Remembering: Being human in a more than human world - Erik Jampa Andersson

This week’s show is with the amazing Erik Jampa Andersson. Erik Jampa Andersson is the founder and director of Shrimala, an author, a London-based practitioner, teacher, and scholar of Tibetan Medicine (Sowa Rigpa), Tibetan Buddhism, and Environmental History.

He is a graduate of the Shang Shung Institute School of Tibetan Medicine, and recently completed his MA in History at Goldsmiths University, where his research focused on the historical intersection of ecology, health, and mythology in a more-than-human world. He is the author of Unseen Beings: How We Forgot the World is More Than Human (Hay House, May 2023).

In this conversation, Erik and Lian explored the hierarchical way humans relate to non-humans (especially in relation to people getting into Shamanism or Jungian approaches).

Erik shared his journey through Tibetan Buddhism and into a more immanent approach.

They explored the significance of storytelling and fantasy in reclaiming enchantment and fostering a more animistic worldview, emphasising the importance of recognising the personhood of non-human beings and the need to break free from an anthropocentric worldview.

They both spoke of the recognition of animism as a foundational way of experiencing the world and the importance of preserving unbroken animistic traditions.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Recognise the personhood of non-human beings and embrace the relational experience of enchantment, developing an animistic worldview that acknowledges the diversity and continuity of beingness.

• Engage in storytelling and fantasy to reclaim enchantment and challenge our conditioned anthropocetric worldview.

• Preserve and learn from unbroken animistic traditions while being cautious of cultural erasure. Learn from wisdom holders and engage with their knowledge with gratitude and humility, whilst approaching traditional systems with pragmatism and nuance, adapting them to your own life and circumstances rather than taking them on in a way that doesn’t take into account the change in context.

• Focus on building meaningful relationships with others, including non-human beings - this is something we focus on in an upcoming episode

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• Visit Erik’s Website:

  • shrimala.com

  • erikjampa.com

• Be Mythical is soon opening the doors to our new academy of alchemical arts - UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union... To get your special invitation register HERE.

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian & Jonathan

This week’s show is with Ian Watson. Ian is an educator, author and facilitator who has worked in the field of well-being, holistic healing and inner transformation since 1988.

He has travelled extensively giving seminars, courses and retreats around the world. Ian became widely known as a speaker and writer in homeopathy, which he taught and practised until 2003. He subsequently trained in a wide variety of psychological and emotional healing disciplines in the following decade.

Ian has been a lifelong student of the work of Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung and the great spiritual traditions of the world, taoism and zen buddhism in particular. In 2011 he discovered the work of Sydney Banks which has been pivotal in aligning his psychological and spiritual understanding together with his holistic approach to health and healing.

In this conversation, Ian and Lian journeyed into the topic of balancing the descent to soul with the ascent to spirit, or said differently, the transcendent path versus the path of knowing oneself.

They explored the transcendent aspect of the mythological journey and the integration of the spiritual and earthly realms. Lian and Ian both share personal experiences of the transcendent and discuss the role of the Three Principles understanding in making sense of these experiences.

They also explored the Western focus on individuality and the importance of heeding intuition and wisdom in order to follow the path of our own soul. The conversation highlights the need to balance the transcendent and earthly realms to live a spiritual life in the physical world.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• The mythological journey can take us onto seemingly contrary paths that honor both the transcendent aspect and a descent into the human experience and our unique bodies and souls.

• Following intuition and wisdom can lead to a deeper understanding of one's path and the integration of the transcendent and earthly realms.

• Living a spiritual life involves recognising the sacredness of the earth and the body. Remembering and forgetting is a natural part of our experience.

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• Details of Ian’s work can be found at www.theinsightspace.com 

• Be Mythical is soon opening the doors to our new academy of alchemical arts - UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union... To get your special invitation register HERE.

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This week’s show is with Ian Watson. Ian is an educator, author and facilitator who has worked in the field of well-being, holistic healing and inner transformation since 1988.

He has travelled extensively giving seminars, courses and retreats around the world. Ian became widely known as a speaker and writer in homeopathy, which he taught and practised until 2003. He subsequently trained in a wide variety of psychological and emotional healing disciplines in the following decade.

Ian has been a lifelong student of the work of Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung and the great spiritual traditions of the world, taoism and zen buddhism in particular. In 2011 he discovered the work of Sydney Banks which has been pivotal in aligning his psychological and spiritual understanding together with his holistic approach to health and healing.

