About THIRTEEN PINES
Thirteen Pines is a movement dedicated to living a life of integrity and sacred masculine leadership. We offer a path that embraces men for who they are while holding them to the vision of who they could be. Thirteen Pines blends the ancient with modern. We walk the middle way. We believe it is not about one man doing his work, but all men doing the work for every man.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Each man plays a vital role in our shared mission.
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ALLAN MCGRATH
Allan McGrath Isbell is a coach, mentor, and teacher specializing in sacred relationships, embodiment, and deep men's work. Beginning his journey into meditation, yoga, and personal development at 16, he now dedicates his work to helping men, women, and couples embody their deepest selves in life and love.
Allan has dedicated a big portion of his life to guiding men through transformative initiations, shadow work, and deep experiences of masculine embodiment, helping them break through unconscious patterns and step into their full presence and power. He facilitates high-impact men’s retreats, brotherhood circles, and 1:1 mentorship, creating spaces where men can reclaim their authenticity, emotional depth, and purpose.
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CHRIS MARHEFKA
Chris spent a decade building multiple successful businesses, until a stress-induced brain injury put his entire life on hold. While healing, Chris developed a mindfulness practice and began to reassess the life he wanted to live.
He spent the next 8 years accumulating thousands of hours of experience in emotional healing, trauma facilitation, breathwork, relational coaching, and leadership development. He has worked with over 2000 clients in physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual development.
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NIC WARNER
Nic is a father, mentor, teacher and men's work leader dedicated to helping men cultivate depth, authenticity, and presence. Through his immersive retreats, 1:1 mentorship, speaking engagements and group programs, he guides men in breaking through limitations, revealing their truth, and building more powerful, fulfilling relationships. His work blends embodiment practices, shadow work, and relational mastery, supporting men in realigning life with clarity, truth, purpose and integrity.
Nic also works with women, offering insights into the complexities of men and relationships. His mission is to create transformative spaces with a framework for men and women step into deeper connection, authenticity, and freedom.
OUR THIRTEEN PINES
The Vision
The sun was slowly setting on day two of my fast when I saw it. Sitting in my power spot, an old stump of a pine tree blackened by fire and time, I cried out once again for a vision.
Praying aloud, I asked Spirit to send me a sign, something to show me what I was here for. As if in answer to my hearts prayer, a gust of wind passed through the forest around me like a deep breath. The wind animated the trees in front of me, bringing life to their still repose and clarity to my sight.
Like waking up in a dream, I saw it clearly now. 5 pines stood like sentries to my right, 4 stood to my left, and 3 ancients stood at the end, reverential and stoic.
What I had thought was just a random grouping of trees around me revealed their deeper form: 12 trees arranged like a great councill. Suddenly, I no longer felt alone. These 12 trees had heard my every word, spoken and unspoken. They had watched silently as tears of lament and of love passed my cheeks. They stood equanimously as fear racked my bones and as courage found its footing. These trees had been with me the whole time, both allies and ancestors in my quest. With these twelve trees before me, I realized now that my power spot was not just any stump. It was the thirteenth pine in the counsel.
My spirit swelled as I opened my arms in awe & gratitude. I felt that I could bring anything here and that this counsel of ancients would hold me in all of it. In my heart sprung up a yearning for every man to know this level of support I felt now in my soul. I wanted every man to feel what it was like to bring his deepest heart to bear in front of others, to trust them with the very essence of his life.
A vision sprang forth in me. A movement of men, supporting each other to reach the greatness of their life’s vision, just as these trees had supported me. I pulled out my journal and scrawled down my inspirations. But I knew this was not meant to be done alone. This wasn’t for the lone wolf. This needed the power of many men. And it needed to be spearheaded by four. They came to mind instantly… Upon returning from my fast, Nic, Chris & I gathered in west Texas for a weekend. On the first evening, I shared with them this story I just now shared with you. I could see the light of aligned truth spark like lightning in their eyes. They all had secreted in their own heart a similar dream. This wasn’t just one man’s vision; this was all of ours. We had all in our own way desired to create it, a movement of men that would leave a lasting legacy of greatness. With the vision transmitted, every man rallied around it, each seeing his own unique destiny in its reflection.
We left that weekend sure of its strength, dedicated and committed to seeing it through. The fire grew. Slowly… the vision came to life.
- Allan McGrath
The Logo
The idea for the Thirteen Pines logo came on the third day of a Sun Dance that Nic and Chris participated in 2023. (The Sun Dance is a native American prayer and initiation, where participants dry-fast for four days, whilst dancing and praying under the sun.)
Dehydrated, hungry and tired, Nic was sketching ideas based on ancient runes.
Runes are characters from ancient alphabets, primarily used by Germanic tribes in Europe from approximately the 3rd to the 13th centuries. Runes were not only used for writing but also had ritualistic and magical purposes. They were inscribed on various materials like wood, stone, and metal and are often associated with divination and mysticism in modern times.
The final result is what came from that prayer.
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ALGIZ
Divinity. Higher self.
Rune of the essential link or connection with the patterns of divine or archetypal consciousness.
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MANNAZ
Mankind. Awareness.
Rune of the divine structure of intelligence in the human soul or psyche. Rune of the horizons of human existence and collective potential.
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THE THREE ARROWS
Representing the three of us, and the unified direction of Thirteen Pines.
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XIII
Roman numerals for 13. (Who doesn't love an ancient Roman reference?)
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CIRCLE
All contained within the power and safety of sacred circle.