Talking with Death: Dr. Isla Fishburn
Author: Mind Body Spirit.fm
May 11, 2026
Duration: 1:12:27
In this deeply moving conversation, the hosts of The Animal Communication Podcast welcome Dr. Isla Fishburn of Kachina Canine - intuitive medicine teacher, shamanic practitioner, grief tender, and author - for a conversation that truly transcends the ordinary. Dr. Isla shares her remarkable "long walk": a lifelong initiation into the consciousness of death, woven through early losses, a near-death experience, an abusive marriage, and the profound teachings of her wolf dog, Tunkashila. Together, they explore death not as an ending to be feared, but as a sacred, intelligent consciousness, an ancient ally that has always been waiting at the edge of our circle, asking to be let in. From the concept of "soulspan" and animals as body-hoppers across infinite lifetimes, to the lost art of ceremony and the village that once held us in grief, to the beautiful truth that a heart that breaks is a heart that wakes, this episode will shift the way you think about loss, love, and the animals who walk us home.
RESOURCES:
Dr. Isla Fishburn’s website - Kachina Canine - https://kachinacanine.com
Do YOU want to be an animal communicator or learn more about Soul Level Intuitive Coaching®? Check out the new classes and Be Open Community offered by our teacher, Danielle MacKinnon. It’s a great place to learn Energy Management, trusting yourself and even finding a great, supportive community.
YOUR HOSTS
Julie is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Heart Animal Soul Professional Communicator, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Spirit Animal Sacred Alchemy Practitioner and Certified Trauma-Informed Grief Coach. She writes the column “Trust the Animals” on Substack and is a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. Find out more about her and her monthly Pet Loss Grief Circles at her website: https://www.juliehirt-intuitive.com/
Karen is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Pangu Shengong (qigong) Instructor and Energy Healer. She is an End-of-life Companion Animal Doula through the UVM certificate program and a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. She is also on the board of NicaLove Animal Rescue and the Founder and a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: https://www.karendendysmith.com/
Meredith is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki Practitioner, and certified dog trainer with a focus on behavior modification and positive reinforcement. She is also a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: https://www.meredithtollison.com/
You can find all of our episodes at MindBodySpirit.fm. Reach out to us with questions or comments via the Contact Us form on our website (https://www.theanimalcommunicationpodcast.com).
Learn more about the fundraising work Karen, Meredith and Julie do with The Animal Communication Collective at https://www.animalcommunicationcollective.com/.
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