Big Joy Retreat
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- Call to Big Joy: Adventure Not Predicament
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
through Sunday, March 22, 2026
sponsored by:
Jonathan’s Circle
with the BigJoy.org Project
at the Easton Mountain Retreat Center
391 Herrington Hill Rd, Greenwich, NY 12834
Wanna come?
Come to a cosmic circle jerk of orgiastic glee
Come to a place where you can be a monk
Come to a place where you
discover your inner outer
Come to a place where you can
play with yourself and others?
~ THEN COME!
Follow your own Wyrd… fate or destiny
You are invited to commune
with other self-identified men,
“accepting what is”
in each moment,
celebrating who we are
as Spring hikes their skirts to reveal the beauty of
Easton Mountain Retreat Center
in upstate New York.
We will lift up the spirit of
James Broughton (aka “Big Joy”)
as we play, sing, laugh, cry,
touch, dance and Love.
Together, we will create an Adventure
out of our current Predicament.
Who’s James Broughton?
Why a retreat inspired by his work?
What can we expect at the retreat?
What is Easton Mountain
Big Joy Team
Stephen Silha
Stephen Silha was a close friend of his mentor James Broughton after Broughton and his husband Joel Singer moved from San Francisco to Port Townsend, WA in 1989. They all met at a Radical Faerie Gathering in Oregon that same year.
Stephen (aka BB Ha! in faerie circles) worked in journalism, philanthropy, communications, public and international relations before making the multimedia project BIG JOY, about Broughton, his life, his spirit, his wise way with words & images — and his foibles.
Since then, Stephen continues to write and ponder; in 2019 he curated an exhibit called “IN AND OUT: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island.” He lives with his partner Gordon Barnett [grbbells.com] in Tacoma, WA. He will be honored to explore “adventure not predicament” with you.
Rafael Ledesma
Rafael is a trained Tantra practitioner and a graduate of the T4GM Diploma Series. He has participated in Body Electric Intensives though the years. For the last 18 years he had Tantric Touch practice and has facilitated as well as assisted various men’s workshops at Easton Mountain, NY and Wildwood in California. The concepts of creating sacred space as a container for the possibilities to unfold are the inspiration for his practice. He lives in Florida with his spouse Steven of 25 years.
He is looking forward to the Big Joy gathering and spending time with old and new brothers. For him, the “Journey not Predicament” theme brings out a sense of anticipation to the discoveries of that journey.
Etienne Brammeier
Etienne Brammeier is a Body Electric trained Sacred Intimate who fell in love with Easton Mountain at his first visit there in 2005. Living in St. Louis, MO since birth, he practiced veterinary medicine there for 40 years retiring in 2015 after selling his practice. A singer all of his life, in recent years he’s created and performed four solo cabaret shows in his hometown St. Louis, Chicago and NYC.
His spiritual journey began with growing up in the congregation of Friedens German Evangelical and Reformed Protestant church. Much later experiences with BodyElectric, Yoga, Tantra and Vision Fasts with the School of Lost Borders shaped and informed his spiritual life with a deep connection to the Eros of nature. Etienne relishes the energetic erotic connection that comes with intention, touch, breath, sound and movement.
He has been in a relationship with his husband, Hugh, for 34 years. Being a father to his two sons, Ben and Joe, is his greatest Joy.
Etienne looks forward to sharing, joyfully creating, connecting and playing in this “Big Joy” adventure with everyone.
Stephen Barry
Stephen Barry is a licensed massage therapist and Reiki practitioner who finds deep joy in connecting through healing touch and authentic presence. A nature lover at heart, Stephen enjoys hiking, meaningful conversations, and the quiet magic of being outdoors. He has attended Body Electric and deeply values the sacredness of giving and receiving love through touch. Stephen has been in a committed relationship with his husband, Eric, for six years, and brings a spirit of compassion, curiosity, and grounded joy to every space he enters. He looks forward to sharing in the adventure of Big Joy with fellow seekers and kindred souls.
Retreat Registration
Payments
The cost of the retreat is $1850. To reserve your place, pay the registration fee of $750, deductible from the entire cost of the retreat. There is a $150 discount until Oct 17, 2025 with the balance due on Dec.15, 2025 Or pay the entire cost of the retreat before December 15, and receive the $150 discount (=$1700).
If paying by PayPal, the following rates apply: Registration fee = $765; full amount before Dec 15, 2025 = $1726; full amount on or after Dec 15, 2025 = $1877.
Financial assistance may be possible if/when funds are available.
Refund policy: Full refund minus $200 until Dec 15, 2025. Dec 15, 20252-Dec 31, 2025 at 75%. Refunds after Dec 31,2025 at 50%. Full refund, less the $750 deposit after Jan 1, 2026 with a submitted statement indicating the reason.
Attendance Requirements
- Must be 18 years of age or older and a self-identified male.
- Retreats will involve body experiences that may include, but are not limited to, touch, movement, deep breathing, dance, drumming, chant, song, poetry, ritual, the use of sacred texts, massage, meditation, silence, and yoga.
- Must have no medical condition, whether physical or psychological, that precludes you from participating in reasonable activities in this retreat, including any of those listed above.
- The retreat will be alcohol- and drug-free.
- Must disclose any condition you have that may be contagious to others in the group, acknowledging that the activities of Jonathan’s Circle involve men being in close proximity with each other.