CococooningApply

Metamorphosis Moon for Men · Live-In

Remember
your True self. Together.

An initiation into true adulthood for young to middle-aged men. One moon at a time through shared living, while shedding the false persona — ego, shadow, conditioned patterns, collectivized thoughtforms — so something older and quieter can return.

Three caterpillars hanging in chrysalis cocoons side by side, mid-metamorphosis into butterflies
01The Thesis
“You are a composite of every voice that has ever spoken to you. Liberation is not addition; it is structural shedding.”

We dismantle the false self at the structural level — not through more distorted information, but through shared life, esoteric inquiry, and the slow work of attention. What remains is what was always there.

02Four Stages of Metamorphosis

From caterpillar to butterfly — the same arc, lived in your own mind.

Butterfly egg illustration

egg

I. Earth

Initiation

The first dissolving. You arrive, drop the schedule, and let the old container soften.

Caterpillar illustration

larva

II. Water

Refinement

Daily life as a mirror. Habits, words, posture — examined slowly, without escape.

Chrysalis illustration

pupa

III. Air

Transformation

The cocoon. The ego defends itself. We hold the container while it gives way.

Butterfly illustration

adult

IV. Fire

Ripening

What you bring back into the world. A nervous system no longer tethered to the old story.

03The Life

You will live with us.

Not a workshop. Not a retreat. Not even a time for strategising, making money, or building a successful life. It is a time for shedding, renewal and realignment. And for bonding — for going from me to we. You move in with our team of two: Shadi & Chris — alone, or with up to six other to-be brothers — for one month, possibly longer, if you become part of our team.

We eat our two daily meals together. Restaurant-quality. Guided by Shadi's expertise, cooked for all of us, with all of our help.

No fixed programs, linear schedules, or predetermined outcomes. Deliberately. Enter a living field that naturally organises itself around the intentions of those physically present within it. The container is shaped by the unique constellation formed in each moment. Life constantly orchestrates lessons in divine timing. The work is to be aware, and take the lessons to heart — trough interaction, reflection and spontaneity, allowing our natural, child-like state to reappear. Let's live, eat, play, learn and transform. Together.

A bonfire that outlasts the conversation. A morning of ecstatic movement and an afternoon of silence. Cold water at first light. Breath taken to its edge and let go. A circle of men speaking only what is true. Hands shaping the next meal together. A hike with no destination. A class drawn in chalk on the wall. Hours of stillness, then sudden play. Whatever the day asks.

  • Format
    Live-in cococooning. 1 month. Longer if you become part of the team.
  • For
    Young to middle-aged men, ready for serious commitment.
  • Cohort
    You alone with us, or with up to six other to-be brothers.
  • Content
    Astrology and other timeless esoteric systems, true meditation, deep breathwork, emotional acceptance, mutual empowerment — emerging through daily life, not slides.
  • Meals
    All shared. Vegetarian & pescatarian. Daily restaurant-quality cooking, prepared together.
  • What it asks of you
    Will-power to get to know your true self deeply and let go of the false self — of ego, shadow states, coping mechanisms, conditioned patterns, collectivized thoughtforms.
Silhouettes of men gathered around a bonfire in a misty forest at night

With an open heart and mind, you will start seeing signs, synchronicities and previously hidden patterns. If your ego does not block you, you will go through metamorphosis. And whatever happens, you will end up with lasting friendships.

04THE SPACEHOLDERS

Two men. One container.

You will live with Shadi and Chris — a team of two built on contrast and complement.

Shadi — timelessness · enchant · receptivity

timelessness · enchant · receptivity

Shadi

Born of Arabian descent in Los Angeles. Walked away from the conventional life in 2015 and has not stopped moving since.

A decade of inquiry: silent retreats sat through to their hardest hours, Astrology learned under desert stars in the Sinai, initiation into a mystic priesthood, a near-death threshold crossed in a sanctuary in Panama. He has lived inside intentional communities on several continents and watched, carefully, what holds them together and what tears them apart.

What he brings is pattern. The synchronicities other men dismiss, he names. The container does not waver around him.

Timelessness, made hospitable.

Chris — space · explore · wakefulness

space · explore · wakefulness

Chris

Left the conventional path the moment formal studies ended in 2019. Hitchhiked from Crimea to India over eight months on almost nothing — a quiet proof that will, and the goodness of strangers, are still enough.

Crossed paths with Shadi in the Sinai after his own years of wandering, and chose to stay. What followed was a long initiation into conscious adulthood: shedding inherited patterns, learning to read the unseen architecture of self and society, being trained to hold space for other men entering the same passage.

What he brings is openness — the felt permission to begin again, without performance.

Wakefulness, kept young.

05The Threshold

This is for you if

  • You sense your current personality was assembled, not chosen.
  • You have done introductory work — therapy, retreats, plant medicine — and arrived at a wall.
  • You are willing to live simply, share meals, and give up clock time, calendars and schedules.
  • You are prepared for the discomfort of losing a self you spent decades building — and return to the heart instead.

