In this episode of The Initiation, Sebastian speaks with Brian Stafford, a former psychiatrist who left a successful career after an unmistakable inner call – and went on to train with Animas Valley Institute, founded by Bill Plotkin.
Brian shares the story of how a single book – Soulcraft – cracked his world open, and how wilderness rites like the Vision Fast can catalyze profound, grounded transformation without any entheogens: through ceremony, fasting, solitude, soulcraft practices, and direct relationship with the more-than-human world.
Together they unpack:
- the five phases of soul initiation (preparation, dissolution, soul encounter, metamorphosis, enactment)
- why “find your purpose” often stays abstract – and how “soul image” makes vocation real
- soul-centric dreamwork, imaginal intelligence, and the role of grief and awe in a time of planetary unraveling
- Brian’s upcoming book, Pathways to Ecological Awakening, and why ecological belonging may be the prerequisite shift for everything else
A conversation about remembering our place on Earth – and discovering what you’re here to serve, specifically, in the middle of civilizational transition.
If you’re new to The Initiation, you may also want to explore Season 1, where I lay the foundations for the entire series. Across the first nine episodes, we dive into the core themes shaping our moment in history – from the rise of artificial intelligence and the breakdown of our monetary system to the climate crisis, geopolitics, and the breakthrough forces pointing toward transformation. Season 1 offers the wider context for everything we’ll explore this year.
