Episode #3 feat. Charlie Myking

What happens when the cultural image of a "lumberjack" man—all power and might—no longer fits the reality of the soul?

In this third episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with Charlie Myking for a candid conversation about his 2018 initiation at Ghost Ranch. Charlie draws a profound parallel between the rites and his earlier experience of "hitting bottom" in recovery, describing the weekend not as a workshop, but as a necessary cycle of letting go to be filled by a power greater than himself.

Charlie reflects on the rugged beauty of the New Mexico wilderness, from the fascinating simplicity of "dried buffalo dung" on a solo wander to the moment he found the "soul brother" he had been seeking for years. He shares how sitting at the table with mentors like Belden Lane and Fr. Richard Rohr helped him process the loss of his daughter and deepened his connection to a community of fellow seekers.

Episode Highlights

• The "Bottom" Experience: Why the rites felt like the "letting go" found in recovery.
• The Solo Wander: Finding a soul brother and encountering the divine in the desert.
• Deconstruction of Masculinity: Moving past the "Paul Bunyan" model toward vulnerability.
• Council in Relationships: How the rites provided tools for deep, safe communication with his partner.
• The Elder Journey: Charlie’s perspective on moving from the Men's Rites into the Elder Rites of Passage.

Links & Resources

• Choosing Presence (Sponsor): https://choosingpresence.org
• Practicing Presence App: https://choosingpresence.org/app
• Illuman MROP page: https://illuman.org/mrop
• Adam's Return by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/3PzVESH
• Falling Upward by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/4uUM64P
• Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/47qLNVp
• Host: https://brianmueller.com

Credits

• First and foremost, thank you to Charlie Myking for sharing his journey and his heart with us today.
• Thank you to Fr. Richard Rohr and the men of Illuman who have stewarded the Men’s Rites of Passage since 1996.
• Thank you to Jim Heaney and Jim Taylor for their dedication to Choosing Presence.

Music Credits:

• Slow Mo Dreams by Soundroll
• Becoming a Legend by Vens Adams