Talking with Death: Dr. Isla Fishburn

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/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered what your pet is really thinking, or why a bird outside your window seems to pause just for you? The Animal Communication Podcast offers a rare window into those questions, guided by three experienced practitioners: Julie Hirt, Karen Dendy Smith, and Meredith Tollison. This isn't about training tips, but about connection. Each episode is built on their work as Soul Level Animal Communicators®, where they share candid stories and conversations that bridge our human world with the inner lives of animals. You'll hear them explore everyday mysteries-from puzzling behaviors and health concerns to the pure joy of play-as recounted by the animals themselves, both those sharing our homes and those in spirit. It’s a gentle, often surprising journey that redefines our relationship with all creatures, making it a unique listen for families, pet lovers, and anyone curious about the spiritual bonds we share. Presented by Mind Body Spirit.fm, this podcast invites you to slow down and listen in a whole new way.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 99

The Animal Communication Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Power of Animal Communication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:28
What if the real power of animal communication isn't about receiving messages at all — but about being changed by love? In this episode, Julie, Karen, and Meredith explore how the unconditional love of animals creates th…
Darkness as a Doorway with Sandra Ingerman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:04
Sandra Ingerman has spent 46 years teaching people how to move through the hardest passages of their lives - not by fighting the darkness, but by learning to trust what lives inside it. In this episode, the author of Wal…
What Spring Teaches Us: Awakening, Transformation & Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:02
Spring is far more than a change in season. It's an invitation to awaken, transform, and trust the process, even when a late frost takes the wind right out of your sails. In this episode, Meredith, Karen, and Julie explo…
How Animals Honor Boundaries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:45
In this episode, Karen, Meredith, and Julie explore one of the most quietly powerful lessons our animals offer us: how to honor boundaries - our own, theirs, and each other's. Animals set boundaries without guilt, withou…
The WHY Behind Your Pet’s Health with Kara Hanrahan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:49
What if the food in your pet's bowl — and on your own plate — is the missing piece of their health, and yours? This week, we sit down with Kara Hanrahan of Raw Remedies Holistic Health, a functional medicine nurse practi…
Muscle Testing for Your Pet's Health with Pam Roussell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:47
What if your pet's body already knew exactly what it needed — and you just needed the right tool to ask? In this episode, we sit down with Pam Roussell of Perfectly Holistic, a holistic cat health practitioner who uses m…
When You Leave [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:07
In this heartfelt episode Meredith, Karen, and Julie explore a tender and often overlooked question: what happens for our animals when we are the ones who leave? Whether through travel, hospitalization, or death, the tri…
The Heart of Our Show [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:19
In this deeply personal episode, Julie Hirt, Karen Dendy Smith, and Meredith Tollison reflect on why The Animal Communication Podcast exists and how the animals themselves have shaped its heart. What begins with Julie’s…
Stephanie Banks - Intuitive Channel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:02
In this episode of The Animal Communication Podcast, we welcome intuitive channeler Stephanie Banks for a deeply moving conversation about consciousness, trust, and connection beyond words. Stephanie shares how her chann…