- Why Live Shamanic Journeying Groups?
We have always included doing live, shamanic journeys together as part of our courses. The feedback we get about the live sessions, consistently and overwhelmingly, is that people get a huge amount from them.
- People love the sense of connection and community the sessions can bring, especially as many people don’t have many (or even any) people they can discuss shamanism with in their everyday lives, and often feel isolated as a result.
- They love how discussing and sharing with their peers helps clarify the teachings and deepens their shamanic practice and experiences.
- They love how much they get from listening to other people’s shamanic journeys.
- They say the sessions greatly help with keeping engaged and motivated with the shamanic work.
In 2026 we will run four blocks of live sessions.
- January – December: 8 live sessions running alongside the Wheel of Life course on the 8 seasonal turning points of the year
- February – March: 6 live sessions running alongside the Finding the Wild Soul course
- July – August: 6 live sessions running alongside the Living and Dying course
- November – December: 6 live sessions running alongside the Travels Through Time course
Bookings open soon.
Closed
A NEW OPORTUNITY!
Live Sessions are offered alongside our courses. This means that, as long as you meet the entry requirements (see below) you can sign up for the live sessions whether or not you are currently enrolled on a course with us. This can help people who aren’t currently on a course to stay motivated and in touch with the college and with shamanic journeying, even if they are taking a break from the courses themselves.
What the Live Sessions are, and what they aren’t!
The live sessions are not teaching sessions.
Instead, they are about doing shamanic journeys, and then sharing and discussing these with fellow students. Please be clear about this. The format usually is:
- 10 to 15 minutes in breakout rooms, usually of between 4 to 6 students, to (1) introduce yourselves, and (2) share what you want to journey on, and ask for help with anything clarification you may need.
- 5 to 10 minutes back in the main room, to ask the tutors if any additional clarification is needed, in terms of how to do a particular journey.
- A 20 minute journey, then time to write it up.
- About 45 minutes or so, back in breakout rooms, to share your journey and to listen to other people’s journeys, and then using whatever time is left to unpack the journeys and discuss further.
- About 15 to 20 minutes at the end, back in the main room, to ask questions and get further clarification around the journeys.
They are about taking part and discussing.
They are, in other words, about community, and being willing to share and discuss with your peers. If this isn’t for you, then the live sessions are not for you.
They are for practicing this approach to shamanism — Therapeutic Shamanism.
If you want to just do your own thing when journeying, or follow teachings from other shamaninc approaches, then these sessions are not the place for that. It is not that we necessarily have anything against other approaches, but there are plenty of more general shamanic journeying groups around. Instead, we want to create a space where people can really focus on and explore this approach.
practical DETAILS
Entry Requirements. As a minimum, to attend the live sessions, you must:
- Have already fully completed the First-Steps course.
- Have found and connected to your Lower-World Power Animal (as we understand the term in this particulat approach to shamanism).
- Be able to journey to the Lower-World (again, as we understand the term in this particular approach to shamanism).
Dates and times. a mix of Saturdays and Sundays, 2 pm till 4 pm UK-time. The dates are Feb 1st, Mar 21st, May 2nd, Jun 20th, Aug 1st, Sep 20th, Oct 31st, Dec 20th.
Fees. The cost for booking all eight is just £40. That is just £5 per session, making them way cheaper than most two-hour yoga classes or a two-hour session in the gym! [Please note, the sessions can only be booked as a block of 8, and cannot be booked as individual sessions. Nor can we offer discounts because someone can’t make some of the dates. Doing this would just be too complex and time-consuming to administer, so please don’t ask!]
Facilitators. The sessions will be managed by Cat and Kaja, with help from a small team of some of our long-term and experienced students too.
Dates and times. Saturdays, 2 pm till 4 pm UK-time. The dates are February 14th, 21st, 28th and March 7th and 14th.
Fees. The cost for booking all six is just £30. That is just £5 per session, making them way cheaper than most two-hour yoga classes or a two-hour session in the gym! [Please note, the sessions can only be booked as a block of 6, and cannot be booked as individual sessions. Nor can we offer discounts because someone can’t make some of the dates. Doing this would just be too complex and time-consuming to administer, so please don’t ask!]
Facilitators. The sessions will be managed by Cat and Kaja, with help from a small team of some of our long-term and experienced students too.
