School of Dutch Shamanism - Training 1 - 5 days [live in Gouda] 2026 = FULLY booked

Have you always longed to connect with local nature and our Dutch [the Lowlands] traditions on a deeper level?
Have you always longed to practice shamanism, but in the way it was probably practiced here? Do you want to reconnect to the place where you live and honor it's inhabitants?

Have you always had the feeling that there is more than the physical world and do you feel deeply connected to all living things and do you want to give more structure to this in your daily life, in a practical way?
Do you, like me, believe that if we learned to think more in terms of connectedness and consciousness, we could treat eachother better, just as ourselves, our bodies, our history and the Earth and its creatures?

Animism is likely one of the world's oldest faiths and posits that everything is animated and endowed with spirit. Imbued with the Great Spirit, the Creator, the gods, whatever you want to call it.
Animism has its roots in prehistory and brings us closer to nature, our ancestors, and to Oneness. It fosters a deep connection with each other, our souls, and our environment. By living animistically, we gradually learn to make better choices, choices that are healthier for ourselves and our world.

This training is for anyone who has a foundation in shamanism and is therefore familiar with trance work, helpers, and rituals. The training focuses on learning about Dutch spirits, how to integrate shamanism into local landscape work, and working with our ancestors and ancient traditions. We also work with the Nine of the Lowlands/ the Land-Elders (see below). The Nine of Laagland are nine Dutch nature- and ancestral spirits I've connected with. They appeared to me in a dream with an important message. They want to share their knowledge and wisdom with me, with us—they are our ancestors, our Dutch ancestors of this land. Since we live here, we are all their children.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

This training, which teaches you to weave our own dutch traditions into your [fundamental] shamanism (most student come from the Spirit of Wolf fundament), will give you a solid foundation for a much better understanding of what animism and shamanism is all about: its roots. It makes you a Dutch Shamanist.

For this course, I draw on my years of experience working, teaching, and practising shamanism every day in my practise in the living tradition of Spirit of Wolf (www.spiritofwolf.net), from the shamanic lineage of Morsuk Kam (my teacher) and Karagai Kam. In addition, I have been researching our European spiritual heritage for over 10 years (see the book "The Holy Nights") and will teach you everything I know about our ritual practices together with the Land Elders - Dutch landspirits and giants - the ancestors of this land.

Course content (5 parts)

-What is Dutch Shamanism
- Recap of basic trance principles and safety
- Dutch local land spirits and their names
- Dutch ancestors
- Water spirits and their grudges against humans
- Mother Earth and her local faces
- The Web of Life (Weurd) and fate
- Magical herbs, plants and trees from our own folklore
- European oracle methods
- Use of song and music for ritual
- Traditional Dutch pagan symbols
- Burial mounds and dolmens
- Indigenous offerings
- Prayers in your own language
-The Staff and Cloak
- Ritual objects such as knife, whip, mirror and more
- The Dutch Shamanic Wheel based on our ancient Dutch annual festivals and animistic customs

- (altered states of consciousness) Trance techniques, dance and song
- Performing offerings and libations (Symbel)
- Learning to perform and apply prayers
- Protection in the European way
- Contacting the spirits; ancestors, nature and land spirits, spirits of burial mounds
- Learn to make different types of altars (harg/ wij, etc.)
- Rituals for the home
- Sitting out (Ritualistic sitting outside in nature)
- Rituals with coins, white stones, hood, sigils, etc.
- Performing healing rituals for others: service
- Walking on the web/working on the web
- Shamanic healing techniques basics
- Role of the shaman/wikster/vala in modern society
- Death and dying rituals, evil spirits, vampirism, the undead, curses and banishments
- Family rituals such as name-giving ceremonies, weddings, funerals, first menstruation, and transition to manhood [warrior cult]

What I love about Mirjam is her beautiful, logical directness, alongside which she radiates a profound, embodied wisdom. She respects everyone's own experience and individual wisdom and allows ample space for it. She follows her own tradition with a certainty and a wealth of underlying knowledge that you can feel and hear when she speaks. Through her examples and her sometimes witty choice of words, she makes what she teaches very accessible.