This is not for you if

  • You are seeking productivity tools, life hacks or rapid optimisation.
  • You are regularly harming your psyche by drinking alcohol, smoking (up) or doing drugs.
  • You think the material life is all there is and science is God.
  • You are unwilling to question the foundational tenets of your own character.
06A Voice from Within

The work is not for spectators, and there is no marketplace of opinions to mine. As a small concession to the difficulty of trusting strangers online, one voice — from a man who stayed until the end.

I feel beyond grateful to have been part of this experiment. It felt like being in a microwave for a month in terms of intensity and challenges, but now I feel completely changed. I feel much more stable within myself.

I feel more clear now, I can embrace change and break loops way more easily. I feel finally a purpose in my life, something to bring to humanity, after so much time of unclarity.

There are plenty of things I want to take with me — the esoteric teachings and rituals, the breathwork, being more in presence and patience instead of feeling pressured to do, do, do. I also discovered the joy of cooking more refined meals, guided by Shadi's kitchen skills.

It's remarkable how Shadi and Chris complement each other as a team. I've rarely seen a team work together so effectively. I'd be happy to introduce certain friends and acquaintances to this type of mentorship.

— Willem
07Quiet Questions

Frequently asked, honestly answered.

01Is this therapy, coaching, or a meditation programme?
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It is none of those. It contains elements of all three, but they arise naturally from shared life rather than being delivered as a service. There is no curriculum, no session times, no clinical frame.

02What esoteric systems do you draw from?
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Several — drawn from astrology, ancient timekeeping, the occult, energetic anatomy and contemplative traditions. We name them as they become relevant to your unfolding, not before.

03How long is the commitment?
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A minimum of one month. The offered depth requires time the modern schedule rarely affords. Afterwards, there is the possibility to become part of the team, depending on how well we fit together.

04Who is this for?
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Young to middle-aged men with the will-power to get to know their true selves deeply and with the readiness to let go of ego, shadow states, coping mechanisms, conditioned patterns and collectivized thoughtforms. See it as an initiation into true adulthood. We're in uncertain and turbulent times where: • "Toxic masculinity” narratives are on the rise; • Positive male role models are being eroded; • There is a growing crisis in men's mental health. Therefore, what's needed isn't performative masculinity or toughness. What's needed is grounded masculine presence and mutual inner empowerment. A return to stability, strength and stoicism. Because in a world that demands constant attention, outrage, and reaction, a man's greatest strength is the ability to pause, breathe, and hold centre, which is facilitated by truly knowing himself. We're offering an interconnected space for real conversation, vulnerability and healing among other men; an opportunity to reconnect with awake masculine presence, to steady ourselves in a noisy world.

05Why only men?
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By focusing on men only, we avoid having energy (physical and mental) spent on polarized attraction games. Seeking equilibrium of male-female polarities is reserved for a more advanced level, and starts by balancing our yin-yang energy within.

06Any other principles?
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We can state that the journey is deep and we will need a sharp focus on ourselves, each other and reality in its whole during this quest. That's why we abstain from escapist substances like alcohol, drugs, tobacco and coffee—during the experiment, and as part of our lifestyle in general. This is for brothers who have realized that none of those substances contributes to their physical well-being or spiritual growth. We create a space where freedom, respect, integrity and equality are core values. We implement practices that enhance group cohesion, like sharing circles, authentic relating etc. There is no fixed schedule. We let magic happen organically and help you shift from artificial clock time to synchronized natural time, aided by our timelessness. We use certain archetypal esoteric systems on a regular basis, in teaching, learning and integrating them. The communal meals serve as a meaningful time of harmonization. While Shadi typically leads the culinary process, everyone is warmly encouraged to take the lead in preparing a meal—not as an obligation, but as an opportunity. Participation is usually collaborative, with everyone pitching in to help, making cooking a shared and enriching bonding experience for all. When nobody feels like cooking, we can eat out too if the conditions allow it. At this stage, we only provide vegetarian or pescetarian food, as part of the healing environment. Everyone is encouraged to initiate activities that can be beneficial for the whole group. There will be room to indicate offers and needs on a daily basis. We give priority to people who are not working on their own jobs or projects during the experiment. The freer we are, the more we can focus on deep introspection and bonding, and the more room for spontaneity, synchronicities and self-discovery.

07Where will it be?
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We are flexible. It depends on your budget and your own flexibility. First apply and then we discuss. What is sure is that you will have your private room in comfort and that there will be nature nearby.

08What does a day look like?
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Less doing, more being. A communal morning meditation. A daily morning ritual. Two shared meals. Beyond that, the day is shaped by the energy present and the lessons life brings. No fixed scheduling.

09How do I begin?
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Apply below. We read every application personally. If there is resonance, a conversation follows.

Admission by selection only

Welcome.

Application is the only point of entry. We read every word. Discovery conversations are scheduled after initial review.

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