

Be Mythical
Lian Brook-Tyler & Jonathan Wilkinson: Be Mythical
The Be Mythical podcast is a top 1.5% globally ranked show for old souls in this new world to be inspired, guided, and activated by deep, soul-stirring explorations with remarkable thinkers, wisdom keepers, visionaries, and healers about how to overcome the greatest challenge of your life… To become your unique medicine and actualise your own soul's myth.
Old souls are the ones who came here in these crazy modern times to do vital work in service of Spirit and their communities… typically as spiritual practitioners, coaches, innovators, disruptors, healers, teachers, medicine people, and visionary leaders.
We've been running since 2014 so there are hundreds of mythical, magical, and mystical episodes to choose from that weave together ancient ways for modern days… shamanism, archetypal work, rewilding, embodiment, alchemy, psychedelics and plant medicine, astrology, non-dual spirituality, shadow work, and so much more.
In short, Be Mythical is the antidote for old souls struggling to find their way in this new world.
Listen now to join us for the mythical adventure that your soul has been calling you into.
Our love and blessings,
Lian & Jonathan
Old souls are the ones who came here in these crazy modern times to do vital work in service of Spirit and their communities… typically as spiritual practitioners, coaches, innovators, disruptors, healers, teachers, medicine people, and visionary leaders.
We've been running since 2014 so there are hundreds of mythical, magical, and mystical episodes to choose from that weave together ancient ways for modern days… shamanism, archetypal work, rewilding, embodiment, alchemy, psychedelics and plant medicine, astrology, non-dual spirituality, shadow work, and so much more.
In short, Be Mythical is the antidote for old souls struggling to find their way in this new world.
Listen now to join us for the mythical adventure that your soul has been calling you into.
Our love and blessings,
Lian & Jonathan
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 19, 2025 • 44min
How to be rooted in a world that's forgotten - Tad Hargrave
This week's show is with Tad Hargrave. Tad is a hippy who developed a knack for marketing (and then learned how to be a hippy again). Since 2001, he's been weaving together strands of ethical marketing, Waldorf School education, a history in the performing arts, local culture work, anti-globalization activism, an interest in his ancestral, traditional cultures, community building and supporting local economies into this work of helping people create profitable businesses that are ethically grown while restoring the beauty of the marketplace. Tad did improv comedy semi-professionally for 25 years, co-ran Edmonton's progressive community building network TheLocalGood.ca, founded streetcarshows.com and the Jams program of yesworld.org. He speaks Scottish Gaelic and helped to launch and co-facilitate the Nova Scotia Gaels Jam. He is from Edmonton, Alberta (traditionally known, in the language of the Cree, as Amiskwaciy [Beaver Hill] and later Amiskwaciwaskihegan [Beaver Hill House]) and currently lives in Duncan, BC (Quw'utsun territory). In this episode, Lian and Tad explore how living stories form culture, meaning they're more than psychological metaphors, they're teachings tied to the land and beings around us. They touch upon Tad's Waldorf childhood and the years he drifted, the Gaelic homecoming that pulled him to Scotland and an elder storyteller. They follow the thread from archetype to architecture… sun, soil, and seasons. From there the conversation turns to how stories remember what a culture must not forget, why punishment poisons, and how initiation is smuggled into folktales so boys and girls grow into people. Listen if you have ever felt imprinted by myth then somehow lost your connection to it, wondered why archetypes can feel lacking, or longed for belonging. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How Tad's own hunger for ancestral story led him from activism to Gaelic study, reawakening a lineage of belonging How old stories once carried medicine, mapping the plants, elements, and ethics that kept a people alive Why myth without land becomes psychology, and what returns when stories are rooted back in place Resources and stuff spoken about: Visit Tad's Website Tad's Ethical Marketing Starter Kit Find out more about Membership for Marketing for Hippies Join Tad on Instagram & YouTube See Tad's Upcoming Events Join UNIO, The Community for Wild Sovereign Souls: This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Nov 12, 2025 • 53min
The hidden power in mythic stories of desire and love - Stephanie MacKay
In this week's show Lian is joined by Stephanie MacKay. Stephanie is a mythologist, wilderness guide, and cultural craftswoman devoted to the long, slow work of remembering how to belong—to land, to lineage, to story, and to each other. As founder and director of Fianna Wilderness School, she has spent the past 15+ years guiding rites of passage, seasonal myth circles, and nature-based mentorship rooted in the wilds. Stephanie's work braids together her Celtic ancestry, years of deep study with Martín Prechtel and the Animas Valley Institute, and a fierce love of story as medicine. She is dedicated to uncovering the vestiges of intact cultural origins within the body of ancient European stories. Drawing from the wellspring of these old mythologies, she seeks to uncover the hidden pathways that lead us to our cultural origins—reviving traditions long forgotten and reawakening