This Wild and Precious Life | Shamanism and Animism

In this short trailer, Paul Francis and Isabel Wells introduce This Wild and Precious Life, a podcast about shamanism, animism and what it means to be deeply human in a beautiful, broken, living world. We say who we are, and how the podcast began, when Isabel invited Paul onto her old podcast to talk about soul retrieval and we never stopped talking. We explain our down-to-earth, embodied approach, which needs no beliefs or leaps of faith, and what we mean by animism and shamanism. We talk about arriving at the same understanding from two very different lives, forty-four years and an ocean apart, and about why we don't always agree. Then we give you a taste of the first block of twelve episodes, and of what comes with each one. Episode 1, What Is Shamanism?, is out on Friday 20 November 2026, at 6pm UK time, with a new episode every Friday after that. No beliefs or experience needed, just your curiosity.

In this trailer:

• Who we are, and how the podcast came about
• A down-to-earth approach, with no beliefs or leaps of faith needed
• Core shamanism and core animism, the birthright of all of us
• What we mean by animism and shamanism
• Arriving at the same place from two very different lives
• Agreeing to differ, across cultures and generations
• The first twelve episodes, and what comes after them
• A free companion guide with every episode

The episode titles have moved on a little since we recorded this. The up-to-date list is in the companion guide.

We'd love to hear from you: email [email protected] with any feedback, or suggestions for topics you'd like us to cover.

Get episode news, and a free e-book: sign up at https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast

• You'll hear when new episodes come out.
• You'll get free e-books when you sign up.
• You'll get other free resources, including blogs and articles.
• You'll get excerpts from the Therapeutic Shamanism books.

The free companion guide to the trailer (a summary of what we covered, the first twelve episodes, a list of the words we use, and where to read more): https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast/episode-00/

Paul's books:
The Shamanic Journey (Book 1): https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/book/the-shamanic-journey
Rewilding Yourself (Book 2): https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/book/rewilding-yourself
Finding Your Deep Soul (Book 3): https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/book/finding-your-deep-soul
Soul Roots, Spirit Branches (Book 4, coming soon): https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/soul-roots-spirit-branches-preview
Kaja's companion guide to the books: coming soon. We'll add the link here as soon as it is out.

If you'd like to learn shamanic journeying, the safe way is to start with Paul's book The Shamanic Journey, or the First-Steps course: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/learn-shamanism-online/

If you enjoyed this, please follow the show, so you'll hear each new episode.

The Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism and Core Animism: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:56 Why this trailer
01:22 Who we are
02:03 How we met, and how the podcast came about
04:28 Our approach: no beliefs needed
05:47 Core shamanism and core animism, open to all
06:30 What we mean by animism and shamanism
08:53 The same place, from two very different lives
09:59 Across cultures and generations
11:48 Agreeing to differ
13:29 The first twelve episodes
18:45 What comes after the first twelve
20:23 A companion guide with every episode
21:32 Paul's books, and Kaja's companion guide
22:29 Get in touch, and sign up
23:51 Close

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

Welcome to episode 7 of the Three Ravens Sessions on animism, shamanic journeying and therapeutic shamanism. Today we will talk about healing the past and choosing the future. We will discuss ancestral burdens, how reality is a multiverse, and how this knowledge can empower us to live better lives and make more conscious decisions in the present.

00:00 - Intro
00:28 - What is an ancestral burden?
03:43 - Personal vs collective ancestral burdens
07:51 - Ancestral burdens vs Fort holder strategies
10:16 - We live in a multiverse!
10:54 - How do we end up in a particular reality
12:46 - We cannot change the past, but we can heal
18:42 - Past lives and shamanism
19:46 - Shamanic practices to work with the future
23:12 - Choosing the future
25:11 - Knowing what is in our control and our responsibility
26:07 - Shamanic practices we will cover in the "time travel" course
28:11 - Ongoing access and free repeats of the "time travel" course
28:42 - When will the "time travel" course run again
29:29 - What if you can't make it t

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

Welcome to episode 5 of the Three Ravens Sessions on animism, shamanic journeying and therapeutic shamanism. In this episode, we're gonna talk about the tree of life, sometimes also called the totem pole and how it can help us connect with our shamanic practice in a more embodied way.

