Following the Bread Crumbs - An Announcement
Moving Country Yet Again!
Wolf is the Grand Teacher. Wolf is the sage, who after many winters upon the sacred path and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the radical and the traditional in the same breath. When the Wolf walks by you – you will remember. ~ Robert Ghost Wolf
This is the latest instalment in my somewhat colourful life. Yesterday I wrote in my journal “I cannot quite believe how insanely colourful and beautiful my life is unfolding; more than even I could have imagined. And I know its poised to become even more surreal this year.”
I have ended up moving to a monastery - now retreat centre - in the Netherlands! It is set on beautiful grounds and forest where we are building an eco village. What an idyllic place for a futurist interested in both self realisation and experimentation in regenerative living. Below is the tale of how I got here.
I am looking for people to join me as well as we relaunch. If you have a talent, an interest in self realisation, some discipline and passion, and want to live/volunteer/work in a retreat centre and eco village please reach out. This week we launched a Volunteer Program. Specifically we are looking for volunteers who get to live on these beautiful grounds and might want to live here longer term. These are some of the skills we are seeking:
Chef + assistant, handyman ( electrician / tech / plumbing), growers/permaculture, cleaners, painters, IT/Tech (website etc), videographer/photographer, yogi, admin, lawyer and more. But please approach us if you have any proposals.
Attitude is the most important criteria.
I am also engaging with world class retreat leaders, thought leaders and spritual practitioners to run programs here.
Following the Bread Crumbs
How did I end up here?
Friends know I left the UK for a career on Wall St and international finance literally one week after my final exams at University in the 1990s. I have lived in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong/China, South Korea, Singapore, and my last stop was Mexico. I was happily studying the Mayan civilization, pyramid-hunting and remotely doing my work as a futurist internationally in 2022. I had a hunch I would stay in Latin America for years - moving gradually southward through Guatemala (I love these people) and through to Peru and Brazil. Mexico was a beautiful compliment to my extensive time in Asia. After the Land of the Rising Sun and Land of the Morning Calm etc, I saw Mexico as Land of the Heart. The people are so in their hearts. One of the most poignent moments of that trip was a profound encounter with a hummingbird . I later found out that they had the largest hearts of any mammal - as well as the courage of a warrior. I will save that sacred encounter for my book though. In Mexico I felt that the people were real whereas many visiting Americans were more contrvied because they come from a society which values captalism so highly it takes over all interactions: everyone has become a walking, talking brand. In Mexico, I loved visiting pyramids but I equally loved wandering around the towns. Some days I spontensouly felt like dancing in the town square to music I could hear coming out of a shop window!
I departed Mexico only because of an invite by the UN and some indigenous groups to speak at the UN COP26 event in Glasgow. Somewhat surprised to find myself back in the UK,I decided to try living there for the first time in 20 plus years. After a few zig zags in trying to find my place in British society again, and whilst still working globally as a futurist, I moved to one of the Celtic and spiritual strongholds of the British Isles; where the druids had a world renowned university 2000 years ago (before the Romans invaded) and also where the prophecies of Merlin emerged . depicted by the red dragon on the Welsh flag which I so revere. Eryri , Land of the Eagles, or Snowdonia - a small Switzerland by the Sea - seemed like the perfect location for me. I could still just about do a day trip to London.
Alas one thing was missing - a tribe.
Something I emphasize in my public prognostications about the future is that whilst I foresee advanced technologies and significant evolutionary progress, the future also seems to be more local, indigenous and tribal. Top down - command and control - models will break down; they are already failing us. The future is tribal because it not only worked for millions years vs 10,000 years or less of increasing centralisation, but modern society is failing in the deepest sense as we destroy the planet and ourselves: in my assessment we we are disconnected from Soul and Spirit. The so-called Climate Crisis is both a broader Ecological Crisis and a Spiritual Crisis. Only a very sick civilization would destroy itself: the first stage of the ecological crisis has already played out as we poisoned ourselves thorough the waters, soil and air. We live in a health epidemic of cancers and addictions. This has struck long before rising sea levels or climate change.
I adore Snowdonia but living in my luxurious appartment with no community was painful. It was not time for me to live the hermit life - I have done that so many times, as well as long retreats and solo pilgrmages. I needed my Sangha or Tribe. I began to intensely feel the sickness of civilization again and a deep sense of loneliness - which will only intensify for many as we entered deeper into the chaos of the Great Transition.
I sent out a prayer to find a community - whether in North Wales or anywhere in the world. No longer did I want to live in this heartless, atomised and brutal society. I wanted to live in a community where there was a collective sense of vision, belonging, love and commitment. I had been studying and practicing many indigenous and tribal ways for over 15 years such as the art of Council. And of course I have spent extensive time in retreat centers, ashram and monasteries. Now it was time to move into one.
Weeks later, just around the Summer Solistice, my friend and brother Sujith Ravindran stayed with me for 4 days. We are working together on the Embassy of the Future and 3 major events in Greece, Brazil and the UK. This somewhat tempered my loneliness. But I still wasn’t looking forward to be alone in Wales day to day despite the joy I feel of wandering our beautiful mountains and verdant vallies.
A few days after the Solstice and Sujith’s visit, Pieter Van Reeth showed up in the UK to see me - like a prayer and a dream answered. We had deeply connected a year earlier walking from Rome to Assisi, following the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi; a walk facilitated by Sujith. After a night in the South , near Winchester where my parents live, we weaved our way up through the famous Standing Stones at Avebury, Bath, Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia on a roadtrip. He fell in love, like me, with the verdant green celtic rainforests in Snowdonia. I took him to immerse in the lake which looks like its surrounded by a volcano at my beloved Cadir Idris. We also ventured up Dinas Emrys, Merlin’s Mountain and I shared some of the ancient tales and we spoke of the lost Eagles and Wolves. In Snowdonia we really lamented the loss of the British wolves... but I do predict they will return in the coming decades.
Once at my place in North Wales, Pieter collapsed on my sofa and said with an exhausted look on his face “Benjamin, I am so tired of doing this alone”. It felt that we were mirrors of eachother in that moment. For I was tired of operating like a solo practitioner. He was struggling with holding a monastery he bought in 2019 and had suffered from volatile times. He invited me to come and see it.
Following the Wolf
I packed for 3 or 4 days arriving at 2am on the 1st July. We entered from the old entrance as there was an indigenous ceremony happening led by the Yawanawa Tribe, one of the first to bring the sacred ayahuasca medicine to the West. It felt like I was arriving on hallowed grounds in the misty early morning and it was being further consecrated by these medicine men and women from the Amazon. I snuck into Room 8 and allowed the icaro songs to bathe me to sleep. I joined 2 nights of ceremony and feeling an incredible trust of the shaman and the pure energies that they invoked allowed some residual inner healing to take place.
I quickly fell in love with the land and tribe. I arrived with 4 days clothes and I have not left for even one night in the 8 weeks since then and don’t plan to until I fly to an international speaking engagement in Greece and a pilgrimage I am leading to the Temple of Gaia at Delphi.
The land was very special for me : here on these hallowed grounds we had wolves pass through this year. This was a sign I should stay. Furthermore this week I am temporary guardian of founder Pieter Van Reeth s dog Luna , who is half wolf!
By chance, new leadership was arriving literally the week I arrived: Alexander Pauwels and his Russian wife Yuliya have become a real brother and sister to me. Other souls also arrived selling homes and making sacrifices.
I feel that as we transition through very volatile times the tribe is an optimal way of living - with its collective vision, sense of belonging and trust. My life has led me on a very colourful and unpredictable path. This latest part has been especially unforeseeable. If the UK had not worked out for me, most of my friends would have expected me to go to far away lands and reappear in Peru or perhaps Africa next. Despite having great Dutch friends, the Netherlands was certainly not on the radar.
Way of the Warrior
The last 8 weeks have been quite a baptism of fire as our nascent tribe strivesdto form we clean up the debris of the past and grapple with a relaunch. Its not all been rainbows and unicorns as they say!
The quote below is one of the most important quotes and meditations I have ever seen. I read it in Joseph Campbell’s ‘A Hero with a Thousand Faces’ years ago. As I hold space for leaders here at the retreat centre, its very alive for me. The warrior does not jump into anger or into excuses. He, or she, just puts one foot in front of another and gets on with it - joyfully. No one can change the whole world. The Buddha could not do it; Jesus could not do it. What makes you think you can ? But you still try. In Buddhism, this is the Boddhisatva Way.
Unblocking the Detritus
Usually in life you have to let go - or better still - clean up the past before you can walk through a door into a new future. InnEssence has been the same. It has had a rocky ride since the pandemic and symbolically there has been a huge amount of debris and rubbish here - both phyzically and metaphysically! In addition the plumbing and sewerage system had to be unblocked. The Universe always has a sense of humour so just as our largest event of August commenced - the European Festival of Brotherhood - a sewerage truck was on site unblocking the system. I took a snap of founder Pieter Van Reeth to commemorate the occasion!
Retreats
So far in July and August or so we have hosted 4 main events plus some smaller ones. A well respected shaman of the Yawanawa tribe, Pokarasu, ran a ceremony for sacred medicine which sort of consecrated the land for me. We are in talks to host many more and also deepen our exploration of indigenous thinking and spirituality through respected organisations such as the Council of the Eagle and Condor.
We also hosted a Zouk dance event, which was very special and in some way captures the essence of InnEssence. Zouk is a very sensual and intimate dance. But done under the right conditions it seems so respectful and a touching dqnce between the divine masculine and feminine.
