“To be wild is not to be crazy or psychotic. True wildness is a love of nature, a delight in silence, a voice free to say spontaneous things, and an exuberant curiosity in the face of the unknown” — Robert Bly

The Fifth Direction is a welcome community for everyone of all genders, faiths, backgrounds, orientations, ages and abilities. We began our journey in 2017 as a small group of men meditating together at the home of former Meditation Australia president, Asher Packman.

While meditation was the primary focus, we soon found ourselves deeply immersed in the mythopoetic work of poet and activist Robert Bly. This soon expanded to include James Hillman, Michael Meade, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Marion Woodman and numerous others.

We grew rapidly, and when COVID took hold in late 2020, an online platform was built. This provided a bespoke place for our community to share and learn away from the distractions of social media. It was also able to contain our ever-growing library of resources.

We then gathered renowned teachers from around the world to host sharing circles, meditation, breathwork, music, storytelling, poetry and more. We now also offer deep immersions through our flagship courses The Way and The Wild Soul.

The fifth direction — or ‘sacred fifth’ — represents a turning inward towards the centre of the self. It is the place from which we can embody a vertical life, connected to spirit above and soul below.

The fifth way has always been sacred. It is a return home and asks of us only to explore our own true nature.

Bly often called people into the fifth direction before his storytelling, and thus our name also offers an opportunity to pay homage to the work we humbly continue.

We invite you to join us, reclaim your mythic imagination and celebrate a return to your wild soul.