Dates and times. Saturdays, 2 pm till 4 pm UK-time. The dates are July 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and August 1st and 8th.
Fees. The cost for booking all six is just £30. That is just £5 per session, making them way cheaper than most two-hour yoga classes or a two-hour session in the gym! [Please note, the sessions can only be booked as a block of 6, and cannot be booked as individual sessions. Nor can we offer discounts because someone can’t make some of the dates. Doing this would just be too complex and time-consuming to administer, so please don’t ask!]
Facilitators. The sessions will be managed by Cat and Kaja, with help from a small team of some of our long-term and experienced students too.
Dates and times. Sundays, 2 pm till 4 pm UK-time. The dates are November 15th, 22nd, 29th and December 6th, 13th and 20th.
Fees. The cost for booking all six is just £30. That is just £5 per session, making them way cheaper than most two-hour yoga classes or a two-hour session in the gym! [Please note, the sessions can only be booked as a block of 6, and cannot be booked as individual sessions. Nor can we offer discounts because someone can’t make some of the dates. Doing this would just be too complex and time-consuming to administer, so please don’t ask!]
Facilitators. The sessions will be managed by Cat and Kaja, with help from a small team of some of our long-term and experienced students too.
THE CURRICULUM
(MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Part 1: SOUL LOSS & SOUL RETRIEVAL
We’ll start with soul loss and shamanic soul retrieval. In our culture, the word “soul” is often used imprecisely, meaning different things to different people. In original animist and hunter-gatherer cultures, there were specific words to describe different aspects of the soul.
Our first task is to clarify what we mean by soul retrieval and differentiate it from other concepts like power loss, which can appear similar but have distinct causes and remedies. We’ll also examine shamanism as a parts-of-self model, recognizing that we consist of various aspects. We’ll discuss the differences between the middle world soul (small ‘s’ soul), the lower world soul (capital ‘S’ Soul), and the upper world spirit. Additionally, we’ll clarify the distinction between spirit and the aware self or witness, which are often conflated. Understanding these distinctions will help us determine when soul loss is relevant and how to address it.
We’ll explore traditional soul retrieval techniques from indigenous practices and consider complications that may arise, such as intrusions, possessions, entanglements, and ancestral or family burdens. We’ll also address modern challenges in soul retrieval, particularly when parts are resistant to returning. This issue, common in contemporary times but less so in indigenous cultures, requires insights from modern psychotherapy, specifically parts-of-self models.
Part 2: PARTS-OF-SELF MODELS
Shamanism is the original parts-of-self model in terms of recognizing there are different parts of us – our Middle-World self, Lower-World soul or Upper-World spirit, a body and so on.
There are in psychotherapy many other parts-of-self models as well that are incredibly useful. So we’ll explore some of these models, focusing particularly on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is currently one of the most popular ones. While we’ll look at the IFS in a fair bit of detail, we’ll also compare and contrast it with other psychotherapeutic models. This comparative analysis will demonstrate how these models contribute to and enrich the shamanic understanding of the self.
Often, it’s not enough to perform a soul retrieval alone. If there’s a part that opposes the return of the lost soul fragment, integration becomes incredibly tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, understanding our inner system of parts is crucial for dealing with any opposing elements.
Part 3: SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICES
When performing soul retrieval, we may encounter resistance from other parts of ourselves. In psychotherapy, the idea that “there are no bad parts” is crucial—every part must be welcomed back. This requires us to practice self-compassion and loving-kindness toward all parts of ourselves.
Self-compassion often needs to be learned, especially in a culture where many people have strong inner critics. For soul retrieval to be effective and lasting, it’s not just about bringing the soul part back or integrating it through dialogue. It involves learning and practicing self-compassion. There is a wealth of knowledge on self-compassion practices from psychotherapy and meditation, and we will explore these practices from a shamanic perspective, focusing on shamanic self-compassion practices.
Part 4: EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
Finally, we will delve into embodiment and grounding practices. Being whole, having inner parts in harmony, and being properly present and embodied are interconnected. The body plays a vital role in integrating parts-of self.
The field of embodiment and shamanism is vast and fascinating. This course will serve as an introduction, with two follow-up courses planned for next year: one specifically about shamanism and the body, and another on the work of Wilhelm Reich, the founder of Body-centered Psychotherapy, and what shamanism can contribute to his understanding of the body.
