Forging the Future: What a Real mythopoetic Men’s Movement Must Look Like Today
Laurence H Johns
“We are not just here to live and die. We are here to create, to destroy, and to forge meaning in the fire of our existence.”
– James Hillman
The mythopoetic men’s movement of the past was powerful. It reignited something ancient in modern men—an understanding that masculinity is more than a paycheck, more than brute strength, more than just a role assigned by society. Men like Robert Bly, Michael Meade, and Robert Moore sought to reconnect men to the old myths, the primal energies, the archetypes that have guided us since the dawn of time.
But that movement failed to reach the men who needed it most.
It became esoteric. It became soft. It drifted into the realm of poetry readings and niche academic discussions—beautiful, but distant from the gritty, real-world struggles of men in the trenches of modern life.
If the mythopoetic movement is to rise again and truly change the world, it must be reborn not as a retreat for the intellectual elite, but as a furnace that forges men into something stronger. It must be raw, direct, and undeniable.
This is what the new mythopoetic men’s movement must become.
The Core of the New Movement: Myth Meets Action
The original mythopoetic movement taught men that they were living out ancient stories, that the struggles of modern life were reflections of the same archetypal battles fought in every great myth.
That part is still true.
But insight is not enough.
Men today do not just need to understand their archetypes. They need a forge to step into, a battle to fight, and a brotherhood to walk beside.
A truly modern mythopoetic men’s movement must have three fundamental pillars:
Rites of Passage & Initiation
Men do not transform through discussion alone. They transform through ordeal.
The new movement must create real, modern initiations that challenge men physically, mentally, and spiritually.
These must be urban and accessible, not just exclusive retreats in the wilderness.
Brotherhood & Accountability
Modern men are isolated. Online connection does not replace the primal need for a tribe, a pack, a band of brothers who will hold each other accountable.
The new movement must build real communities, real men’s groups, real accountability structures where men push each other beyond their limitations.
A Code to Live By
Every mythic warrior had a code, a guiding philosophy, a mission greater than himself.
The new movement must articulate a code for the modern man—one based on strength, honour, wisdom, and service, not just vague self-improvement jargon.
The Mythic Archetypes Reborn for Today’s Man
The mythopoetic movement of the past taught us about the King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover. These archetypes still hold power, but they need to be reinterpreted for today’s world.
1. The King (The Man Who Leads)
Not a ruler over others, but a ruler over himself.
A man of vision and responsibility—not a tyrant, but a builder of worlds.
Today’s kings must create and protect—whether it is their families, businesses, communities, or ideas.
The false kings of today are influencers, conmen, and empty voices. A real king builds and serves.
2. The Warrior (The Man Who Fights)
The warrior of today is not just a soldier but a man who fights for something.
He is disciplined, forged in hardship, and willing to suffer for a greater cause.
The new movement must bring back physical training, combat sports, and ordeals that test a man’s limits.
3. The Magician (The Man Who Seeks Wisdom)
The magician today is not just a thinker, but a doer.
He understands psychology, influence, and the power of the mind—but he does not live in theory alone.
The new movement must teach emotional mastery, deep knowledge, and practical wisdom that actually helps men navigate the real world.
4. The Lover (The Man Who Connects)
The lover is not just about romance—he is the man who finds deep meaning in life.
He understands beauty, creativity, connection, and passion.
The new movement must restore healthy masculinity in relationships, helping men develop strength in love rather than desperation or withdrawal.
These archetypes must be lived, not just understood. The new movement must create real-world challenges that force men to step into these roles.
Reaching the Men Who Need It Most
One of the biggest failures of the mythopoetic movement was that it preached to the already converted. It spoke to men who were already searching—but what about the men who were too angry, too lost, or too deep in struggle to even look?
The new movement must go to the men who need it most:
Working-class men who have been ignored by mainstream self-improvement
Men in cities who have no access to real rites of passage
Men drawn to toxic leaders because they have never had real elders
Men drowning in distractions, addictions, and numbing behaviours
To reach them, the movement must:
Be Visible in Cities
No more retreating into forests and mountains. The mythic journey must happen in the streets, in the gyms, in the places where modern men already exist.
Offer Hard Ordeals, Not Just Talk
Men do not change through conversation alone. They change through trial.
The new movement must offer physical challenges, emotional confrontations, and intense initiation experiences.
Speak in the Language of Strength
Many men who need this movement will never walk into a poetry reading or a therapy session.
They will, however, respond to strength, challenge, and the promise of becoming something more.
This movement must offer power, purpose, and belonging—not just abstract philosophy.
The Exercise: Become the Myth
A movement is not something we wait for. It is something we create.
Reflective Exercise:
Look at the four archetypes: King, Warrior, Magician, Lover.
Ask yourself: Which one am I strongest in? Which one am I weakest in?
What can I do this week to embody the one I lack the most?
Real-World Task:
Seek out or create an ordeal. A test that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.
Find at least one other man to do it with you. Men’s work is not a solo journey.
Whether it is physical (a grueling workout, a cold exposure challenge, a fast) or mental (a day of total silence, a deep emotional confrontation, a conversation you have been avoiding)—do something that forces you into transformation.
Conclusion: A New Fire for the Modern Age
The mythopoetic men’s movement must evolve. It cannot be an intellectual exercise. It must be a crucible where men are forged.
We do not need more words.
We do not need more philosophising without action.
We need brotherhood, initiation, and a return to something deeper.
The myths are alive. The fire is still burning.
The only question is—who will step into it?
