unable to attend in-person, we invite you to join an Illuman Virtual Council.

Illuman’s Virtual Council Circles use Zoom to gather men from anywhere in the world. They are designed as an opportunity to connect and a practice that helps men begin to find their true voice in the presence of other men on their journey of personal growth.

Virtual Councils are conducted in much the same manner as in-person Councils: with grounded time in quiet contemplation, reflective readings or poetry, and deepening our connections with open-ended prompts.

A typical format for a Council might look like the following:

Welcome & Opening Reflection
Quiet Contemplation
Reading of Council Practice Intentions
Sharing of Significant Life Events
Introduction of Council Theme
Dedications
Sharing in Response to Prompts
Intentions
Closing Sharing

We typically break into smaller Councils of four to six men, so that everyone has plenty of time to respond and be present to one another.

Bringing the practice of Council into one’s life is an amazing gift that facilitates deep connection. These Virtual Councils aren’t meant as a replacement for gathering face-to-face but as a supplement, especially for those for whom in-person gatherings are inaccessible.

Wherever you are, you are welcome!

We need practices to help us realize that our minds and emotions are on cruise control, unconsciously trapped in a repetitive, even obsessive pattern that limits our ability to see or to truly understand.
– Richard Rohr, Just This

I feel now I have a place to go and process very tricky experiences I am going through in my life and am not dependent on my partner. There is somewhere else I can go and I don’t have to always turn to one person. That’s important.
– Matthew Fox, Hidden Spirituality of Men

Virtual Council Meeting Times

The Virtual Councils currently take place at the following days and times listed below. (Note that Eastern Daylight Time is UTC-4, and Pacific Daylight Time is UTC-7.)
Wherever in the world you may find yourself, please join us!
Click here if you need a quick Zoom tutorial.

If the times listed above don’t work for you, please let us know what you prefer by emailing the Virtual Council Guiding Circle.

If you would like to receive regular reminders and announcements about Virtual Council opportunities, please fill out the form below:

What does Virtual Council look like? How does it work?

Virtual Way of Council // Training Sessions

We also host Virtual Council Training Sessions – an experiential program where men have an opportunity to learn the Illuman Way of Council from an experienced Council Carrier. These sessions will help men learn about the components of Council and aid them in their practice. The format of each session will include a brief teaching about Council, with question and answers, and an opportunity to participate in Council with other men on the journey. Our goal is to expand the use of Council, as it is the cornerstone practice for the Journey of Illumination.  Our next set of sessions will begin in January 2023. These sessions are held on the first Saturday of the month.

The 2023 session schedule is below:

Learn more about Zoom

Learn more about ZOOM, the software we use for Virtual Council Circles, and download it here!  Zoom provides remote conferencing services using cloud computing and is a downloadable communications software that combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration.

LEARN MORE

DOWNLOAD ZOOM