ABOUT THE TREE OF LIFE (OR TOTEM POLE)
00:28 The tree of life and its means in shamanism and animism
2:37 Is Tree of Life the same as the Totem Pole?
3:35 Why Tree of Life we teach at college is universal and not from any particular lineage
6:39 Paul and his first encounters with the Tree of Life?

CHAKRAS
10:32 What are chakras?
11:51 The exploration of each chakra and how does that contribute to building our personal inner Totem Pole

TOTEM POLE COURSE
16:07 Benefits people get from Totem Pole course - making the shamanic practice more embodied
18:20 Part of the chakra system involves the element system of ether air, fire, water and earth. This is also covered in another course - the medicine wheel - for people who have done that course already - is it worth doing the tree of life as well?
19:47 Do students need any prior knowledge of the chakra system to do the course?
20:40 Are there any other courses students need to have done before doing the three of life?
21:41 What if students can't make the live sessions? Will recordings of the session be available?

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

Welcome to episode 6 of the Three Ravens Sessions on animism, shamanic journeying and therapeutic shamanism. In this episode, we will explore the soul-loss - what it is, what the symptoms are, how we can heal it and more!

00:00 Intro
01:45 We are a multitude of parts
02:38 Signs of soul-loss
05:09 Causes of soul-loss
08:24 How does soul-loss happen
10:57 Where does the lost soul part go?
13:35 Reclaiming the lost soul parts
16:18 Modern soul retrieval is not a straightforward process
21:33 The process of soul retrieval
23:18 Supporting soul retrieval and preventing further soul-loss
26:22 Learning soul retrieval
28:12 Words of encouragement

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

Welcome to episode 4 of the Three Ravens Sessions on animism, shamanic journeying and therapeutic shamanism. In this episode, we will explore the cracks between the worlds that can help us heal our modern-day human separation.
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START YOUR SHAMANIC JOURNEY
📖 bestselling book series: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co....
🌎 shamanic training: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co....
🤓 resources on shamanism: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co....
online community:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Therapeutic....
IG: https://www.instagram.com/therapeutic...
NEWSLETTER:

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

In episode three of The Three Ravens Sessions, we dive deeper into the symbolism of things we encounter in shamanic journeys, going beyond just Animals, Plants and Stones and start paying attention to environments that turn up in the journeys.

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START YOUR SHAMANIC JOURNEY
📖 bestselling book series: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/shamanism-books/
🌎 shamanic training: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/courses-overview/
🤓 resources on shamanism: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/blog/
online community:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Therapeutic.Shamanism
IG: https://www.instagram.com/therapeutic_shamanism/
NEWSLETTER: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast

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About Paul Francis
I grew up in the north of England. At the age of eighteen, I went to Lancaster University where I studied philosophy and social anthropology, primarily studying tribal (shamanic) cultures. After graduating I worked for a few years in a hospital, teaching sign language, and in my spare time studied complementary medicine, various spiritual traditions, and psychotherapy. I set up in private practice as a complementary medical practitioner and psychotherapist in the early 1980s and gradually developed my shamanic practice. Eventually, in 2007, I founded the Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism. I published the first in the "Therapeutic Shamanism" series of books.

Although retired from one-to-one work now, I continue to teach and write and develop the Therapeutic Shamanism approach. Otherwise, I lead a quiet life.

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

In the second episode of The Three Ravens Podcawst, we dive into shamanic journeying - what it is, where we journey, how we can learn it and why it is something that can really enrich and deepen our everyday shamanic practice.

