A deep soul hunger lives in the hearts of many men today: a hunger for initiation, for community, for life inspired by vision and fired with passion. For a courageous and adventurous few, these longings spark a journey that leads beyond the familiar boundaries of prescribed social roles into a mythological wilderness fraught with inner demons, allies, and numinous power. It is a quest that celebrates more defeats than victories, more questions than answers. Yet only by undertaking such a journey can a man hope to walk a "path with heart," wherein he returns true to himself, to the earth, and to those who walk with him.What fragments of this age-old quest are with us today? Who are the men drawn to embarking on this journey? And what have they discovered in themselves, for us all?The Vision Quest, as led by Joseph Jastrab - teacher, counselor, wilderness guide - is a contemporary rite of passage and spiritual retreat into the heart of the wilderness. In this remarkable book, Jastrab tells the story of the Quest: its origins, its insights, and its profound impact on the participants.For ten intensive days of wilderness living and travel, men shed their old identities to form a new community based on their search for the source of a life-affirming manhood. With Jastrab to guide them, they call on the power of ritual to transport them from the everyday world to the fascinating mythological realm that the Quest opens up.As choreographed by Jastrab, the Quest reflects the teachings of many cultures and many ages: the enlightenment of Asia, the poetic truth of the Middle East, the heroic tales from the West, the Native American respect for the wisdom of nature, the psychological insights into masculinity from the leaders of the current men's movement. Most revealing, however, are the stories of the men themselves as they serve to awaken and illuminate the longing for wholeness that stirs in the hearts of both men and women today. These personal stories - humorous, passionate, shocking - are the lifeblood of the Quest, and of Sacred Manhood, Sacred Earth. Read Less