2026 Wilderness Fast
A nature-based ritual of passage dedicated to your soul’s unfurling,
centered around a 3 night fast in the wilderness.
We all come from cultures that practiced nature-based rituals and rites of passage. These ceremonies that were so vital to our ancestors have mostly been forgotten in modernity, and the evidence of their absence is all around us in the lack of belonging, lack of meaning, and lack of purpose that so often defines our times.
The wilderness fast—commonly known as a vision fast in this corner of the world—is one of these ceremonies that thankfully has not quite been forgotten. Sitting alone in nature and holding vigil without food or shelter has been practiced in cultures around the world for millennia.
There are many occasions for a wilderness fast. It may be part of a rite of passage, or it may be undertaken as a prayer, a spiritual offering, or as an invocation for a deeper connection with the more-than-human-world. Sometimes it is a plea for a clarity of vision that cannot be achieved amidst the hurl and burl of a busy modern life. Often it will contain elements of each of these things.
No matter your specific intention, the common thread is this: a wilderness fast is a ritual passage into a deeper and more expansive life. It is the ceremonial ground where the little deaths that feed life are courted, conjured, and served. It is where that which is no longer yours to carry can be released and composted so that your unique bundle of gifts can be seeded, received, shaped, and honed.
In this powerful threshold space the veil between you and the otherworld is, as an old Seneca proverb says, as thin as the edge of a maple leaf. You are connected with what Irish philosopher John Moriarty called your bush soul, and Martin Prechtel calls your indigenous soul.
This is meaning-making, soul-centered, and village-minded work. Your community needs you. The people coming need you. The people you come from need you. Mother Earth needs you. There is work to be done.
The time is now.
The arc of this ceremony follows the three main stages that are common cross-culturally for initiatory passages:
Severance
Severance is leaving your old life behind, letting go of what cannot be, composting habits and patterns that are no longer serving you or your community. On one hand this begins the moment that you say “yes” to this ceremony, but matters of the soul are never simply linear and “self-chosen”, so it is likely that the severance already in your life is what draws you to this ceremony in the first place.
Severance often appears as a rupture, as everything falling apart. A death, an illness, a loss of something that cannot return (including a dream), a growing loss of meaning and purpose. We all experience severance many times in our lives, but often we attempt to hijack, bypass, or short circuit the process, leaving us bereft of the initiating medicine that is there for us to receive.
Threshold
If severance is the leaving behind and the falling, the threshold is the liminal space where in your hollowness and silence, you might just be able to see clearly who you are, why you are here, and how you are meant to serve Life.
The threshold in this ceremony will be sitting alone and holding vigil in nature for 3 nights without food, shelter, or distractions. That which is waiting for you out there that cannot be found inside a screen nor can it be cultivated in comfort, blind-habit, and the daily grind. But it has been calling you…
Return
The return, also called Incorporation (literally the returning to one’s body), is what lies on the other side of the threshold. It begins when you are welcomed back into your group to share your story and then have that story mirrored by your guides.
You will then be supported towards bringing your learning, your gifts, and your medicine back to your community in a good way, in a way that serves life. The return is a long process, but you will leave this ceremony walking the first steps on the road to that integrated return.
Friend, it's time to make an effort,
So you become a grown human being,
And go out picking jewels
Of feeling for others.
- Ansari, 11th Century
The flow
There will be specific practices offered in the months leading up to the program start date to root you into the fertile soil of this work.
Evening 1 (Arrival + Orientation)
Days 1 - 3 (Preparation)
The first days of this program will take place on a private 13 acre property near Lund, BC. In these first few days together we will establish a framework centered around the 4 cardinal directions and seasons, giving us a shared language and map as we deepen into working with the medicine of story (myth), ritual, poetry, council circles, dreams, and embodiment practices in nature to crystallize your intention for the threshold time.
Day 4 (Severance)
On day 4, we will pack up camp and drive into the mountains, where we will set up basecamp and you will find your vigil spot. That night we will share a final meal together and sit in our final pre-threshold council. The following morning we will say our goodbyes and you will be escorted out of your old life and into the threshold at the place of your solo.
Days 5 - 7 (Threshold)
Wilderness Fast
Days 7 - 9 (Incorporation)
After spending 3 nights holding vigil, you will be reunited with the group, welcomed back to basecamp with a hearty and healthy breakfast (and almost certainly laughter and tears). Later that day we will return to the Lund property, where a group of community members will have prepared a return dinner to further honour and welcome you back from the mountain.
In the final days of this program, you will share your story and have it mirrored back to you by the guides, and you will be witness to the stories of the others. Using the framework and practices introduced during the first few days, you will be guided in taking the first steps of returning to your community with the threshold medicine you carry. You will receive practical tools and rituals to help you integrate the profound lessons of your time on the land into the fabric of your daily life.
Lodging: This is a camping program. Participants need their own tent, sleeping bag, and basic camping gear. The full equipment list for the wilderness fast portion of the program will be provided to registrants. There is nothing out of the ordinary needed, and some gear may be available on loan for people coming from afar.
Food: All meals are provided, with much of the food coming from the very land that we are gathering on or the farm up the road.
Location: Lund is a 30 minute drive north of Powell River. Powell River is a 5 hour trip by car (including 2 ferries) from Vancouver. There is also a ferry to Powell River from Comox on Vancouver Island. Powell River has a small airport served by Pacific Coastal Airlines. The nearest major airports are in Comox and Vancouver.
