Wild Hearth Retreat
December 3rd - December 6th, 2026 • Märkische Schweiz, Brandenburg
Meeting darkness through soul, land and community
The darker time of the year is calling us to slow down, retreat, resource and turn towards our deep visions and dreams.
This four day retreat on the grounds of the beautiful Haus Erlengrund is a heartfelt invitation to step over the threshold into winter and welcome the beauty and unique qualities of this season together. It is an invitation to become still and listen to the deeper movements of your soul and within your body, to connect to each other and the natural world.
Held by this powerful land and accompanied by the elements, you will be spending solo time in nature, sit in council around the fire, connect to your dreams and let your body be nourished by sauna, cold lake plunges, fluentbody sessions and delicious nourishing food.
What to expect
4 days and 3 nights retreating in nature with a small group of max. 10 people (plus organisers & chef)
Time for deep reflection through solo threshold walks, opening to the mirrors on the land, rest and journalling
Foundational Soulcraft and dreaming practices inspired by the work of Animas Valley Institute
The Way of Council (after Gigi Coyle) and creating a community culture
Exploring and meeting the darkness within and without through systemic constellations, ritual, time in nature & creative methods
Coming home to our bodies through guided Fluentbody Sessions, voice and song
Being with the elements through sauna, lake plunges and fire circles
Wholesome, organic and healthy food
INTENTIONAL NATURE TIME, SOULCRAFT & DREAMING PRACTICES, COMMUNITY COUNCIL, ELEMENTAL ALIVENESS, SAUNA & LAKE PLUNGES, FIRE CIRCLE, FLUENTBODY, LIVING RITUAL, SYSTEMIC CONSTALLATION, BEING WITH DARKNESS, POETRY, SONG, WHOLESOME FOOD
Schedule Sample
Morning practice: Fluentbody
8.30 - 9.30
Breakfast
9.30 - 10.30
Morning Community Council
10.30 - 11.30
Solo time in nature & guided practices around winter, soulcraft and dreaming
11.30 - 13.30
Lunch & digest
13.30 - 15.00
Group sharings, processes & constellations
15.00 - 17.30
Time to rest, journal, sauna & cold plunge
17.30 - 19.00
Dinner
19.00 - 20.00
Optional evening gathering, ritual, night walk
20.00 - 21.30
This is for you if…
you want to slow down, retreat, listen and embrace the growing darkness as we transition into winter
you want to cultivate a more intimate relationship with yourself, your soul and your body
you are longing to deepen your relationship to the natural world and be with the elements (sauna, lake, fire, forest)
you want to connect to other sweet humans and feel a calling or curiosity towards nourishing community around you
you want more than just the standard wellness experience - you are interested in psychological and relational depth
you want to cultivate your vision of a life-regenerating future and contribute towards it
you are curious about animism, depth psychology, ritual, systemic constellations and soul work
About Haus Erlengrund
Haus Erlengrund is a truly magical place — where crossing the threshold feels like stepping through an invisible border into a fairy-tale realm. There's a subtle enchantment in the air, as if you've entered a quiet world of witches, forest spirits, and ancient calm. It’s one of those rare places that seem to exist slightly outside of time.
Life at Erlengrund moves slowly. There's no rush here, only space to breathe, to unplug, and to come back to yourself. A private lakeside dock invites swims and still moments while the cozy garden sauna and fireplaces in each hut offer warmth and coziness.
It’s a place that grounds you into simplicity, with its beautifully restored wooden huts, each one uniquely decorated with host Bernard’s excellent taste, and the gentle rhythm of nature all around. Please note that although very tasteful, the space is simple and rustic, so if you’re seeking a more luxurious experience, this may not be the right retreat for you.
1 Main building, incl. the kitchen, WC, and shared bathroom
1 Community Practice Space
4 huts with fireplaces for extra coziness
1 outside eco toilet
1 Wooden Panorama Sauna with a view into the forest
Private lake access
Pricing
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A cozy wooden hut with a large glass front opening to lake and forest views, with two comfortable twin beds. Shared bathroom in the main house.
Early Bird - 650€
Regular - 750€
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A charming hut with twin beds, perfect for enjoying lake views. Drift off to sleep next to a crackling fireplace in a snug, intimate atmosphere. Shared bathroom in the main house.
Early Bird - 650€
Regular - 750€
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A bright, airy hut featuring a private living area with cozy floor-to-ceiling windows, perfect for gazing at the lake. Comes with a comfortable double bed. Shared bathroom in the main house. For friends & partners who share a bed.
Early Bird - 680€
Regular - 780€
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A cozy room in the rustic main house. Step out onto your private balcony and take in serene lake views. Close to bathroom and dining room.
Early Bird - 650€
Regular - 750€
Single occupancy plus 100€
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A “witchy” mountain hut with magical charm and extra coziness. Features a private bathroom with bathtub, a comfortable double bed and a single. The double is for friends & partners who share a bed.
Early Bird - 720€
Regular - 820€
The prices include the reteat, accomodation and food. They do not include travel to and from the venue. Early Bird ends on October 19th at midnight.
*Get a 10% discount if you bring a friend.
Payment plans available
Work exchange and scholarships for help in kitchen available
Meet Your Hosts
Carolin Goethel
Carolin Goethel is a facilitator, nature-based guide and community weaver. Rooted in rite-of-passage work, somatic practice and conflict transformation, she accompanies people through significant life transitions and relational challenges, working towards deep culture change. Her approach weaves ancient wisdom with contemporary practice, the sacred with the political, depth with playfulness — creating experiences that nourish intimacy with soul, with others, and with the wider web of life. Above all, her craft is relational: an invitation to remember that we belong to each other and to life.
Jesslyn Becker
Jesslyn Becker is a psychologist and systemic counsellor and is passionate about supporting people in their unique journey of healing and wholing. Her approach brings together psychological insight, relational depth, and a deep respect and reverence for the intelligence that lives within each human being, in the more-than-human world, and in existence itself.
As the founder of the School of Belonging, she creates spaces that support people in navigating uncertainty, reconnecting with their inner guidance, and shaping their lives in alignment with the calling of their soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Haus Erlengrund is located in Brandenburg, Buckow. It’s about an hour from Berlin by car (depending where you leave from) or 45mins by train from Ostkreuz to Müncheberg. There will be a shuttle that brings you from Müncheberg to Haus Erlengrund in groups.
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On Thursday you can arrive and check in as of 15:00, Opening Ritual at 17:00 + dinner afterwards.
On Sunday we end with brunch at 10:00, Check-out of rooms is until 11:00 and the latest departure at 14:00.
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No. You are welcome to join, no matter where you are on your journey.
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We will be a group of maximum 11 people (incl. facilitators & chef).
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We both understand soul as our unique essence - the flavour with which we bring ourselves into the world. It reveals itself through dreams, trance states, deep mediation and time out on the land. Soul is the place where our unique gifts satisfy the world’s hunger, where the joys of our offering meet our communities’ needs.
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The retreat will be in English, unless everyone speaks German.
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Clothes that keep you warm and comfortable
Water bottle
Journal and pen
Sauna towel and robe
Do you have any questions?
Get in touch with us below and we’ll get back to you ASAP!