In this conversation, Ian and Lian journeyed into the topic of myth as a path of self-illumination and healing, our own stories of discovering the power of myth, some of the myths that have called us to work with them, and the ways that anyone called to myth and self-knowledge can journey deeper.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• The mythical worldview is one that comes naturally for humans, we are conditioned out of it but can reclaim it - we just need to pay attention and heed the call

• Notice what resonates for you and trust it is the path to gold, this is a journey of the heart, not the head alone

• Value and prioritise your time in non-ordinary consciousness, day dreams, night dreams, and trance, and working with the symbols that arise.

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• Details of Ian’s work can be found at www.theinsightspace.com 

• Be Mythical is soon opening the doors to our new academy of alchemical arts - UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union... To get your special invitation register HERE.

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This week’s show is with Dr. Helané Wahbeh. Helané is the Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Wahbeh is clinically trained as a naturopathic physician and research trained with a Master of Clinical Research and two post-doctoral research fellowships.

Recently named President of the Parapsychological Association, she has published on and spoken internationally about her studies on complementary and alternative medicine, mind-body medicine, extended human capacities, stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, and their relationships to physiology, health, and healing.

Dr. Wahbeh is especially known for her research around — and noetic approach to — channeling. She is the author of some 90+ peer-reviewed publications, the new book The Science of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition and the Force That Connects Us All and Free To Be Me: A Journey of Transformation through Generational Healing.

In this show, Helané and Lian explored the topics of telepathy, precognition, and intention - specifically through the lens of harnessing those abilities in the healing arts. Helané shared research on telephone telepathy, where people accurately guess who is calling them above chance, and the power of bringing focused positive intention to support others' health. They also spoke about the unique ways individuals express their intuitive wisdom - although these are abilities we can see in many humans, some do have a genetic propensity to be especially strong in certain abilities - and that’s something we can train and hone too.

We’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation…  please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Telepathy is the communication of impressions from one mind to another that is independent of recognized channels of sense. Research shows that telephone telepathy is a common phenomenon, with people accurately guessing who is calling them above chance.

• Intention plays a significant role in healing and can be used to support others' health and well-being.

• The Noetic Signature explores the unique ways individuals express their intuitive gifts, but it’s important to recognise that it seems that everyone has the capacity to tap into this wisdom.

• Using focused positive intention can influence the physical world and contribute to creating a world of peace, love, and freedom for all.

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• Institute of Noetic Sciences Research

• Free To Be Me: A Journey of Transformation through Generational Healing

• The Science of Channeling: Why You Should Trust Your Intuition and the Force That Connects Us All

• Be Mythical is soon opening the doors to our new academy of alchemical arts - UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union... To get your special invitation register HERE.

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This week’s show is with Caitlin Matthews. Caitlin is an internationally renowned author, a teacher of shamanic training programme, a facilitator of Systemic Ritual® and the co-founder of the Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies (FÍOS).

Caitlín Matthews is the author of over 80 books, including Diary of a Soul Doctor, Singing the Soul Back Home, the Art of Celtic Seership, Celtic Devotional and The Celtic Book of the Dead. Her books have won a number of awards. She is known internationally for her work on the spiritual, mythic and ancestral traditions of Britain and Ireland. She teaches and works with communities and spiritual institutions worldwide from Iceland to Portugal and from USA to Australia.

Caitlín is a co-founder of the Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies (FÍOS), which is dedicated to the sacred arts that shape the landscape of the soul, via vision, dream and memory. FÍOS hosts masterclasses with exemplars of living, oracular sacred traditions that are rarely recorded in writing or given an honourable place in modern society. Caitlín has had a shamanic healing practice in Oxford for the last 30 years, working in the community to deepen connections to the ancestral traditions which are our heritage.

In this conversation, Caitlin and Lian dived deep the importance of reconnecting with ancestral traditions for those of us who are change-workers and healers. They discussed the power of perception, the call to shamanism, and the role of myth, symbol and metaphor in healing. Caitlin emphasised the importance of voice and singing in ancestral traditions and the fear that often surrounds it. They also explored the unique qualities of the islands and the importance of being rooted in the land.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Perception plays a crucial role in shamanic experiences, allowing individuals to perceive things and in ways that others may not be able to.

• The call to shamanism often comes in a way that gets our attention and may not be comfortable, but it is a powerful and transformative journey.

• Connecting with ancestral traditions and the land is essential in shamanic practice, as it provides a deep sense of rootedness and connection.

• The power of voice and singing is a central aspect of ancestral traditions, and overcoming the fear of singing can be a transformative experience.

