Welcome!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the book and that it’s sparked curiosity and new insights. Here you’ll find extra resources to support your practice, deepen your understanding, and explore what’s next.
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Or see all the books in the series
The Shamanic Journey
Rewilding Yourself
Finding Your Deep SoulNext Books In The Series
Book 1: THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY
THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY
The first book in the series, and the place to start if you haven’t read any of them yet.
chapter 1: What Shamanism Is (And What It Isn’t!).
Chapter 2: The Shamanic Worldview: Basic Principles and Practice.
Chapter 3: Getting Ready: The Shamanic Realms and ‘Hollowing-Out’.
Chapter 4: Getting Going: How to Do Your First Shamanic Journey.
Chapter 5: What Did the Jouney Mean (And What Do I Do Next)?
Chapter 6: The Myth of ‘civilisation’.
Chapter 7: How we can recover (and shamanism’s vital role in this).
Chapter 8: How to give a simple shamanic healing.
Chapter 9: we are not what we used to be: how domestication and the fall changed us.
Chapter 10: Therapeutic shamanism: a shamanism for the present day.
Chapter 11: how to explore shamanism further.
Book 2: REWILDING YOURSELF
REWILDING YOURSELF
After The Shamanic Journey, the next book in the series is Rewilding Yourself.
chapter 1: the roots of therapeutic shamanism.
Chapter 2: finding the real lower-world.
Chapter 3: human lower-world guides.
Chapter 4: the transformation practices (burials, burnings, dismemberments, sky burials, dissolvings and water burials, cocconins, poisonings, shapeshifting).
Chapter 5: what genuine lower-world journeys are like.
Chapter 6: intrusions and their extractions.
Chapter 7: being possessed.
Chapter 8: disentangling, expanding, and just being.
Book 3: FINDING YOUR DEEP SOUL
FINDING YOUR DEEP SOUL
After Rewilding Yourself, the next book in the series is Finding Your Deep Soul.
chapter 1: remembering our place in the world.
Chapter 2: animals, plants, and stones.
Chapter 3: the human story.
Chapter 4: finding your deep soul.
Chapter 5: finding your tribe.
Chapter 6: wise elders and healthy power.
Chapter 7: healing our mother wound.
Chapter 8: living a soulful life.
Book 4: SOUL ROOTS, SPIRIT BRANCHES
soul roots, spirit branches
Due to be published in November 2026. After Finding Your Deep Soul, this is the next book in the series.
Chapter 1: Recovering from Spiritual Sickness.
Chapter 2: Growing Up Spiritually.
Chapter 3: Shamanic and Animist Spirituality.
Chapter 4: How the Worlds Are Made.
Chapter 5: Meditation Demystified.
Chapter 6: The Shamanic Upper-World.
Chapter 7: Towards a Shamanic Ethics.
Chapter 8: Moments of Awakening.
Free Shamanic Drumming Tracks
Many of the exercises in the books use a recording of shamanic drumming. You can download these two free.
A free, downloadable 10-minute shamanic drumming MP3 with call-back (16″ Remo Buffalo Drum, played by Paul Francis)
A free, downloadable 15-minute shamanic drumming MP3 with call-back (16″ Remo Buffalo Drum, played by Paul Francis)
Additional Resources
Discover links to interesting podcasts, videos, articles and websites that will help you learn shamanism. Also below are links to the shamanic practitioners we point people towards, free shamanic drumming MP3 downloads, and more.
(Please note that some of these links will open in a new window and take you to an external website)
Free e-books
Interview Sessions
or download and listen on the go:
E02: SHAMANIC JOURNEYING – ENTERING THE SHAMANIC REALMS
In the second episode, 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.
or download and listen on the go:
My Journey, Adverse Childhood Experience, Therapeutic Shamanism With Paul Francis – Seen and Heard Podcast Ep24. Chris Braitch, founder of the charity Seen and Heard, explores Paul’s early life, and the influences that shaped his journey into Therapeutic Shamanism. Paul shares insights on the importance of reconnecting with nature and the need for a shift in how we perceive our relationship with the world around us.