— Marlies Phielix

I got to know Mirjam because I took several courses and training sessions with her.
She provides clear and concise explanations and many practical exercises that allow you to quickly connect with the subject.
She has a down-to-earth approach and there is certainly time for fun, the ideal combination to learn a lot in a relaxed atmosphere.

- Nathalie

"Shamanism is about connecting with your direct environment, the ground beneath your feet and the trees and plants around you - it makes perfect sense to connect and work locally."

In each lesson, I provide some background information and theory, using clear examples. You will then put the techniques into practice yourself. I will help you with things like how to incorporate this into your life and how your shamanism can be a source of support when you are going through difficult times. We only work with indigenous spirits, forces and elements. If you were not born here, this is not a problem; you will also work with your own ancestors. And the Land Elders are anyones ancestors for who lives on this land, no matter your ancestry.
You will not be forced to do anything in this course; you will be encouraged to think for yourself, to try things out and to find your own way in the basics of experiencing a nature religion, in direct, personal connection with the spirits. After this, you can continue with shamanism, either with me personally or in the form of upcoming masterclasses and courses that explore this theme in greater depth.

What will you gain during and after participating in this training?

*A deep sense of being rooted in this place, in this country, in the Low Countries, whether you were born here or not, it doesn't matter

*An intimate connection with others in the group, contact with like-minded people, a community where you can keep in touch with each other via an app or Facebook group during your practice periods between lessons

* personal contact with me via the app - for two months you will have a mentor who is there for you if you have questions or need personal input

* a deeper connection with the earth, sky, elements, nature... the animals and plants

* more vitality and life force

* structure in your daily spiritual practice

* less fear of death

* you can better arm yourself against negative energy

* experiencing ancient roots and support in your life

* truly practical, daily rituals that are easy to perform, allowing you to create a genuinely animistic attitude and way of life for yourself and your family

* sharing this way of life with family and friends by performing rituals together

* experiencing more love and unity around you and within yourself

* peace and relaxation on a deeper level

And you will receive:

- A comprehensive and clear welcome email
- Handouts and video recordings to review
- A certificate after your participation: Dutch Shamanic Practitioner
- Various recorded meditations to help you on your way
- Various sample prayers to adapt and use in your own daily practice
- Altar suggestions for indoors and outdoors
- A WhatsApp community group to connect with each other and former students

If you are unable to attend on a particular date, you can make up for it with homework and recordings!

Fun fact: for every course that starts, including this one, I plant 8 trees!

Where: Live in dutch in Gouda in the Yogabird training room, Gouderakse dijk 32, Gouda

Minimum number of participants: 4 (the course will only take place if there are more than 3 participants)

Maximum number of participants: 15 people (I do not work with large groups for safety/personal attention/quality reasons)

Training dates:

Day 1: 11 January 2026

Day 2: 25 January 2026

Day 3: 15 February 2026

Day 4: 8 March 2026

Day 5: 29 March 2026

Time: starts at 1 p.m., ends around 6 p.m.

Price: 640 euros incl. VAT, including remote guidance, participation in the Dutch Community, online reference works and audio recordings.

You can pay this amount in 5 installments (incl. administration costs) of €131 per month.

After registration, there will be a short online introduction [free of charge].

Or via email: izihkam@belewitte.com (if you have any questions, please feel free to email us).

As always, I believe it's important to know your choices, to be able to experience and experiment. I truly value commitment. Not only is it a valuable character trait, but it's also incredibly beneficial to fully embrace your journey instead of entering with doubts. This prevents you from fully opening up to what lies ahead. There needs to be a certain level of trust, a sense of well-being, a sense of security... All of these are important. And you also need to know the content well so it aligns with your expectations! Dutch Shamanism is for everyone; in fact, I believe it's a must for anyone who practices shamanism and animism. It's about connecting with the land on which you live and work. Connecting with your immediate surroundings.
Below, you can subscribe to a three-day mailing list on the topic of Dutch Shamanism [sorry it is still in dutch]. I'll share my perspective on this topic, how it connects to traditional shamanism, and how these roots are essential for a solid foundation in local work, as well as the Nine of Lowlands. Sign up below to learn more about this in a more personal way than social media: simply as a post in your inbox.