SOUL LOSS & SOUL RETRIEVAL
We’ll start with soul loss and shamanic soul retrieval. In our culture, the word “soul” is often used imprecisely, meaning different things to different people. In original animist and hunter-gatherer cultures, there were specific words to describe different aspects of the soul.
Our first task is to clarify what we mean by soul retrieval and differentiate it from other concepts like power loss, which can appear similar but have distinct causes and remedies. We’ll also examine shamanism as a parts-of-self model, recognizing that we consist of various aspects. We’ll discuss the differences between the middle world soul (small ‘s’ soul), the lower world soul (capital ‘S’ Soul), and the upper world spirit. Additionally, we’ll clarify the distinction between spirit and the aware self or witness, which are often conflated. Understanding these distinctions will help us determine when soul loss is relevant and how to address it.
We’ll explore traditional soul retrieval techniques from indigenous practices and consider complications that may arise, such as intrusions, possessions, entanglements, and ancestral or family burdens. We’ll also address modern challenges in soul retrieval, particularly when parts are resistant to returning. This issue, common in contemporary times but less so in indigenous cultures, requires insights from modern psychotherapy, specifically parts-of-self models.
PARTS-OF-SELF MODELS
Shamanism is the original parts-of-self model in terms of recognizing there are different parts of us – our Middle-World self, Lower-World soul or Upper-World spirit, a body and so on.
There are in psychotherapy many other parts-of-self models as well that are incredibly useful. So we’ll explore some of these models, focusing particularly on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is currently one of the most popular ones. While we’ll look at the IFS in a fair bit of detail, we’ll also compare and contrast it with other psychotherapeutic models. This comparative analysis will demonstrate how these models contribute to and enrich the shamanic understanding of the self.
Often, it’s not enough to perform a soul retrieval alone. If there’s a part that opposes the return of the lost soul fragment, integration becomes incredibly tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, understanding our inner system of parts is crucial for dealing with any opposing elements.
SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICES
When performing soul retrieval, we may encounter resistance from other parts of ourselves. In psychotherapy, the idea that “there are no bad parts” is crucial—every part must be welcomed back. This requires us to practice self-compassion and loving-kindness toward all parts of ourselves.
Self-compassion often needs to be learned, especially in a culture where many people have strong inner critics. For soul retrieval to be effective and lasting, it’s not just about bringing the soul part back or integrating it through dialogue. It involves learning and practicing self-compassion. There is a wealth of knowledge on self-compassion practices from psychotherapy and meditation, and we will explore these practices from a shamanic perspective, focusing on shamanic self-compassion practices.
EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
Finally, we will delve into embodiment and grounding practices. Being whole, having inner parts in harmony, and being properly present and embodied are interconnected. The body plays a vital role in integrating parts-of self.
The field of embodiment and shamanism is vast and fascinating. This course will serve as an introduction, with two follow-up courses planned for next year: one specifically about shamanism and the body, and another on the work of Wilhelm Reich, the founder of Body-centered Psychotherapy, and what shamanism can contribute to his understanding of the body.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
LIVE & PRE-RECORDED ONLINE TRAINING
- Zoom Online Sessions With Founder of Therapeutic Shamanism, Paul Francis.
- Live Shamanic Journeying.
- Study in the Comfort of Your Own Home.
SUPPORT BETWEEN SESSIONS
- Detailed Course Notes.
- Video Recording of Every Class.
- Submit Your Questions for the Next Session and Discuss with Peers.
- Learn at Your Own Pace.
YOUR SHAMANIC TRIBE AND COMMUNITY
- Meet Like-Minded People.
- Connect Between Sessions on Website Forum and (optional Signal group).
- Deepen the Connection in Break-Out Rooms During Live Sessions.
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY?
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
JOIN US!
To attend the ‘Live Shamanic Jourenying’ sessions, remember, you need to have (1) have completed our First Steps course, (2) be able to journey to the shamanic Lower-World as defined in this particular approach to shamanism, and (2) have found your Power Animal (again as understood in this particular approach to shamanism. We have found these to be necessary to create the right environment for our students to explore this Therapeutic Shamanism approach in safety and detail, and deepen their shamanc practice as a result.
Bookings open soon.