Articles
How Neolithic Farming Sowed the Seeds of Modern Inequality 10,000 Years Ago
Early Men and Women Were Equal, Say Scientists
The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race
Seeing Wetiko: On Capitalism, Mind Viruses, and Antidotes for a World in Transition
The Greatest Epidemic Sickness Known to Humanity
Before the Fall: Evidence of a Golden Age
After the Fall: The Roots of Psychic Pathology and Alienation from Nature
Hunter-Gatherers and the Origin of Religion
Humans Were Not Centre Stage: How Ancient Cave Art Puts Us in Our Place
Why ‘Bushman Banter’ Was Crucial to Hunter-Gatherers’ Evolutionary Success
Best Practices for Raising Kids? Look to Hunter-Gatherers
The Play Theory of Hunter-Gatherer Egalitarianism
Why Our Ancestors Were More Gender Equal Than Us
How Hunter-Gatherers Maintained Their Egalitarian Ways
We Are Animals. We Need to Connect to the Millions of Non-human Lives We Use
Inequality: Why Egalitarian Societies Died Out
Personality Theories: Carl Rogers
Personality Theories: Carl Jung
Links to numerous articles on the “Foundation For Shamanic Studies” website
Podcasts
Podcasts with Paul Francis:
- Our own Three Ravens Therapeutic Shamanism podcast. Available from the usual outlets including Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Index, Apple, and more: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2044187
- A Shrink Rap Radio interview with Isabella Clarke.
- A Hive Podcast interview with Nathalie Nahai: Shamanism, Service and Power.
- Shamans Stories podcast with Jeremy Chenvert.
Recommended podcasts from other people:
- Ecopsychology, Meaning & the Journey of Transformation – Mary Jayne Rust
- Storytelling & the Mythic Imagination – Dr Sharon Blackie
- Culture, Indigenous Wisdom & the Power of Community – Bruce Parry
- On Reclaiming Soul, Beauty and Our Sense of Purpose – Gill Coombs
Embodiment Matters Podcasts with Erin and Carl Rabke:
- Embodiment and the Journey of Soul Initiation with Bill Plotkin
- Embodiment Matters Featuring Sharon Blackie
- Grounded Spirituality with Jeff Brown
- Animal Body, Deep Time, and the Thing We All Long For – Josh Schrei
- On Mycelium, Compost, and Animate Sensibilities – Sophie Strand
- Stretched Between Gratitude and Grief – Francis Weller
- A Response To Our Times – Francis Weller
- Remembering our Animal Senses and Sensuous Relationship with the Living World – David Abram
- Giftedness, Energy and Energy: A conversation with Eric Windhorst and Dianne A Allen.
- Various Podcast links – Iain McGilchrist (The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning)
- Working with Human Guides in shamanic journeys
- Earth Speak – Microbiologist Siv Watkins on Microbes + Animism = Microanimism
- Rune Soup – Talking Microanimism with Siv Watkins
Videos
Free Shamanic Drumming MP3 Downloads
A free, downloadable 10-minute shamanic drumming MP3 with call-back (16″ Remo Buffalo Drum, played by Paul Francis)
A free, downloadable 15-minute shamanic drumming MP3 with call-back (16″ Remo Buffalo Drum, played by Paul Francis)
Shamanism Books
Best Books About Shamanism
In terms of recommended Shamanism Books, perhaps not surprisingly (!) the main books we recommend are the Therapeutic Shamanism series. The first book is an introduction and a practical guide:
The Shamanic Journey: A Practical Guide to Therapeutic Shamanism
The next volumes in the series can be read in any order, just bear in mind that they do assume some prior knowledge and experience in shamanic journeying. The first two books form an in-depth exploration of the shamanic Lower-World:
Rewilding Yourself: Discovering Your Soul’s Deep Roots Through Shamanic Practices
Finding Your Deep Soul: Guidance For Authentic Living Through Shamanic Practices
The fourth book in the series (due out some time later in 2022) will be an in-depth exploration of shamanic spirituality and the Upper-World:
Soul Roots, Spirit Branches: Animist and Shamanic Spirituality, Mindfulness and Meditation Practices
Other Shamanic Books
In terms of wider reading around shamanism, some of the better books include:
Bran, Zoe. Where Shamans Go: Journeys into Extra-ordinary Reality.
Crockett, Tom. Stone Age Wisdom: The Healing Principles of Shamanism.
Day, Kenn. Post-Tribal Shamanism: A New Look at the Old Ways.
Deatsman, Colleen. The Hollow Bone: A Field Guide to Shamanism.
Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy.
Harner, Michael. Cave and Cosmos. And The Way of the Shaman.
Harrell, S. Kelley. Gift of the Dreamtime: Awakening to the Divinity of Trauma.
Ingerman, Sandra. Awakening to the Spirit World: The Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation. And: Mending the Fragmented Self. Also: Soul Retrieval.
Kahili King, Serge. Urban Shaman.
Matthews, Caitlin. Singing the Soul Back Home.
Pratt, Christina. An Encyclopaedia of Shamanism, Volumes One and Two.
Stevens, Jose and Stevens, Lena S. Secrets of Shamanism: Tapping the Spirit Power Within You.
Villoldo, Alberto. Shaman, Healer, Sage. Also: Mending the Past and Healing the Future.
Walter, Mariko Namba, and Fridman, Eva Jane Neumann. Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture, Volumes One and Two.
Related Topics
In terms of wider reading around shamanism, including animism, anthropological and historical context, the links with psychotherapy and so on, here are some good books:
Abram, David. The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World. And: Becoming Animal.
Andrews, Ted. Animal-speak. And: Animal-wise.
Bloom, William. Psychic Protection.
Boehm, Christopher. Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior.
Brown, Jeff. Grounded Spirituality.
Caplan, Mariana. Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path.
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years. Also: The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?
Diamond, Julie, and Jones, Lee Spark. A Path Made by Walking: Process Work in Practice.
Earley, Jay. Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, a New, Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy. Volumes 1-3.
Forbes, Jack D. Columbus and Other Cannibals: The Wetiko Disease of Exploitation, Imperialism, and Terrorism.
Griffiths, Jay. Why Rebel. And: Wild.
Halifax, Joan. The Fruitful Darkness: A Journey Through Buddhist Practice and Tribal Wisdom.
Hanh, Thich Nhat. Love Letter to the Earth.
Harari, Yuval Noah. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. And: Sapiens A Graphic History – Volume 1: The Birth of Humankind; Volume 2: The Pillars of Civilization.
Harding, Stephan. Animate Earth: Science, Intuition and Gaia.
Harvey, Graham. Animism: Respecting the Living World.
Heying, Heather, and Weinstein, Bret. A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life.
Hollis, James. Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times. Also: Through the Dark Wood: Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life.
Jensen, Derrick. The Myth of Human Supremacy.
Jordan, Martin. Ecotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.
Levine, Peter. In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.
Levy, Paul. Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil.
Macy, Joanna, and Johnstone, Chris. Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy.
Macy, Joanna and Young Brown, Molly. Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World.
Masters, Robert Augustus. Spiritual Bypassing: When Spirituality Disconnects Us from What Really Matters.
Nelson, Melissa K. (editor). Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future.
Plotkin, Bill. Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche. And: The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries.
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. And: Providence. Also: The Story of B.
Roberts, Llyn. Shamanic Reiki.
Rogers, Carl. A Way of Being. And: Client-centred Therapy. Also: On Becoming a Person. And: On Personal Power: Inner Strength and Its Revolutionary Impact.
Rothschild, Babette. The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma & Trauma Treatment.
Roszak ,Theodore. Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth/Healing the Mind.
Ryan, Christopher. Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress.
Salzgeber, Jonas. The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness.
Schwartz, Richard C. Internal Family Systems Therapy. And: No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model.
Scott, James C. Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States.
Seed, John, Macy, Joanna, and Fleming, Pat. Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings.
Stone, Hal. Embracing Our Selves: Voice Dialogue Manual.
Taylor, Steve. The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era.
Tolan, Janet and Cameron, Rose. Skills in Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy.
Turner, Toko-pa. Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home.
Waal, Frans de. Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
Walker, Peter. Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma.
Weiss, Bonnie. Self-Therapy Workbook: An Exercise Book for the IFS Process.
Weller, Francis. The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief.
Wohlleben, Peter. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate. And: The Secret Network of Nature: The Delicate Balance of All Living Things.
Wolynn Mark. It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle.
Fiction Books
And for some light relief, if you are into fantasy/sci-fi, some books that have some shamanic/animist themes:
The Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel.
The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver.
Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide by Orson Scott Card.
Pennterra by Judith Moffett.
The His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman.
Knitty Bear by Jane Allighan
Practitioners
For information on what to expect and what to look for in a shamanic practitioner, see our Practitioner Competencies.
We only point people towards practitioners whose shamanic work we have witnessed personally and can vouch for.
- Cat Anderson Also IFS (internal Family Systems therapy), and trauma-release work including IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy – similar to EMDR).
- Kaja Gulič Shamanic healing & parts-of-self work.
- Sarah Knight Sarah no longer offers shamanic healing, but is a psychotherapist and Internal Family Systems Therapist with a deep background in Therapeutic Shamanism.
You will find more links in the “Friends” section below…
Friends
The websites of some of our students and other friends and colleagues:
- Tina Shaw Shamanic healing, reiki training courses, coaching, cognitive hypnotherapy, and Power Animal retrieval.
- Laura Bruton Psychotherapy, counselling, and supervision. Integrative Psychotherapy tailored to individual needs.
- Michelle Harpas Certified Empowerment and Soul Purpose Coach, ceremonial circle facilitator, and shamanic practitioner.
- The Healing Forest Therapies Charlotte Knaggs, qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Usui Reiki Master and Teacher, Shamanic Practitioner and Advanced EFT therapist.
- Nina Pyykkönen Jungian coaching – a growth-oriented process which combines conscious and intellectual work with deep emotional experience and contact with the unconscious. Based on the Depth Psychological approach and theory of Carl Jung. In the coaching process, creative methods, especially active imagination, are used as bridges to the unconscious.
- Wylder Clout Shamanic Reiki Master Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, and Chakra Healing Master. Sessions in-person, via Zoom and in absentee sessions, with clients from all walks of life and from across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Each healing session is unique and can facilitate the release of blockages, address past or present trauma, transform recurring patterns, and contribute to the re-weaving of your soul and life journey.
- Bettina Hemmingsen I’m a licensed Psychotherapist and my approach is experiential, emotion-focused, trans-personal, holistic, multiplicity and mindfulness – based. My work is trauma-informed targeted towards adolescents, adults, families, and couples who are facing or going through a transition.
- Nurturing Wellness – Hanna Casement Yoga, Ayurvedic facial rejuvenation massage, Thai massage, HeartMath coaching, Circle holding facilitator.
- Amy Arnold, MD Your True Story Coaching. Specializing in helping women “shift from midlife crisis to full-life freedom” via individual and group coaching, workshops, and education. Her website blog focuses on topics related to deep connection and personal growth.
- The Shaman Stories Podcast with Jeremy Chenvert. Run by one of our students. Interviews with practitioners, what brought them to the shamanic path, the challenges they faced, and how the work shapes their lives.
- Seen and Heard. An amazing charity that not only works to support the wellbeing of past and present pupils of boarding & independent day schools, and their families, but does so according to healthy animist principles and seeks to introduce animist-based ideas into education.
The courses
Whether you’re just starting out or seeking advanced training, The Three Ravens College offers a structured yet deeply personal apprenticeship in therapeutic shamanism.
For over a decade, we have guided students through the transformative world of shamanism. Since 2020, our training has moved online, allowing us to craft courses that are just as powerful as our in-person workshops – while also offering the flexibility and depth that online learning provides.
Our online workshops cover all levels, from shamanic courses suitable for complete beginners, through to courses covering how to work as a professional shamanic practitioner. Because of their breadth and depth, they can offer you a comprehensive and in-depth modern-day shamanic apprenticeship.
Why this college
Shamanism isn’t about escaping into spirituality – it’s about facing the world with clarity, wisdom, and a deep connection to what truly matters. At Three Ravens College, we take a grounded, no-nonsense approach to shamanic practice. This isn’t fluffy, new-age spirituality; it’s a return to the roots of animism and shamanism—practices that have always been deeply practical, ethical, and woven into the fabric of everyday life.
The world is facing real challenges – mental health crises, ecological collapse, and a sense of deep disconnection. Our approach ensures that shamanism isn’t just a relic of the past but a viable, modern practice that helps navigate today’s complexities. With a strong psychotherapeutic foundation, a focus on ethics, and an emphasis on practical application, we offer teachings that are both profound and usable in real life.
Our modular structure allows you to move at your own pace, taking small, focused chunks of learning that suit your needs and interests. Whether you’re here for deep personal work or to integrate shamanism into a professional setting, our courses are designed to be applicable, pragmatic, and transformative.
This is shamanism for the real world.
Value of doing it online
Our online courses are designed to be immersive, flexible, and deeply personal. You can move at your own pace, take in the teachings in a way that suits you, and apply them immediately. Learning in this way isn’t a compromise – it’s an opportunity to weave shamanism directly into your daily life, your relationships, and your work – rather than just attending a one-off weekend workshop that stays separate from the rest of your world.
There are practical benefits too. Studying online saves time and money, cutting out travel costs while also reducing your carbon footprint. You get ongoing access to materials, the option to repeat courses for free, and a lively community where you can ask questions, share experiences, and stay connected beyond the sessions.
FIRST STEPS: Introduction to Shamanism
If you’ve read the book and done the exercises, you already have a solid foundation – but the First-Steps course is where things get really exciting. While there’s some overlap, the course goes deeper, providing new insights and hands-on experiences that you can’t get from reading alone. It’s not just about theory; it’s about really doing the work, which makes all the difference.
In addition to covering book topics in greater details the First Steps course offers additional teachings on:
- How to do simple shamanic healing for other people (including not just humans, but pets and other animals too)
- Bonus video 1: What (possibly) happens when we die
- Bonus video 2: Why we get ill – power loss and soul loss
- Other practices to powerfully connect back to nature.
- How to use this knowledge and these practices to continue what can be a life-long journey of growth, healing, wonder and discovery.
You’ll also get the chance to ask questions, troubleshoot, and learn in real-time directly from Paul and from the group. The live discussions create space for real exploration, where you can get feedback, hear others’ perspectives, and start applying what you’ve learned in a more practical way.
Moreover, the First Step opens the door to all of our other more advanced courses. 👇👇👇
NEXT STEPS: Growing Roots in the Lower-World
After completing the First-Step course, these courses are the ideal next step for anyone wishing to explore therapeutic shamanism and animism further. They focus on:
- exploring the shamanic Lower-World practices in detail,
- developing a deep connection with Lower-World Guides (including Human, Animal Plant and Stone ones),
- finding our own true and authentic Lower-World Soul – the person we are truly meant to be.
In doing so, the courses can be deeply meaningful, and help people develop a shamanic practice that is both deeply rooted and grounded.
Go deeper still into the practice of Hollowing-Out. Find a truly Lower-World Human Guide, and maybe your Lower-World Human Tribe too. Discover the healing power of the Elemental Transformational Practices, of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.
Learn more vital shamanic techniques and practices. This includes an in-depth exploration of shamanic Extractions, De-possessions, Disentanglings, Expansions and Just-Being practices.
Discover what they really are, their teaching and healing gifts, and how to work with them. Find out what understanding the Other-Than-Human People can show us about what Humans really are and should be, and how to take our healthy place again on the Web of Life.
Finding who you are, and were, truly meant to be. Discover practices to connect to your authentic, fully-alive, wild and free Lower-World Soul. Learn how to begin to come back to a more right-relationship with yourself, with other humans, and with the Other-Than-Human too.
Delve deeper into the teaching and healing power of the Realms of Sea, Land, Sky and Fire. Learn to meet and work with the Oversouls of beings such as Mountain, Forest, Grassland, Wind, and even the Waves in the Sea. Explore the relationship between Sea, the Mother Archetype, and healing grief and attachment wounds; Land, place in the world, and the Father Archetype; Air, Spirit, and the role of Bird Medicine in shamanism; Fire as transformation, the Hero's/Heroine's journey and making the darkness conscious. Even if you are already familiar with Lower-World work, you will find much new material and deeper insights in this course.
Explore the mysterious power of the Borderlands and their inhabitants, and the significance of moving between the Realms and how this can transform us in turn. This includes: an exploration of the Shoreline and its healing, and of the significance of moving between Land and Sea; understanding the descent into Fire and the Under-World; moving from being Earth-bound to being free in the Air and the Sky; and more.
FURTHER STEPS: Deep Dive Into Advanced Shamanic Practices
These courses include topics such as exploring the shamanic Upper-World, shamanic spirituality and meditation practices, working with the 5 elements (Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Ether), ancestral healing, soul retrieval, a shamanic exploration of the chakras and the body’s other energy systems, a shamanic view on death and dying, plant spirit medicine, shamanism and healthy boundaries, and much more.
