How to weave the hidden web of your ancestors, epigenetics & stories - Caitlín Matthews

18 Mar

Episode 494 released 20th March 2025.

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).

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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 journey into the systemic context of shamanism - understanding how deeply interconnected we are, not only to each other but to our ancestors and the broader web of life. Together, they explore how our personal stories intertwine with ancestral narratives, shaping who we are in profound and often unseen ways.

Lian and Caitlín reflect on how rituals, myths, and collective stories hold powerful keys to healing, transformation, and understanding. They journey through ancient mysteries and modern examples - from the Tarantella rituals of Southern Italy to the haunting power of ancestral stories triggered in unexpected moments.

Drawing on the metaphor of the spider’s web, they illuminate the delicate balance of our interconnectedness. These threads reveal how epigenetics and cultural perspectives deeply influence our experiences of illness, healing, and personal crisis.

This episode invites listeners to reconnect with the hidden threads of their own lives, transforming unconscious ancestral burdens into sources of wisdom, insight, and strength.

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:

Healing isn't solely individual; it requires recognition of our systemic context, including familial and ancestral influences, to uncover deeper truths and lasting transformation.
Myths and stories are not merely tales; they can either awaken healing narratives or stir unresolved ancestral wounds, influencing our lives profoundly.
Cultivating daily awareness of our interconnectedness helps us navigate life's complexities with greater sensitivity, understanding, and alignment.

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 www.hallowquest.substack.com

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