There is a growing refrain today of “what has happened to turn men into powerless asexual softies that are at the mercy of everyone and everything?”

Having lost their confidence to express their maleness in case it is frowned upon as being anti-social, men everywhere are becoming more and more withdrawn and secretly aggressive in a vain attempt to suppress the urge to violence, whilst their inner frustration continues to mount.

Théun Mares, teacher and author of several books revealing the power within the ancient Toltec tradition, was looking for men who were not embarrassed by their masculinity, and who would like to explore more fully what it means to be male.

Théun's quest was in response to the frustration expressed by so many men and women who are beginning to wonder where all the heroes have gone.

As a result of having had it impressed upon them that no-one has the right to take the law into his own hands, men now stand back powerlessly to watch as crime, violence and injustice thrive and escalate within a society dictated to by laws that clearly do nothing to protect them, their rights and their families.

As a result of having had impressed upon them that as parents they do not know what is best for their children, fathers now watch helplessly as school psychologists prescribe expensive guidance and medical drugs for children who are already addicted to the alcohol and drug abuse born from the lack of discipline which is engendered by a society that insists upon supporting weakness instead of encouraging strength.

As a result of having had it impressed upon them that men must be sensitive, considerate, caring, and gentle, men feel that they have no option other than to emasculate themselves.

Consequently it is hardly surprising that there are no more heroes left, since we are living in a sick society which is deteriorating rapidly, physically, economically and psychologically, and which sees our children too becoming ever more delinquent.

What has happened?

The answer is simple. Men, in trying to correct the mistakes of the past, have handed their power over to the Big Brothers of society who are meant to be the experts in any particular field. Thus men are no longer taking joint responsibility as the protectors of the family, of the community, or of the country. For the sake of appearing to conform to the “civilized” model of good, law-abiding citizens, men have been coerced into handing that power and privilege over to the “authorities” and the “experts”.

In other words, no longer do men take the lead in their families, for to do so would make them guilty of practising sexual inequality.

No longer do men discipline their children, for to do so would make them guilty of child abuse.

No longer do men protect their families, for to do so would mean transgressing laws that protect the rights of criminals.

In short, no longer do men stand proud in their masculinity, for if they do, they are accused of being insensitive, inconsiderate, uncaring, and anti-social.

To put this in a nutshell, men have tried so hard to become good males, that they have in effect traded their masculinity for the mentality and the behaviour of the village idiot or of the village wimp. The result of this debilitating situation is a society that has become so unisexual in its pursuit of equality between the sexes that it has become uni-sick.

What can be done about this situation?

Once again the answer is simple. In fact, very, very simple.

Men need to make a stand by claiming back their masculinity.

But they need to do this not with a chip on the shoulder, but with the necessary insight in how to rectify the mistakes of the past, and how to guide themselves, their families and their communities toward those values that uphold true justice and equality.

Yet Théun warns that it really would spell disaster if men, lacking the necessary insight into both the needs of humanity and the role and purpose of the true male were to try to plunge the world back into outdated practices that had their basis in ignorance and prejudice.

Instead the focus today should be on the value and the role of each and every individual, as well as on the importance of the individual's actions relative to the well-being of the greater whole, irrespective of whether that greater whole is the family unit, the community, or the country.

If you feel that this is what you have been looking for, then the Toltec teachings may be for you.

Furthermore, if you are tired of having other people's pet theories and points of view forced upon you, then you will greatly enjoy ISM's simple, honest and highly practical approach in guiding people towards the necessary clarity, so that they can find their own answers based upon their experience of life.

In this way, and in conformity with the requirements of freedom, each individual comes alone to the realisation that he or she is special in having a unique purpose and role in life. Knowing from experience that merely to hand out rote answers randomly leads to a mediocre state of mind, those at ISM instead guide the individual into realising that he already has all the knowledge he needs to handle a problem at any particular point in time.

ISM's approach to teaching is not only encouraging and uplifting, but also utterly empowering. It is encouraging because one quickly learns that any problem can be solved, and this brings liberation.

It is uplifting because one is constantly being encouraged to discover one's own unique potential, instead of being made to feel stupid and powerless.

It is empowering, because instead of being told what to do, one is continuously being guided into finding the answers for oneself, and into believing that one does have knowledge, value and above all, that each and every one of us has a special and meaningful role to play in life.

Those at ISM's reason for teaching is twofold: firstly, to make known the value and the importance of the Toltec teachings; and secondly, to find and train those men and women who feel that they would like to make a difference in the world around them.