START YOUR SHAMANIC JOURNEY
📖 bestselling book series: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/shamanism-books/
🌎 shamanic training: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/courses-overview/
🤓 resources on shamanism: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/blog
online community:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Therapeutic.Shamanism
IG: https://www.instagram.com/therapeutic_shamanism
NEWSLETTER: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast

--------------------------
About Paul Francis
I grew up in the north of England. At the age of eighteen, I went to Lancaster University where I studied philosophy and social anthropology, primarily studying tribal (shamanic) cultures. After graduating I worked for a few years in a hospital, teaching sign language, and in my spare time studied complementary medicine, various spiritual traditions, and psychotherapy. I set up in private practice as a complementary medical practitioner and psychotherapist in the early 1980s and gradually developed my shamanic practice. Eventually, in 2007, I founded the Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism. I published the first in the "Therapeutic Shamanism" series of books.

Although retired from one-to-one work now, I continue to teach and write and develop the Therapeutic Shamanism approach. Otherwise, I lead a quiet life. When not working, I spend my days either on the beach or walking in the hills in beautiful North Wales where I now live, watching clouds and sunsets, gardening, cooking for my partner, holding her hand, reading, researching on the internet (there is so much I still want to learn and study!), thinking, laughing and crying, occasionally wrestling inner demons, doing nothing, in particular, talking to my guides, feeling gratitude and wonder, and gazing adoringly at my four cats.

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About Kaja Gulič, the host
I discovered Therapeutic Shamanism via Paul's books, immediately falling in love with its grounded and experiential approach. When the college moved the courses online, someone needed to step in to hold the digital space for the growing online community, and here we are! 🙂

When I am not running after my three kids, you can find me at the piano or wrapped in a cosy blanket with a book in my hands. I love to connect with like-minded people, so if you want to chat, get in touch on the college's socials!

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

In episode one of The Three Ravens Sessions, we explore what shamanism is, how it differs from animism, how psychotherapy can contribute, and why we need shamanic practices back in our modern world.

START YOUR SHAMANIC JOURNEY
📖 bestselling book series: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/shamanism-books/
🌎 shamanic training: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/courses-overview/
🤓 resources on shamanism: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/blog
online community:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Therapeutic.Shamanism
IG: https://www.instagram.com/therapeutic_shamanism
NEWSLETTER: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast

--------------------------
About Paul Francis
I grew up in the north of England. At the age of eighteen, I went to Lancaster University where I studied philosophy and social anthropology, primarily studying tribal (shamanic) cultures. After graduating I worked for a few years in a hospital, teaching sign language, and in my spare time studied complementary medicine, various spiritual traditions, and psychotherapy. I set up in private practice as a complementary medical practitioner and psychotherapist in the early 1980s and gradually developed my shamanic practice. Eventually, in 2007, I founded the Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism. I published the first in the "Therapeutic Shamanism" series of books.

Although retired from one-to-one work now, I continue to teach and write and develop the Therapeutic Shamanism approach. Otherwise, I lead a quiet life. When not working, I spend my days either on the beach or walking in the hills in beautiful North Wales where I now live, watching clouds and sunsets, gardening, cooking for my partner, holding her hand, reading, researching on the internet (there is so much I still want to learn and study!), thinking, laughing and crying, occasionally wrestling inner demons, doing nothing, in particular, talking to my guides, feeling gratitude and wonder, and gazing adoringly at my four cats.

----------------------------------
About Kaja Gulič, the host
I discovered Therapeutic Shamanism via Paul's books, immediately falling in love with its grounded and experiential approach. When the college moved the courses online, someone needed to step in to hold the digital space for the growing online community, and here we are! 🙂

When I am not running after my three kids, you can find me at the piano or wrapped in a cosy blanket with a book in my hands. I love to connect with like-minded people, so if you want to chat, get in touch on the college's socials!

Get episode news and a free e-book: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk/podcast. Books, courses and more: https://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk