Releasing the Bear and Taming the Fire Horse

Name: Releasing the Bear and Taming the Fire Horse
Start: 2026-05-30
End: 2026-05-30
Location: Embassy of the Free Mind

Taoist Internal Alchemy (Neidan)

Taoist alchemists adore symbols, images, and metaphors. But to most people, these symbols are incomprehensible. They do become clear when you are guided into the practice and the study of the heritage of former alchemists.

Let yourself be seduced to venture on the Dao/Path of Taoist internal alchemy by following the footsteps of the ancient alchemists and their modern representatives.

We’ve entered the Year of the Fire Horse, and as a Taoist alchemist, you think of this horse in a different way than most people. The horse symbolizes the use of your focus and creative mind, and, like a horse, this symbolic one can gallop off and wander around a lot. Once you learn how to tame this beast, it becomes a powerful steed that takes you very far on your alchemical travels.

You probably didn’t know this, but there is also a strong bear hiding in your body. Contrary to the wild horse, this poor bear is confined to a cage and desperately wants to break out. The internal alchemists know how to open the cage and use the bear’s capacity to set a great transformation in action.

With Dr. Dan KJ Vercammen as your knowledgeable and experienced guide, take a trip in the Taoist alchemist’s world and get to know the essentials of the fascinating practice of Taoist internal alchemy.

Format

Lecture | Presentation | Q & A

14:00 – 15:30 | The Fire Horse & The Bear and what they represent in Neidan

15:30 - 16:00 | Q&A and Closing Reflections

Date & Time

Saturday, May 30 from 2 to 4 pm

Language

The lecture will be conducted in English.

Price & Admission

€56,- in person

€24,- in person

About the Hosts

A collaboration with Taoist Alchemical Studies Center (Taoist-Lifestyle.com), led by:

Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen is an anthropologist-sinologist, Taoist physician, Chinese martial artist, and expert in Taoist internal alchemy. He is also an artist and author of over 30 publications on Chinese culture and martial arts.

Angela Verkade – Assistant and practitioner.

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Getting There

Address

House with the Heads
Keizersgracht 123, 1015 CJ Amsterdam

Public Transport

A fifteen-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station. Prefer public transport? Take trams 13 or 17, or bus 170, 172, or 174 to the Westermarkt stop. From there, walk back a short distance, turn left onto Keizersgracht, and you will find us on your right after 300 meters.

Bike

Amsterdam is best explored on two wheels, and the EFM is no exception. Ample bike parking is available along the Keizersgracht.

Car

Parking in the area is paid (~ €8,05 per hour), and spaces can be difficult to find. The nearest parking garages are Q-park Nieuwendijk at Nieuwezijds Kolk 18 (650 meters), Q-park Bijenkorf at Beursstraat 15 (950 meters), and Q-park Europarking at Marnixstraat 250 (1,300 meters). You can also park at a P+R location and travel into the centre by public transport.

Upcoming Events

From immersive cultural experiences to distinguished academic gatherings, the Embassy of the Free Mind offers a diverse agenda open to all curious minds.