the deep cultural wisdom carried in our bones Whether she's guiding wilderness quests, tending seasonal myth circles, or walking the long road of cultural regeneration, Stephanie's devotion is to the deep remembering of who we are and how we belong—through mythic threads that call us back into sacred relationship with the world. In this episode, Lian and Stephanie explore how old stories court the soul. They touch Angela Carter's Red Riding Hood and Stephanie's visceral surprise of feeling Eros as a living thread, the way Lian was moved by Skeleton Woman and the Fisherman's skin against skin, and what union in stories like these is really calling us towards. They trace how desire becomes devotion: noticing where longing really points, letting projection soften so love grows more human and more sacred, and beginning with small ceremony that says 'yes'. Listen if you are moved by myths of great love or sense that what you hunger for is older and deeper than romance. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How Eros in fairy tales reveals the soul's appetite for the sacred, and why that changes how we read love stories in ordinary life Why projection makes partners carry the sacred, what breaks when they cannot hold that projection, and what becomes possible when the sacred is welcomed directly What happens when you treat ceremony as a first language, even a few words and an offering, and let the next step show itself Resources and stuff spoken about: Visit Stephanie's website Fianna Wilderness School website Join UNIO, The Community for Wild Sovereign Souls: This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Nov 6, 2025 • 52min
How to heal the wounded men: trauma, numbness & masculinity - Hugh Newton
In this week's show Lian is joined by Hugh Newton. Hugh's life began in the midst of a war in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia). Growing up in such harsh conditions meant that he had to work hard to overcome his complex childhood trauma. Hugh began his self-development journey 30 years ago, and has been passionate about both supporting men to step into the fullest versions of themselves, and strengthening and uplifting the African continent that he loves so much. Hugh works as the lead male facilitator at Celebration of Being, and was a certified leader at A Band of Brothers for 7 years. He's also a trained shadow work facilitator and coach. His body of work supports men to show up as their best selves in the world, overcome their wounding, and build rich, nourishing lives for themselves and those they love. In this episode, Lian and Hugh explore men, trauma, and the long road back to wholeness. They touch Hugh's childhood on a remote Rhodesian farm under civil war, the day a nine-year-old was trained and armed to protect his mother and sister, the years of numbness that followed, and the moment he named the predator within and chose to meet it. They turn to what creates healing: men's work that faces danger with love, simple daily honesty instead of performance, and steady boundaries that make intimacy possible. Listen if you are or love a man who can't feel, wondered why good men go numb, or wanted to understand how even the deepest wounds in men can become strength. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How men's childhood survival strategies become adult numbness, and the concrete steps that begin to thaw it without collapsing into chaos and overwhelm Why naming the predator within changes behaviour, desire, and trust in relationship, and the practices that keep it in the heart rather than the shadows What happens when women respond to men's early, imperfect vulnerability with steadiness and praise… and how that accelerates genuine masculine healing Resources and stuff spoken about: The Sovereign's Journey - May 2026 edition Hugh's book on Amazon Regular online workshops for men Join Hugh on instagram Join Hugh on Facebook Join UNIO, The Community for Wild Sovereign Souls: This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Oct 29, 2025 • 1h 1min
The 'small print' of working with powerful myths and archetypes - Caitlín Matthews
This week's show is with Caitlín Matthews. Caitlín 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 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, Lian and Caitlín explore the very real but mostly forgotten 'small print' of working with myth and archetypes. They touch the older meaning of myth as something that never happened and is always happening, the danger of lifting archetypes out of their living stories, and the cost of hubris when we claim what is not ours. They look at what actually helps: context, reciprocity, and clear human boundaries. They name moments that have taught them: Lian's unexpected meeting with Athena on a sunlit hill above the sea, Caitlin's doorstep story that fused life with the horse goddess, and the terrible Bali tale that shows why respect matters. Listen if you have ever felt the call of a god or goddess and wondered how to answer it whilst keeping both your wonder and your wits. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How sacred contracts, offerings, and manners keep archetypal work sane, grounded, and mutually respectful Why context and lineage matter, and what goes wrong when archetypes are severed from their myths What happens when identification replaces relationship, and the simple practices that restore right distance Resources and stuff that we spoke about: For Caitlín's books & courses see: www.hallowquest.org.uk For more of Caitlín's writing on a range of topics, including a year-long course, Blessings of the Celtic Year, see her Hallowquest Sanctuary at https://substack.com/@caitlinmatthewstigerna Join UNIO, the Community for Wild Sovereign Souls… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Oct 22, 2025 • 1h
How to honour the differences between men and women - Serdar Hararovich
In this week's show Lian is joined by Serdar Hararovich. Serdar is a Relationship & Secure Attachment Specialist offering integrative, attachment-based coaching and healing. He supports both men and women to heal early attachment wounds, establish inner security, reclaim their deepest self, and cultivate the emotional skills required for deep, soulful, and secure love. Serdar works with a wide variety of individuals - including, but not limited to, therapists, relationship coaches, and other practitioners. The common thread among his clients is a deep desire to go beyond the surface - people tired of quick-fix techniques and oversimplified approaches to healing. Those ready to do the kind of work that awakens their deepest potential - allowing them to master the art of true intimacy and experience the kind of love that transforms everything. In this episode, Lian and Serdar explore what it really means to honour the differences between men and women without turning them into prescriptions or performances. They touch the gap in how partners want to communicate between dates, why anxious attachment can pile five issues into one talk, and what withdrawal can really signal. They look at emotional safety in plain terms, the pull of projection and transference, and how simple, steady awareness shifts the tone of a relationship. They look at what actually helps: recognising difference without blame, letting curiosity replace judgement, and using relationship as a mirror for self-knowledge. Listen if you've ever wondered why men and women so often miss each other, felt uneasy naming masculine or feminine traits, or wanted a way to see those forces as sacred, human, and alive rather than stereotyped. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How honouring difference deepens intimacy without falling into polarity roles Why curiosity and emotional safety make real understanding possible What happens when you stop performing gender and start living it as energy and truth Resources and stuff spoken about: Visit Serdar's Website Serdar's upcoming course Join UNIO, the Community for Wild Sovereign Souls… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Oct 15, 2025 • 18min
Plato's allegory of the cave: how to journey from shadows to truth - Lian Brook-Tyler
In this episode, Lian tells the ancient allegory of Plato's Cave, a story of awakening and the painful beauty of learning to see. Each month, Lian's shared a mythical tale as a doorway into your own soul. These stories are one of the oldest ways ancestral wisdom has been carried down to us, a living inheritance that continues to speak when we meet them with reverence. And this one feels especially poignant, because it will be the last story Lian tells in this way. Our community is evolving into its next form, UNIO: the Community for Wild Sovereign Souls. UNIO now becomes the living home for the Wild Sovereign Soul path, where together we reclaim our wildness, actualise our sovereignty, and awaken our souls. Rather than gathering for story and ceremony, we'll now meet twice each month in our community Guidance Circle so Jonathan and Lian can meet you exactly where you are and with whatever challenges you're experiencing from relationships and health, to money and parenting, to guide you to meet the material for liberation your soul is calling you to so that you may become truly free, living the life your heart longs for. You can find out more, and walk with us, at bemythical.com/unio The allegory tells of prisoners bound in a dark cavern, of shadows mistaken for truth, and of one who dares to turn toward the fire and climb into the blinding light of the sun. Lian tells the story of what happens when old beliefs begin to crack, when freedom calls but belonging pulls us back, and when the warmth of truth burns before it heals. Together, we follow the soul's climb from illusion to insight, from comfort to clarity. Listen if you've ever felt caught between the safety of what you know and the wild unknown of what could be. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll receive from this episode: The prisoners' world of shadows shows how easily belief can bind us, and how truth begins the moment we dare to question what we see. The climb from the cave reminds us that awakening is rarely gentle… it asks for courage, endurance, and the willingness to let old certainties fall away. Plato's allegory endures because it still speaks to our souls today, carrying ancestral wisdom about seeing clearly, walking together toward truth, and remembering the light that was always waiting. Resources and stuff Lian spoke about: Join UNIO, the Community for Wild Sovereign Souls: Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Oct 8, 2025 • 56min
How to manifest beyond vision boards: metaphysics & morality - Mike Bais
In this week's show Lian is joined once again by Mike Bais. Mike is Lian's own Kabbalah teacher, a physiotherapist, counsellor, university lecturer and author, also having had his own practice for many years. He is a trained priest in the esoteric christian tradition, which lead him to follow the mystical side of this lineage called the A.S.A. (Apostolic Succession of Arimathea). He believes that the Teachings of Christ are universal and should not be limited to a religious structure. His esoteric training comes from the western mystery tradition and the Toledano Kabbalah. Living in the Netherlands (Utrecht) he extensively worked with teachers and groups in the UK. After some decades of study and practice in the western esoteric tradition, the inner work came together in these three streams or disciplines that make up the Circle of Avalon. Mike sees it as his life's work to teach these traditions to whomever wishes to receive them. He is a mystic and teacher by nature and through his groups, individual sessions, workshops and writing, transmits them in the most pure and true way he knows. Mike is the author of 3 books: Paths on the Tree of Wisdom – A course in 21st Century Kabbalah, A Kabbalistic view on science: Book 1 and A Kabbalistic view on science: Book 2. In this episode, Lian and Mike look at manifestation through its deeper metaphysical roots. They touch on how morality shapes what we bring into being, the psyche as the passage between the unseen and the physical, and the limits of trying to manifest from the surface of the mind alone. Together they reflect on how unconscious manifestation plays out all the time and why consciousness changes everything. They look at what actually helps: focus that holds steady in a distracted world, alignment across mind, body, and soul, and devotion to a principle that keeps us centred when life pulls us apart. Listen if you've ever questioned why vision boards only go so far, wondered what really makes manifestation work, or felt the tension between your desires and what serves something greater. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How the psyche acts as a filter for manifestation, shaping not just what we want but why we want it Why alignment across body, psyche, and soul is the difference between scattered wishing and true creation What happens when focus and devotion become your North Star in a culture set up to scatter attention Resources and stuff spoken about: Mike's websites: http://www.circleofavalon.nl http://www.kabbalahmysticalschool.com Join UNIO, the Academy of the Soul: This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Oct 2, 2025 • 1h 1min
Shamanism vs animism: how to live spiritually in modern times - Nicholas Breeze Wood
In this week's show, Lian is joined by Nicholas Breeze Wood. Nicholas has practiced shamanism for over 40 years, combining it with the 'earthier' end of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as with 'medicine' teachings from Native North American peoples. He has worked with many gifted medicine people and shamans over the years, and is deeply apprenticed to his own spirit helpers, whose teachings never fail to awe and surprise him. Nick's shamanism is a fusion of traditional Himalayan and Mongolian forms, combined with teachings from his own spirits. He works especially deeply with ritual objects - such as bronze shaman's mirrors, phurba daggers and many other Mongolian and Tibetan shamanic and Buddhist ritual objects - for which he holds traditional teachings and, where required, traditional initiations. Despite being a 'rather uneducated Buddhist,' he is an ordained Tibetan Buddhist lama, a type called a ngakpa, whose role is similar to a shaman's. Ngakpas are non-monastic, non-celebrate lamas who live in the community, specialising in ritual and magic for people within their community. Nick is the editor of Sacred Hoop Magazine - a leading international magazine about shamanism - which has been published since 1993. He is also a musician and artist. He is the author of several books including, 'Walking with the Tiger,' 'Sacred Drums of Siberia,' 'A Little Book of Revealing,' 'Voices From The Earth,' 'The Book of the Shaman,' 'The Shaman Box,' and 'The Resplendent Other'. He runs the large Facebook group 3Worlds Shamanism, has done a podcast called the 3Worlds shamanism podcast on and off since 2006 and also has a somewhat neglected YouTube channel, also called 3Worlds Shamanism. In this conversation, Lian and Nick trace the line between animism and shamanism. They explore how industrial life thinned our old ways, and what simple rites restore a living conversation with the more-than-human world. They look at what actually helps: a small daily offering that slows you down, a tree-side ceremony that teaches you to listen, and the humility of walking behind the sacred rather than in front. Listen if you have felt the pull back to nature and wondered whether it means animist, shamanist, or simply human… answering an innate way of seeing. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How a living-matter view changes our lives, and why calling it "animism" might clarify the pull you already feel Why simple offerings reshape your pace and attention, and how reciprocity steadies you when life gets noisy What happens when humility leads, and the subtle signs that tell you a deeper calling is knocking Resources and stuff spoken about: Visit Nick's websites: Sacred Hoop Magazine 3Worlds Podcast Buy Nick's books Join Nick on YouTube Join UNIO, the Academy of the Soul. This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Sep 24, 2025 • 49min
How to be seen: small changes that make your unique presence work for you - John Kippen
In this week's show Lian is joined by John Kippen. John is an entrepreneur, professional magician, speaker, resilience and empowerment coach and published author. John was dealt a bad blow in 2002 when he was diagnosed with a large benign brain tumor. Its removal, although successful, left him with permanent facial paralysis which stopped his forward momentum forcing him into hiding for more than 12 years. As John hit bottom, he rediscovered his childhood love for performing magic and storytelling. Now filled with passion and hope, he discovered that his facial paralysis had become his greatest superpower. This new mindset gave John the strength to live life with joy and become a sought after resilience and empowerment coach who uses the lessons and tricks he learned overcoming his adversity to inspire and assist his clients to get out of their own way and live their best lives. His two mottos are "Being Different is your Superpower!" and "Feed your Heart with your Art". In this episode, Lian and John explore identity, being seen, and the simple choices that change a room. John shares the day a brain tumour changed his face, the eight years he avoided mirrors, the child who asked what adults wouldn't, and the moment he chose to name the change to his face before anyone else did. Together, they look at what actually makes the difference: saying the obvious thing first so people relax, letting repetition and craft rebuild confidence, and making the person in front of you the point. Listen if you have ever dodged photos, worried about what strangers notice, or wondered how to begin again after a big change that impacts you at the level of your identity. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How naming the visible difference at the start eases tension, answers unasked questions, and opens real connection Why steady practice, honest story, and self-acceptance can rebuild identity after a big change, without waiting for perfect conditions or permission What happens when you put the person in front of you first with presence, names, and attention: tension drops, curiosity softens, and trust grows Resources and stuff spoken about: There's a free book but you can only get it by listening to the episode :) Visit John's website Join UNIO, the Academy of the Soul: This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).

Sep 18, 2025 • 58min
Ancient technology & modern science: the power of the shamanic drum - Sophie Messager
In this week's show, Lian is joined by Sophie Messager. Sophie bridges worlds that rarely meet. A former reproductive physiologist with a PhD, she traded her microscope for holistic practices after experiencing the transformative power of an empowered birth. Her decade-long journey as a doula, birth educator, and author of Why Postnatal Recovery Matters deepened her exploration of the rhythms surrounding women's transitions. Now a holistic life transition mentor, Sophie guides women through significant life thresholds – from birth to perimenopause and beyond. Her unique combination of scientific expertise and spiritual insight allows her to serve as a compassionate space holder for those seeking to harmonise their analytical and intuitive selves. In this episode, Lian and Sophie explore the ancient and immediate power of the drum… how it once belonged to priestesses and women of the land, how it was silenced by culture and religion, and how it is now returning as medicine for body, mind, and birth. Together, they trace the threads of history and lived experience, revealing why rhythm has always been a companion in times of transformation. Sophie shares her journey from research scientist to doula, and the moment a single drumbeat opened a path that has carried her ever since. They speak of birth rooms where drumming restored sovereignty, of hospitals where rhythm returned power to a woman's body, and of the everyday rituals that root us in calm and clarity. They also explore what happens when women collectively reclaim the drum: the nervous system shifts, the mind quiets, and a deeper wisdom becomes audible. At its heart, this is a conversation about remembering… rhythm as medicine, voice as courage, and community as the ground of healing. We'd love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let's carry on the conversation… please leave a comment wherever you are listening or in any of our other spaces to engage. What you'll learn from this episode: How women once held the drum as a sacred tool of fertility, labour, and trance… and what was lost when that rhythm was silenced Why a steady beat can shift brainwaves, calm anxiety, and even transform the experience of birth How reclaiming the drum today awakens both personal sovereignty and a wider cultural remembering Resources and stuff spoken about: Visit Sophie's website Buy Sophie's book: Why Postnatal Recovery Matters Sophie's online courses about perinatal & life transitions rituals: Drumming for birth Postnatal rebozo massage and closing ritual Rebozo techniques for an easier birth The art and science of postpartum wrapping How to run a Mother blessing How to prepare for a nurturing postpartum Join Sophie on social media: Instagram Facebook Linkedin Youtube Join UNIO, the Academy of the Soul. This is for the old souls in this new world… Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth. Be Mythical Join our mailing list for soul stirring goodness: https://www.bemythical.com/moonly Discover your kin & unite with your soul's calling to truly live your myth: https://www.bemythical.com/unio Go Deeper: https://www.bemythical.com/godeeper Follow us: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Thank you for listening! There's a fresh episode released each week here and on most podcast platforms - and video too on YouTube. If you subscribe then you'll get each new episode delivered to your device every week automagically. (that way you'll never miss a show).