Logistics
Cost: $1750 - $2500 sliding scale
($500 deposit)
We care a lot about making our offerings as accessible as possible, and for our work to be financially viable we need there to be a mix of contributions across the sliding scale. If you give more, you support those who cannot pay as much to be able to attend. If the lowest end of the scale still does not feel possible for you, or a payment plan would make it easier for you to attend, please reach out.
We trust you to make a wise choice based on what is possible and realistic for you, taking into consideration the value of the offering and all the work that goes into it. As a guide we offer this:
Low end of the scale: I am regularly not able to meet my needs
Mid-scale: I am able to meet my basic needs
Mid-high end of scale: I am able to meet my basic needs as well as, for example, to go on holiday without worrying about it.
High end of scale (or higher!): I have savings / own my house and would like to share this abundance so others with less financial means can benefit from this support.
This program is limited to 8 participants. Applications will be taken on a first come, first served basis. After applying you will be contacted by one of the guides for an interview call to ascertain (for us both) whether this program is a good fit for you at this time in your life. After that, a $500 deposit will be required to secure your spot.
Application
Is it safe to fast?
For a vast majority of people fasting from food for a few days is entirely safe. If it is not safe for you—for example: you have very low blood sugar, are taking daily medication that needs to be taken with food, you have a history of eating disorders, then the guides (in collaboration with you and your health provider) can figure out a program modification that works for your body.
Is there water during the fast?
Yes, participants will be drinking water during their fasting time.
What can I bring on the fast?
You can bring whatever you like, though we encourage you to deeply consider what is a need, and what is merely a distraction. The basics that people bring are: sleeping bag / wool blanket, tarp (for emergency), journal, layers of clothes for a variety of weather, and totemic and ancestral items. Whatever you bring you will need to be able to carry on your back in one trip from basecamp.
Will we be able to have a fire?
No.Unfortunately fire bans in the summer are the new norm in this corner of the world.
Are plant medicines or other substances involved?
No.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need prior experience?
No. This program is open to all experience levels.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations are extremely hard on this type of program as we cannot in good faith add new participants close to the start date and have them be adequately prepared.
That being said, we understand that life unfolds in ways that are un-knowable. Should you need to cancel your participation after registration, your $500 deposit will be refunded in full until April 30th. After that, cancellations up to 30 days before the program start date will have half of their deposit returned. Outside of extreme life circumstances (to be considered on a case by case basis), any cancellations in the last 30 days will not receive their deposit back.
I am not in hiking shape, will I still be able to do this program?
This is not a hiking program. If you can carry a backpack with basic gear through a forest terrain for about 30 minutes, you can do this program. All nature-based practices in the days prior to the fast are done at your own physical pace.
Do I need a vehicle?
No. We will transport you from the Lund property to and from the mountain.
This Might Be For You If:
You are in or approaching a profound life transition. For example:
Entering into a new life stage such as adulthood, parenthood, elderhood.
Going through a major relationship change.
Stepping out of the shadows of past wounds and traumas and into your gifts.
Entering into your vocation and claiming that title for yourself.
Stepping into the pursuit of your dreams.
Going through a major physical, mental, or spiritual relocation.
You are feeling called to live a deeper and more expansive life.
You are seeking a deeper connection with the more-than-human-world
You believe that you are here for a specific reason, and that you have unique gifts to offer, and these specific gifts are being either sought after or celebrated and affirmed in your life.
You are interested in an animist view of the world.
You are interested in village-building work and want to meet a community of people with shared values.
You are drawn to the works of Stephen Jenkinson, Martin Shaw, Martin Prechtel, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, James Hillman, Bill Plotkin, Steven Foster & Merideth Little, David Abrams, Michael Meade, Sharon Blackie, Tyson Yunkaporta, Robert Bly, Francis Weller, Malidoma Some, Sobonfu Some, Daniel Foor, Marion Woodman, James Hollis, Bayo Akomolafe.
This Might Not Be For You If:
Everything in your life is going exactly how you want it to.
You believe that people with European ancestry have no connection to spirit, soul, culture.
You cannot hold paradox and differing viewpoints and opinions.
You are not aware of your trauma and your triggers, or you are not at a place in your life where you can work with these from a place of curiosity as they come up.
You do not have a support system in place. This work is likely to bring up challenges and this program is not a replacement for trauma informed therapy, friends, mentors, or community. A good support network is vital for both before and after this program.
Trevor and Carolin created an incredible container for journeying within; woven with magic, poetry and attention to detail. They were both prepared to meet participants in the vulnerability this work requires and committed their time and energy towards working with every individual's soul mission, so we could make the most of our time on the mountain.
-Jessamyn, 30
This program was an outstanding and meaningful experience for me. The nine day framework was perfect, and the conscious ritual space created was surprisingly powerful. I recommend this work to anyone who is willing to get to know themselves more deeply.
-Carsten, 55
Trevor and Carolin crafted a container imbued with poetry, song, dance and myth that touched timeless, ancestral wisdom. They beautifully and creatively distilled each of us participants' intentions for doing this work, and I was deeply impacted by their reflections.
-Javier, 37
Testimonials from previous fast programs
2025 participants