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• For Caitlin’s books & courses see: www.hallowquest.org.uk

• For Caitlin’s more writing on a range of topics, including a year-long course, Blessings of the Celtic Year, see her Hallowquest Sanctuary at www.hallowquest.substack.com

• Be Mythical is soon opening the doors to our new academy of alchemical arts - UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union... To get your special invitation register HERE.

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This week’s show is with Joshua Michael Schrei, a writer, a teacher, the founder and host of The Emerald podcast.

The Emerald combines evocative narrative, soul-stirring music, and interviews with award-winning authors and luminaries to explore the human experience through a vibrant lens of myth, story, and imagination. The Emerald draws from a deep well of poetry, lore, and mythos to challenge conventional narratives on politics and public discourse, meditation and mindfulness, art, science, literature, and more.

A writer, teacher, and a lifelong student of the cosmologies and mythologies of the world — in particular the Indian subcontinent — Josh has sought to navigate the living, animate space of the imagination and advocate for a world that prioritizes imaginative vision. Josh has taught intensive courses in mythology and somatic disciplines for nearly 20 years.

In this conversation, Joshua and Lian journeyed into exploring the role of the mythopoetic worldview in change work, i.e. for those of us healing and guiding others.

We discuss the importance of myth and the animistic worldview but also that it’s the one that humans have held for the vast majority of our time on earth, the need to go beyond intellectual analysis and engage in practical actions and offerings to establish a deeper relationship with the living forces around us, and the challenges of bridging the gap between Western analytical approaches and the embodied knowing of mythic work.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Myth is not an abstract concept but a living reality that can be experienced through practical actions and offerings. Engaging with myth and the animistic worldview requires a shift in consciousness and a recognition of our relational responsibility to the living world.

• The Western worldview often separates us from the animate world, but our ancestors lived in deep reciprocal relationship with the land and its beings.

• Symbols and archetypes are not mere abstractions but tangible forces that can be experienced and engaged with in a direct and practical way.

• Forgetting and remembering our connection to the animate world is a continuous process that requires humility and openness to new experiences. Seek out spaces and practices that offer tangible spiritual experiences.

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• To find out more about Joshua's work, visit The Emerald Podcast at: patreon.com/theemeraldpodcast

• Be Mythical is soon opening the doors to our new academy of alchemical arts - UNIO: The Academy of Sacred Union... To get your special invitation register HERE.

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This was the first episode of the new Be Mythical podcast with Lian and Jonathan.

In this conversation, we discuss the launch of all things Be Mythical, including the work of living your soul’s truth, the challenges faced by old souls in the modern world and the need to reconnect with nature and rewild oneself, the power of community and ritual in the journey of self-discovery. We also shared more details about the upcoming Mythical Academy and improvements to this show.

This week’s show is with the amazing Dr Joanna LaPrade. Joanna LaPrade, M.A. Ph.D., is a Registered Psychotherapist, author, speaker, and educator.

Joanna LaPrade, M.A. Ph.D., earned her doctorate in Jungian and archetypal psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is now the founder of Aion Psychotherapy and a practicing Jungian psychotherapist in Colorado. Her therapeutic work focuses on helping clients find a meaningful connection to their inner worlds.

Outside of her practice, Dr. LaPrade is a speaker and educator whose expertise focus on myth, psyche, and the Jungian and archetypal perspective. She is also the author of Forged in Darkness: The Many Paths of Personal Transformation, a book that unites self-discovery with mythology, to handle an important dilemma of our times—how to navigate the darkness of life.

In this conversation, Dr Joanna and Lian dived deep into an exploration, inspired by the question of: What is true growth?

They nerded out on telos, fate, astrology, and symbols, and the inherent paradox and challenges we’re brought present to whilst journeying on this path.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Joanna shared Jung’s self-reflective question of “Who am I to have this happen to me?” - this is an orientation to our lives that can invite and open us into having a deep intimacy with ourselves.

• Allowing symbols to emerge and yet, holding them lightly and allowing the space for the tension of not knowing allows more to arise

• What will help you to hold the tension between the known and unknown, to journey with the deep questions without needing to kill the questions or fix the problem?

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• For more information about Dr. Joanna’s work, visit www.aionpsychotherapy.com

• Books mentioned:

  • The Sound of Bells by Norah Moore

  • Jung’s Studies in Astrology: Prophecy, Magic, and the Qualities of Time by Liz Greene

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe then you’ll get each new episode delivered to your phone every week automagically (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This week’s show is with Maggy Whitehouse. Maggy Whitehouse is an independent sacramental minister, a lifetime student of Judaeo-Christian mysticism, the author of 20 books on spirituality, mysticism and Bible metaphysics and started out as a stand-up comedian at the age of 56.