This is footage from InnEssence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J31KUw6Sg4M
And this video showing 2 of the worlds leading dancers, who actually came here previously, made me cry through the beauty of their dance and the connection they display. I am planning on doing classes in Eindhoven.
Activating Abundance
I ran this retreat twice now - once for all the stake holders here and once for external guests
“Hosted by former investor, and now Futurist, Benjamin J Butler (www.benjaminjbutler.com) & entrepreneur Alexander Pauwels
1. Benjamin will reveal the 7 Stages of Creation from inception to manifestation, which will be part of an upcoming book on abundance based on twelve years of research including working with top investors and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and numerous spiritual masters.
2. Radically shift your relationship with abundance and wealth using the 7 Mystical Laws of Abundance, a book written by our friend Sujith Ravindran.
3. Listen and learn from the stories and experiences of a seasoned investor and entrepreneur. Receive pragmatic tips on how to create and manifest from a serial entrepreneur
4 Engage with an internationally acclaimed futurist and investor about trends into the future. Where is the world heading? Benjamin will speak about investments and Bitcoin.
The journey will be as much of an initiation as a workshop aiming to unblock the thinking, ideologies and even energies which are blocking you from abundance
Program, will include meditations, journaling, short presentations, dialogues, a talk by Benjamin about the future with Q&A as well as dance, music and celebration.”
Do let us know if you have interest in this in 2025.
European Festival of Brotherhood
100 men gathered at InnEssence for a powerful event and journey into the mature masculine. The Brotherhood was originally founded by my brother and colleague Sujith Ravindran. The event was truly beautiful to behold. Men truly becoming wise warriors and brothers is crucial for our societies. Through the 3.5 day journey there were many practices from sweat lodges and archery to war cries. The event culminated in a large fire walk. Prior to the firewalk, we waited inside whilst the fire was being prepared. We were asked to identify our fears, wounds and shame. Whilst I have lost most of my fears and now accept my wounds , it was an honour to hear these men sharingso vulnerably - possibly for the first time. In the end we all crossed the fire from that state of honesty.
We hope to be partnering with the Brotherhood in the run up to the 12th Festival.
Calling All Leaders, Visionaries and Spiritual Guides
InnEssence is moving forward with a vision to be a top 5 centre, open to all modalities of self realisation from indigenous ceremony and mens circles to Zen meditation and Celtic story telling: We have a beautful forest, yoga room, chapel, firepits, wild swimming and many other facilities.
We are recruiting leaders for retreats and events for 2025. Please reach out if you feel that you would like to be part of our vision.
The Journey Continues
Next month, I will speak at an international conference, Horasis, in Athens where leaders from across Europe and India will converge to explore the future of the world;s most populous nation and its relations with Europe and the world Afterwards I will guide so,e of these leaders to Delphi to visit the Temple of Gaia, not just Apollo This will be a significant event and I can barely believe who is supporting us on this journey. More on this later. In Ocotber I a, due to participant and possibly speak at a future visining event at Broughton Hall in the UK Then I am finally off to Brazil.
I am so excited to be going to Brazil! Thanks to Frank-Jürgen Richter we are hosting the largest conference in this important nation in 2024 - just before the G20 meets. I am ecstatic to be spear heading events before, during and after the Horasis Global Meeting and you can reach out to me directly if you are a global leader and are interested (dont be timid everyone could become a global leader!): a Nature Quest for self leadership in the national parc, a time travel event for Vision at the Governor's Palace, 2 panels one on exploring 2070 and the other on Gaia and holistic paths forward for Earth, daily meditation and visualizations, and at the end I will be guiding 8 selected leaders into the Peruvian Andes for a once in a lifetime transformative journey (most certainly NOT a tour). I have been touched by the Brazilian, spirit ever since I studied at Schumacher College in the UK where so many Brazilians came to understand Gaia, the Amazon and holsitc sciences. I am inspired to be singing and dancing my way to Brazil, land of samba and zouk!
In 2025 Embassy of the Future will hold its flagship event at one of the UK’s leading centres of consciousness, Broughton Hall. More to come on that.
May the show go on…
So glad you have found a solid tribe Benjamin! Modern family lifestyles are actually very non-inclusive as the so called nuclear family seems destined to be 'separate' from all the other 'families' economically, politically and yes, emotionally. 'My' family is a non inclusive statement par excellence in a sense. Indigenous cultures have a far deeper understanding of how we can all live as a bigger family i.e. a tribe. You have held the faith that such a larger family is possible and presto it has appeared. I wish you all the best in the Netherlands where I once passed several days in a jail cell in Breda. The police were very understanding of the acid tripping hippy who stood in the street , stopped a Volkswagen and demanded to be taken to Paris immediately! As you know the police drive Volkswagens in Holland :) They were very understanding and even sympathetic before they deported me to the UK with a stamp in the passport saying 'Do not return to Holland!' I did return and got re-arrested then went back to jail but even then they were so good to me :)