The Call of the Wild; Ancestors, Dreams & Animal Medicine
John recently started teaching a 6 week course with the College of Psychic Studies entitled ‘The Call of the Wild, Ancestors, Dreams & Animal Medicine. Please read his latest blog below to get a flavour of these teachings. There are still places available on the course if you feel called to take part.
At the heart of The Call of the Wild lies a question so simple, yet so vast, that most of us instinctively turn away from it:
What was your face before you were born? And what will your face be when you die?
“I'm not talking about Facebook. I'm talking about ‘Soul Book’ which is much bigger than social media.”
This is not a philosophical riddle meant to be answered by the intellect. It is an invitation into mystery. An invitation to step beyond social identity, beyond personality, beyond labels and roles, and into direct relationship with your soul.
When asked this question, most people respond honestly with, “I don’t know.” And rather than trying to escape that not-knowing, the teaching invites us to stay with it, to sink into it, because the language of nature is not the language of certainty. It is the language of mystery.
Nature does not explain itself. It reveals itself through rhythm, sensation, dream, and relationship. When we allow ourselves to rest in not knowing—feeling the heartbeat, the breath, the bones, the subtle pulse behind the third eye—we begin to enter the same way of listening that animals, ancestors, and the Earth itself use.
This is where the journey begins.
The Three Pillars of the Path
The course unfolds around three foundational pillars, sometimes referred to as the three jewels or three medicines. Together, they form a complete and grounded spiritual path—one that connects consciousness, Earth, and the dreamtime.
1. Connecting to the Soul
The first pillar is the universal spiritual inquiry found across traditions: Zen, Buddhism, yoga, and meditation, to name but a few.
Who are you beyond your name, your history, and your story?
By sincerely asking the question “What was my face before I was born, and what will my face be when I die?” we begin to turn toward the soul itself. This question is not meant to be solved. When held deeply, it dissolves mental certainty and opens the door to direct experience. In this space, we encounter presence, awareness, and the living mystery of being.
This pillar alone can bring visions, insights, and dreams. But without grounding, it can also leave a person unbalanced—connected to the “live wire” of consciousness without being rooted in the Earth.
This is why the second pillar is essential.
2. Honoring the Bone People: The Ancestors
The second pillar is the practice of welcoming the ancestors—often referred to as the bone people. This is the medicine that grounds the soul into the body and the body into the Earth.
Just as the baobab tree lives for thousands of years by drawing strength from its roots, human beings draw vitality, resilience, and belonging through connection with their ancestral line. The ancestors are not approached as perfect beings, nor are their actions judged or justified. They are honored as human beings—carriers of life, and consciousness.
Many people feel resistance here. Some carry anger, shame, grief, or unresolved trauma connected to their lineage. Others have distanced themselves completely. Yet the teaching is clear: to reject the ancestors is to reject a part of oneself.
Honoring ancestors does not mean approving of their behavior. It means welcoming the life force, the sap, the consciousness that flows through generations. Even when ancestors have committed harm, the practice focuses on receiving their spark of humanity—not their actions.
For those with painful ancestral histories, a simple and compassionate approach is offered: imagine the ancestors as six-month-old children. Innocent. Human. Alive. Bow to our shared humanity, not the deeds of your ancestors.
When we cut ourselves off from our roots, vitality weakens. When we reconnect, energy begins to flow again—into the body, into creativity, into dreams.
3. Listening to the Dreams
The third pillar is the realm of dreams and visions. In this tradition, dreams are not random mental noise. They are messages from the deeper intelligence of life—the Great Dreamer.
Dreams often arrive once the first two pillars are engaged. When the soul is invited and the ancestors are welcomed, the dreaming world opens naturally. Animals may appear as teachers or allies. Images, emotions, and stories surface that guide the individual toward healing, direction, and truth.
Dreams are not interpreted intellectually. They are listened to. Honored. Tracked. Over time, they become a living conversation between the individual, the ancestors, and the natural world.
Shadow: The Medicine That Isn’t Always Comfortable
One of the most honest and important teachings in The Call of the Wild is the role of shadow.
Shadow is not evil. It is not something to eliminate or transcend. Shadow is everything we have pushed away: grief, anger, fear, shame, sadness, inherited trauma, self-doubt, and suppressed emotion. When we choose to connect deeply with the soul, shadow often appears first.
This is not a failure of the practice. It is proof that the medicine is working.
Modern spiritual culture often promotes “love and light” while bypassing pain. But genuine healing requires feeling what is present. You cannot jump to light while ignoring what hurts. Suppressed emotion does not disappear—it moves into the unconscious, into dreams, into the body.
Shadow work is the act of befriending these inner weather patterns. Just as animals do not judge heat, cold, or storms, we are invited to accept our internal climate without resistance. Feeling does not mean being overwhelmed. It means staying present.
When shadow is allowed, it moves. When resisted, it stagnates.
Becoming the Lion: Courage and Commitment
To walk this path requires courage. Not bravado, not force—but the steady courage of the lion.
The lion feels discomfort. The lion feels heat, hunger, exhaustion. But the lion does not make the weather wrong. It stays present. It endures. It listens.
Likewise, this work asks for commitment. A willingness to stay with the practice even when emotions rise. To keep praying, breathing, dancing, listening. Over time, shadow gives way to clarity. Dreams begin to illuminate the path. Joy and vitality return—not as constant happiness, but as aliveness.
Ubuntu: The Heart of Humanity
At the core of this teaching is Ubuntu—the African understanding that I am because we are.
Our relationship with ancestors shapes our relationship with humanity. When we are trapped in blame, judgment, and division, we repeat the same fractures within ourselves. When we cultivate acceptance, compassion, and responsibility, healing extends outward.
Honoring ancestors does not isolate us in the past. It reconnects us to the present—to nature, community, and shared humanity. The state of the world reflects the state of our ancestral relationships. Healing one contributes to healing the other.
Why The Call of the Wild Matters
The Call of the Wild is not about escaping modern life. It is about reintroducing ancient wisdom into a modern context—making it accessible, grounded, and alive.
In a world overwhelmed by distraction, technology, and disconnection, this work restores something essential: relationship.
Relationship with the soul.
Relationship with the ancestors.
Relationship with nature.
Relationship with the unseen.
This path does not promise constant comfort. It promises truth. It invites humility, courage, and sincerity. And for those willing to walk it, it offers grounding, vitality, and a deep sense of belonging.
Ultimately, The Call of the Wild reminds us that we are not separate from the Earth, from our lineage, or from the mystery of life itself. We are participants in a living, dreaming universe—and when we remember how to listen, the path reveals itself.
🦁 John’s 6wk course with the College is still open for newcomers
Click here to join the course 🎈
If you are interested in John’s work then please feel free to sign up to his newsletter and receive regular event invitations, teachings and meditations.
