European Festival of Brotherhood – A journey of the Mature Masculine

Dear brothers, men, fathers, sons,

You are all invited from the heart to the 10th European Festival of Brotherhood, from 17 to 20 August this year. The Journey of the Mature Masculine “Divinity edition”.

This gathering is a celebration of the joy of being a man, a feast of recognizing our true self, and to share that joy and recognition with brothers. It is fire, it is water, it is the ground we stand on, the howling of the wolf, the roar of the lion. It is the humming of the bumblebee, the soft stroke of the wings of the butterfly on the back of your hand. It’s sweat and mud, it is song and laughter. It is all coming together.

Now more than ever men need to gather. To heal the wounds of the past, to be in peace in the present and to grow to live our purpose in the future. This time calls for men to enter the space of not knowing with trust, with courage and with the understanding that embracing the now, is the only way to a better tomorrow.

The world we live in changes fast, and this era calls for men who rise up: in their mature masculinity, in their personal leadership and in their example as a role model of how we as a people can live and prosper in a way that is meaningful, sustainable and righteous.

Men heal with men. That’s why we come together as brothers. So if you long for a richer life, being closer to (your own) nature, showing up as the man you really are, celebrating the joy of being that man and growing by journeying on that path alongside your brothers, this is the place to be.

When we look at the present, at what we are struggling with within ourselves, within our community and in this world, we feel the need to grow. How do we transcend the convictions that hold us back? What is the difference between the man we have been and the man we want to be? Do we have the courage to let die what needs to die, and to be reborn into the person we are meant to be? When we know where we want to be in the future, we can start by stepping in that direction in the present.

This gathering is the place to be. To grow as a man. For yourself. For your loved ones. For the world.

From 17-20 August 2023 we will gather and journey together as brothers. To be, to grow, to return to our roots, to celebrate the joy and sacredness of the Journey of the Mature Masculine.

This 10th edition will take place at Land van Yemaya, a spiritual retreat center in the North of the Netherlands. On this amazing location you will again find ancient practices of our spiritual traditions, like sweat lodge, firewalk, drumming, haka, wood carving, sharing circles, tribal rugby, tantric dance and more.
And most of all we will journey together on the sacred path of the mature masculine.

Vision

The four days of the gathering will be a journey in itself. A journey where no man is left behind. A journey filled with ceremonies, rituals, practices, food, brotherhood and so much more. It is an all-in experience that will strengthen you and acknowledge you. For a price you can only dream of.
This gathering is brought to you by the Firemakers Foundation. Men who devote their time and energy to creating safe spaces for men to gather, heal and grow. It is not for profit, but out of SELFLESS SERVICE that they make it possible for you to go on this journey. So the price you pay only includes the actual costs of the gathering. To make sure that even people with little to spend can be there.

At the end of the gathering we humbly invite you to feel if you need to create a balance between what you received and what you have given. If you choose to make a donation, we will spend it on creating more of these safe spaces and inviting men who really cannot pay even for their own ticket. Because INCLUSIVENESS is also one of our key standards.

To fully underline the inclusiveness:
There are three different kinds of tickets.
– a budget ticket, for men who have only little money to spend
– a regular ticket, this covers the actual costs of the festival
– a sponsor ticket, with this you sponsor a budget ticket for those who cannot afford a ticket at all
If even a budget ticket is too expensive for you, please contact us via email. We can support at least three men who cannot afford even a budget ticket. And maybe more, depending on how many sponsor tickets have been bought.

It takes courage to come forward if this is the case – we ask you to be courageous. If you really cannot afford a ticket, please contact Frederik by mail (frederik@firemakers.nl) and together we will figure out how we can make your attendance possible.

The third of our key standards is INTIMACY OVER CROWD: in order to preserve the connection between all the men who are present, we chose to limit the available tickets. We chose not to have a gathering where there are many participants who at the end haven’t even met all of the others, looked them in the eye, share a moment, a meal, a practice. We chose to make this journey as a group, and make an effort to leave no man behind.

Practicalities

The official program of the European Festival of Brotherhood will start on Thursday the 17th of August at 16.00 hrs. You are invited and encouraged to arrive at the venue no later than 15.00 hrs in order for you to arrive, prepare your sleeping place and take care of any last minute practicalities. Should you not be able to join us for the opening ceremony, please contact us in advance at contact@firemakers.nl so we can properly welcome you when you arrive. The program ends at 16.00 hrs on Sunday, the 22nd of August.

What to bring:

Essentials:

Sleeping gear: (air)mattress, sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, pillow (unless you stay in a dorm)

Your own tent or camper (unless you stay in a dorm or dorm tent)

Towels

Pocket knife

Recommended:

Musical instruments

Power objects

Incense and other sacred herbs for ceremonies

Venue:

The Gathering will take place at the Land van Yemaya.