She was a finalist in the 2015 UK Funny Women Awards. Maggy has worked in newspapers, radio, TV, for the BBC’s famed World Service and, most recently, was Sunday morning faith presenter for BBC Radio Devon. She made it on to Wikipedia after writing a sensible book about Opus Dei at the time of all the palaver over The Da Vinci Code.

She has been widowed, divorced, healed from cancer, worked as a hospice chaplain, ridden on a Bengal tiger and survived a barracuda attack off the Barrier Reef.

Both Maggy’s mother and her Bishop think she should get a proper job.

In this show, Lian and Maggy explored resistance, specifically through the lens of how it shows up in the form of temptations to avoid expressing our soul’s truth, how we can tell when it’s showing up (by design it’s sneaky), and how we can learn to orient back to our souls and God.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation…  please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Noticing your ‘Should’s and ‘Yes but’s… they are clues to resistance showing up

• Make your connection to the Divine a priority, do it first and often, 30 seconds of meditation, lighting a candle, going to your altar, speaking a prayer… a little goes a long way to taking you back to your soul

• Let the light of your own unique soul be that which helps others to navigate back to theirs

Resources and stuff that we spoke about

• Maggy’s Website that you can check out:

  • maggywhitehouse.com

  • treeofsapphires.com

• Listen to Maggy’s podcast: Train Wrecks for Jesus. Introducing Mark and Maggy

• The Chapel of Liberation meditation that Maggy offered: here’s a link to her podcast in which she shares it

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe you’ll receive every show as soon as it's released (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan

This week’s show is with Wendy Dooner. Wendy Dooner is a Medical Herbalist and Shamanic Practitioner from Scotland who is passionate about reconnecting women with the innate healing wisdom of nature and their bodies.

Wendy graduated from university in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science (honours) degree in Herbal Medicine (Phytotherapy) and, more recently, a 3-year advanced Shamanic Practitioner course. Weaving back together the threads of science, magic and spirituality in herbal medicine has been a major focus of her practice recently and is a cornerstone of her teachings; she now practices what she has called Shamanic Herbalism. Through her online courses, workshops, or one-on-one consultations, Wendy ensures that this wonderful blend of ancient wisdom and modern science reaches all her students.

At the heart of Wendy's practice is her profound connection with her native medicinal plants. She believes that these plants hold the answers to many of our modern ailments.

In her practice, Wendy doesn't just prescribe herbs; she introduces her clients to a world where plants are people; they are teachers, guides, allies and elders. She believes that every plant has a story to tell and a lesson to impart, and it's her mission to facilitate these transformative conversations between nature and the individual.

She lives happily in a small community in the foothills of the Cairngorms in Scotland with her husband and 2 young sons, where she forages in the wilds of the moorlands, grows herbs in her messy garden and skateboards at every spare opportunity.

In this show, Lian and Wendy explored our experience and understanding of autistic people, and maybe especially women, being designed to be healers, how the very aspects of ourselves that have created struggles, can be used in service of helping others to heal, and what we’ve seen can be helpful to alchemise those challenges into gold.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation…  please leave a comment below.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• As both Lian and Wendy’s experiences showed, being late diagnosed as a woman can bring its own emotions and challenges - there’s a reckoning and grieving needed in order to move forward into claiming the gifts that autism brings

• Pattern recognition, empathy, adherence to ritual, openness to spirits and other realms, and attention to detail are all aspects of autism that can be used in service of supporting others in their journey to wholeness

• Diving into the work of reclaiming the unwanted and hidden parts of us is challenging for most people but maybe especially for autistic people for whom there has been an even greater challenge, necessity, and effort needed to fit in and function - it requires the right support and readiness, and we can be helped by understanding and using some of the very same gifts we will ultimately serve to others.

Resources and stuff that we spoke about

• Visit Wendy’s Website:

  • wendydooner.com

  • The Center for Shamanism: Shamanic Herbal 1:1 with Wendy

• Follow The Center of Shamanism in Social Media:

  • Facebook: Wendy Dooner

  • Instagram: @wendy.shamanicherbalist

Thank you for listening!

There’s a fresh episode each week, if you subscribe you’ll receive every show as soon as it's released (that way you’ll never miss an episode):

• Subscribe on Apple

• Subscribe on Android

Thank you!
Lian and Jonathan