Way of Ancestors year long with ancestral & druidic skills – 26 of March to 11 of October 2026

Diving deep into the heritage of our Ancestors

Our ancestors spent day and night in nature. They learned from the trees, the stars, the animals. Their skills were a prayer, connected to the cosmos. For most teachers of the old generations, Nature was the main source of knowledge. They retreated into Nature to gain deeper insights and practiced the way of the forest.

During this profound journey together, we reconnect with the path of our Ancestors.

Each weekend of the year we will live in the forest and deepen our skills and wisdom in the following areas:

– Deepening ancestral skills such as bow making, flinting stone, primitive fire making, firebowing, burning ceramics, working with leather,..
– Ceremonial practices and guided journeys, teachings about the Elements of Nature
– Solo time in the forest
– Creating power objects in group
– Meditation and contemplation with Plants, Trees and their lore

The year long combines the old knowledge of the shamanistic traditions of our regions with the ancestral skills of the land.

Dates of the weekends

FIRE – Thursday 26 March to 29th March 2026 – 12pm to 4pm
STONE – Thursday 14 to 17th May 2026 – 12pm to 4pm
BOW MAKING -Thursday 6 to 9th August 2026 – 12pm to 4pm
CERAMICS & LEATHER – Thursday 8 to 11th October 2026 – 12pm to 4pm

Stay

Every weekend of the year long, we will stay in our well-equipped basecamp in the forest. An outdoor shower and compost toilet are on the site. You will spend the night in your own tent or shelter. Delicious paleo meals are provided.
We will work with a small group for this programme, so places are limited.

Registration & prices

Registration for the year long is through the following registration form.

Standard price: 2200 euro

Supporter & Business price (if you want an invoice for your company or support someone with less financial means): 2200 euros + 21%

You are fully registered when you have transferred the registration fee to our account: BE12 7340 4886 7292 – Sophie Vandenkerchove, with the mention ‘Way of Ancestors 2026″.

Participation at social rate (1800 euro) is possible on request via email for max. 2 people. Please email us at chamaicentre@gmail.com if you would like to inquire about it.

(*) When registering, you commit to be participating for all weekends. If a weekend has to be cancelled by the organising team, another date will be arranged in consultation with the group. If you are missing one or more modules, your contribution cannot be refunded. Can you no longer participate due to circumstances? Your registration fee will be refunded if you can find a person who is willing to take your place in the programme.

Facilitators

Werner Pfeifer

Werner Pfeifer grew up in Namibia. As a child, he walked alone through the bush, together with his dog. He taught himself to hunt and did so for many years. Later, he travelled widely across the country and learned from the indigenuous San Bushmen tribe.

From Ole Nielsen, he learned traditional archery in Denmark and eventually specialised in making replicas of the Northern European Stone Age.Together with his colleague Gianluca Massalini, he accompanied several Stone Age immersions and he is co-founder of the Lithica gathering in Sweden.

For several years now, Werner has been living in the Stone Age village in Dithmarschen, Germany. There he lives Stone Age and teaches  teaches people ancestral skills such as archery, weaving with natural materials, fire by friction and much more.

Stefaan Loncke

Stefaan Loncke was initiated in 1989, traditionally trained since 1995 and holds ancient oral traditions, lineage and priestly ordinations. He has been a member of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids since 2013. Together with his wife Cin, he founded Ahawa, House for Life Deepening, in 2014, where he passes on the ancient shamanic and druidic tradition, as well as brings lunar, seasonal, wedding, baptismal and funeral ceremonies, individual healing and counselling.

Sophie Vandenkerchove

Sophie is deeply connected to the inner and outer Wilderness. She trained as a Wilderness Rites of passage Guide at the School of Lost Borders in California. She received several ordinations in Druidism and Celtic Shamanism and has been practising Zen meditation in the Korean tradition for many years. Most of all, Sophie can be found in the woods or hiking the pilgrim routes in the Ardennes, where she received her most profound insights about life. Sophie grew up in the forests of the Belgian Ardennes, where, as a child, she knew a strong connection to the land of her ancestors. After wandering through wild places in the cities, she moved back to her ancestors’ village. There she founded Chamai, a retreat centre where she leads trainings, Vision Quests and weekends in nature.