About Madre Grande Monastery
Madre Grande Monastery is a monastery of The Paracelsian Order. Click below to dive deeper.
Meet The Monks, Friars, & Postulants
Pictured above are the Residents of Madre Grande Monastery
Below are the ordained Monks and Friars of MGM (voting members of the Board), followed by our Postulant Monks and Friars (in the stream to become ordained). Click the link at the bottom to learn more about becoming an ordained Monk or Friar of Madre Grande Monastery.
Sally Lee, Abbot
Sally has lived at Madre Grande Monastery for 42 years, and was in the “second wave” of Monks. When she first arrived at the mountain-top, she was commuting into town five days a week as a teacher, then later addiction counselor. Sally has since retired and enjoys twice-daily excursions on the land, chatting with the nature, and being a source of wisdom and experience for all things MGM and life. She says her role here is as “an experiential historian and a space holder”.
Sally is an ordained priest and bishop of the Johannine Catholic Church, and a Reiki Master Teacher.
Monica Maghiar, Life-Professed Monk
Monica arrived at MGM in 2006, after reading Autobiography of a Yogi, and decided to stay when she heard the land speak to her of the ways they could help one another. A retired dentist, Monica now grows and harvests ceremonial white sage (available in our online store), runs lead in the garden (where we are always in abundance!), and is a fast friend to all who step foot on this sacred land. When asked how she sees her role here, Monica responded, “to be a living example of adventure and responsibility.”
Monica is an ordained priest and bishop of the Johannine Catholic Church and a Reiki Master Teacher. She is also half of Martica: The Singing Monks of Madre Grande.
Martin Hippie, Life-Professed Monk
Martin was living in Illinois in 2007, looking for community, when his brother brought him up to Madre Grande Monastery. Three years later, in 2010, Martin moved to rural San Diego, drawn to the land, the people, and the vision of a thriving community passionate about tending to our Mother Earth. Over the past 15 years, Martin has learned “how to live with other people and myself in better harmony.” He sees himself as a caretaker and steward of the land here and beyond.
Martin is a writer, above all. He has published several books that are available in our online store, and continues to add to his anthology of songs and poems about the complexity of this human experience.
Diane Jean, Simple-Professed Monk
In 2017, Diane visited MGM on a recon mission for a friend who thought they might want to host events here. As it turned out, MGM was perfectly suited for Diane, who officially moved to the mountain in 2019. “It was perfect for me. I wanted dirt. My meditation was dirt.” Now six years later, Diane is preparing for her final ordination to become a Life-Professed Monk.
Diane is a lifelong comedian, knowledgeable fermenter, and a loved and valued member of our community.
Ken Campos, Life-Professed Friar
Ken’s lifelong interests in consciousness drew him to Madre Grande in the late 90s. After becoming an ordained Life-Professed Monk, he started the sister Live Oak Monastery in San Luis Obispo and it’s outreach spiritual retreat & sober living home in Fresno, CA; both closed in 2018. Currently a Life-Professed Friar, Ken’s teaching and wellness work continue through the United Lodge of Theosophists, Aquarian Series talks, and book study groups in San Diego, CA.
Ken is a psychiatrist and APA Distinguished Fellow. He runs a mental health family outreach called SchizoPhrenia Care Project.
Ladybug Larsen, Postulant Monk
Ladybug has lived at Madre Grande Monastery for three years (since 2022), but knew five years prior that they would move here and become a Monk after reading the vows on the website. “I read the vows and thought, ‘This is how I try to live my life and how I plan to forever live my life.’” The youngest member of our community, Ladybug sees their role as “community builder”, organizing events and garnering interest from folks off the mountain who may align with MGM’s mission and vision.
Ladybug is self-employed as a psych*delic integration specialist and spiritual guide.
Brad Maybury, Postulant Monk
Brad is our newest addition, but not by much. He joined our crew in 2023, following his pal, Ladybug, to—in his words—“a quiet place in nature, conducive to healing, and far away from the frenetic city noise“. He also sees himself as “an ambassador of sorts”, sharing with folks he meets how living at MGM has allowed him to “feel safe enough to allow suppressed emotions to be met.” Madre Grande has been a miraculous place of healing for Brad.
Brad serves as a source of support for those on their own journeys of healing Complex PTSD.
Lisa Ohman, Postulant Friar
Lisa lived at Madre Grande Monastery from 1986 to 1988 with her mother, current Abbot, Sally Lee, and returned to Madre Grande from 1994 to 1996. ”My time there deepened my practice of meditation, strengthened my connection to nature, and cultivated a greater sense of compassion, acceptance and open mindedness. The ‘Mountain‘ is my soul family and speaks the language of the heart.”
Lisa lives in Sedona, Arizona and enjoys long visits to Madre Grande a couple times a year—and always during our Summer Solstice celebration.