The Wilderness Fast: Remembering the Ancient Way of Seeking
“Whoever you are no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things.” - Mary Oliver, The Wild Geese
For thousands of years, cultures worldwide have ventured into the wilderness alone to seek guidance, renewal, and purpose. They've done this not out of novelty but out of necessity. In times of transition, such as adolescence, grief, calling, or crisis, a person would often go out to fast. Not to escape the world but to return to it with new eyes.
This practice has been known by many names, in many languages, but at its root is a simple truth: solitude, fasting, and time on the land open the heart to deeper knowing.
Today, this practice is often referred to as a vision quest. While the term is widely used, it can be vague and sometimes misleading. In certain cultures, such as among the Lakota, it refers to a very specific ceremonial rite with defined protocols, responsibilities, and sacred teachings. Using the term loosely risks blurring important cultural boundaries and missing the depth of what this rite truly is.
At the same time, the core elements of this practice, fasting alone in nature to seek clarity and connection, are not exclusive to one people. They are found in many cultures worldwide. Whether it's a boy becoming a man, a person grieving a loss, or someone yearning for direction, the wilderness has long served as a mirror, a teacher, and a threshold.
This is what we call a wilderness fast: a time of intentional solitude often lasting four days and nights, where one brings no food, no distractions, and no comforts, beyond what's essential. There is no fire. No phone. No tent. Just the self, the land, and the sky overhead. It is a time to listen deeply to what the wind has to say, to what the body reveals, to what the soul has been waiting to speak.
Preparation matters. This is not a casual hike or a camping trip. Those who undertake a wilderness fast are often supported beforehand by guides or elders who help them clarify their intention, understand the symbolic nature of thresholds, and prepare mentally and spiritually. Afterwards, the return is just as important as the going out. One must return not only to reenter daily life, but also to share what was received, whether it was a vision, a shift in awareness, or a deepening of responsibility.
Not everyone sees visions in the way we might expect. Some receive dreams, symbols, or signs from the land. Others face their fear, or sorrow, or confront a truth they've long avoided. And sometimes there is only stillness, what seems like nothing, but even that "nothing" changes them. What matters is not the drama of the experience but the depth of the listening.
In this way, a wilderness fast is not about chasing after visions. It's about becoming ready to see, to remember one's place in the circle of life, to hear what's been speaking all along, and to walk back into the world carrying something of value. Something rooted. True. Hard won. A gift not just for oneself but for the people.
